Waddlemarsh - somewhere southwest of London sometime before today

[Gwiwer]

More WR stock as a D6xx “Warship” poses with the blood & custard Mk1 rake and a very poorly-presented “Western” arrives with a Hawksworth van in tow 

 

 

[Gwiwer]

These will be the last images of Waddlemarsh in its present home and configuration

 

The layout will be divided into its constituent boards over the coming long weekend ready for relocation. 
 

Most rolling stock is already boxed and packed. 
 

But there is still some action in the goods shed and yard and the large 2-6-4T Standard tank may be going somewhere as it gets an oil-round. 
 

An old Penhayle Bay favourite makes a one-off guest appearance as Beattie well-tank 30585 arrives on a short goods. Its driver still has the same cheerful wave that he gave to Australian modellers on Penhayle Bay some years ago now. As if to echo the well-tank’s arrival the A1X “Terrier” poses behind whilst shunting a “warwell” carrying a compressor.  
 

A suspiciously clean 2-EPB unit works the passenger service having taken over from the now-packed 2-BIL and 2-HAL units. And the headshunt resembles the yard at Hither Green shed with no fewer than three green “Cromptons”. 
 

Blue-era stock has very seldom features at Waddlemarsh but a newly-repainted D6xx “Warship” is ready to take out the milk tanks.  Some miscreant has placed the cab steps belonging to the “gronk” shunter on its cab roof!  
 

Waddlemarsh is expected to reappear later in the year ℅ its new hosts at Hayle Railway Modellers. It may or may not retain its L-shape format and other changes may occur. Viewing from the far side with the backscene swapped to the operator’s side is one option. Rebuilding as a straight end-to-end is another. Watch this space. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[5BarVT]

Hope all goes well with the move.  Never did get to see you On Duty at Clapham Jc!

 

I have operated Newhaven Harbour which was converted from inside viewing to outside viewing when it was sold to WFRM but that was easier as the FY was at one end, not hidden along one side.  Look forward to seeing what they achieve.

 

Paul.

[Rugd1022]

Forgive the perhaps silly question Rick, but is that the Kernow D6XX above...? If it is, I have to confess I'd (shamefully) forgotten all  about it! 

 

 

 

Edited August 24, 2023 by Rugd1022

[Gwiwer]

2 hours ago, 5BarVT said:

Never did get to see you On Duty at Clapham Jc!

I’m still there until 22nd September - 07.00 to 11.00 not weekends 

 

1 hour ago, Rugd1022 said:

is that the Kernow D6XX above...?

It certainly is. Superb models and despite the lengthy wait (not the fault of Kernow MRC in any way) the original ones sold out and a couple of later releases followed suit. 
 

I ordered all five of the originals for operation on Penhayle Bay but they were not ready in time. I also have one of the later models (so six for a prototype class of only five) most of which have yet to run more than a forward-and-back test at Waddlemarsh. 

[St Enodoc]

9 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

These will be the last images of Waddlemarsh in its present home and configuration

 

The layout will be divided into its constituent boards over the coming long weekend ready for relocation. 
 

Most rolling stock is already boxed and packed. 
 

But there is still some action in the goods shed and yard and the large 2-6-4T Standard tank may be going somewhere as it gets an oil-round. 
 

An old Penhayle Bay favourite makes a one-off guest appearance as Beattie well-tank 30585 arrives on a short goods. Its driver still has the same cheerful wave that he gave to Australian modellers on Penhayle Bay some years ago now. As if to echo the well-tank’s arrival the A1X “Terrier” poses behind whilst shunting a “warwell” carrying a compressor.  
 

A suspiciously clean 2-EPB unit works the passenger service having taken over from the now-packed 2-BIL and 2-HAL units. And the headshunt resembles the yard at Hither Green shed with no fewer than three green “Cromptons”. 
 

Blue-era stock has very seldom features at Waddlemarsh but a newly-repainted D6xx “Warship” is ready to take out the milk tanks.  Some miscreant has placed the cab steps belonging to the “gronk” shunter on its cab roof!  
 

