Aston On Clun. A forgotten Great Western outpost.

[MrWolf]

More ideas for the crossing keepers / station masters house. All four sides will be modelled, despite the fact that you will struggle to see two of them. 

But I know it's there......

 

 

 

Edited August 15, 2022 by MrWolf

[bgman]

Re the signal box, I initially thought of the Rail Model laser cut box at Helston ( available in 4mm - I've built one in 7mm ) and possibly alter the size to suit your needs but looking at it I now feel its not quite what you're looking for.

 

That said Andy ( Pearce ) the owner is very amenable and if you wanted to have one adapted or send him a design he is always willing to help if possible. I sent him some CAD drawings of a small GWR wooden station building and GWR halt which he produced for me last year at a very reasonable price.

 

Failing which you will possibly looking at a scratch build me thinks !

 

G

 

p.s. for reference / help this is the 7mm version I built ...

 

[Northroader]

Tim C.K. did a very useful post for a small GWR box, plenty of good pictures:

 

[bgman]

26 minutes ago, Northroader said:

Tim C.K. did a very useful post for a small GWR box, plenty of good pictures:

 

 

Ah Ha ! That's the other one I was trying to think of it'd fit in very well I reckon ?

 

Thank you Northroader.

 

G

[Captain Kernow]

On 20/11/2020 at 20:24, bgman said:

 

Have you been talking to Captain Kernow perchance ?

 

G.Obildgook

Dear Mr Obildigook,

 

No, he hasn't.

 

He got there all by himself, with no help from me.

 

Yours infinitely,

 

Algernon Cuthbertson

 

[Captain Kernow]

On 20/11/2020 at 20:27, Alister_G said:

 

Pah, a mere amateur... I've spent the last week writing ISO27001 policies and documentation, I'm even beginning to dream in buzzwords...

 

I now catch up with this scurrilous statement.

 

Pah, indeed!

 

In my time, I tell you, in my