Waddlemarsh is expected to reappear later in the year ℅ its new hosts at Hayle Railway Modellers. It may or may not retain its L-shape format and other changes may occur. Viewing from the far side with the backscene swapped to the operator’s side is one option. Rebuilding as a straight end-to-end is another. Watch this space. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wasn't sure whether to give you a "friendly/supportive" or a "round of applause". I settled for the latter to convey my three cheers for your new life. I'm sure all will go well.

 

All the best.

[Gwiwer]

An update. 
 

Waddlemarsh did not come apart as nicely as I had hoped. The fiddle yard came away easily. The rest had to wait for me to dismantle the bed and workstation since everything interlocked. None of that played nice either. 
 

When I cut the rest into its individual boards the link-span around the corner of the room came away well enough but the stresses on curved track being “released” caused several rails to pop out of their plastic bases and attempt to straighten. 
 

The goods yard board is relatively ok. 
 

The station scene however started to disintegrate as I moved it and sustained quite significant - but probably repairable - damage. 
 

The state of play currently is that the fiddle yard is safely housed at the Hayle Railway Modeller’s clubroom. The station scene was moved to the Twickenham MRC clubroom for short-term storage as it was too big for the van and was thought at the time to be beyond worthwhile repair. 
 

The others are now outside the old flat on a covered balcony. All of those three boards will be collected in two weeks time, moved to Cornwall and assessed. 
 

There should be life in the layout yet. But parts of it will look different. 

[Gwiwer]

Waddlemarsh is now housed in deepest rural west Cornwall.  All the boards made the trip.  Some are in poor condition with others not too bad structurally but requiring significant TLC and recovery.  

 

I had some legs donated yesterday which will serve to erect the first board and then, one by one, the others with the intention being to restore the layout to full working order during 2024 and in the hopes that it might reach the local exhibition circuit during 2025.  

 

There will be some changes as operation will in future be from the back - the side which was previously hard against the walls in the flat.  Viewing will be, as it has been, from the same side as now giving much the same views.  The layout was built for one-person operation but has the scope to become a two-person show exhibit.  It needed some re-wiring anyway which will take place during its restoration and which should eliminate the minor electrical niggles it has always had up to now.  

 

I can also re-lay the curves around the 90-degree corner to permit easier operation on the electric lines; the yard lines have always been OK in that regard allowing for bogie locomotives to exhibit unrealistic frame-swing.  

 

It's going to be a long-ish term project and now on more restricted funding following my retirement but as the essentials have survived the move (and two weeks being dumped outdoors in all weathers) it is too good to let go.  

[St Enodoc]

4 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

Waddlemarsh is now housed in deepest rural west Cornwall.  All the boards made the trip.  Some are in poor condition with others not too bad structurally but requiring significant TLC and recovery.  

 

I had some legs donated yesterday which will serve to erect the first board and then, one by one, the others with the intention being to restore the layout to full working order during 2024 and in the hopes that it might reach the local exhibition circuit during 2025.  

 

There will be some changes as operation will in future be from the back - the side which was previously hard against the walls in the flat.  Viewing will be, as it has been, from the same side as now giving much the same views.  The layout was built for one-person operation but has the scope to become a two-person show exhibit.  It needed some re-wiring anyway which will take place during its restoration and which should eliminate the minor electrical niggles it has always had up to now.  

 

I can also re-lay the curves around the 90-degree corner to permit easier operation on the electric lines; the yard lines have always been OK in that regard allowing for bogie locomotives to exhibit unrealistic frame-swing.  

 

It's going to be a long-ish term project and now on more restricted funding following my retirement but as the essentials have survived the move (and two weeks being dumped outdoors in all weathers) it is too good to let go.  

Good news Rick and very timely - I was just wondering yesterday how you were getting on.

 

Wishing you both a Happy New Year and look forward to more marsh-waddling/furtling progress.

[Gwiwer]

38 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

Good news Rick and very timely - I was just wondering yesterday how you were getting on.

 

Wishing you both a Happy New Year and look forward to more marsh-waddling/furtling progress.

Thank you and, as they say, "Right Back Atya".

 

The focus has been on the much smaller Porthgarrow layout which travels in the back of the car and has an exhibition booking in April to add to its two last year.  That will have a few tidying-up details added and a new roof and frontage but otherwise is good to go.  

 

Waddlemarsh being a much larger project will start to gt its TLC as the weather improves from Winter into Spring and the clubroom (hopefully) gets warmer, lighter and drier.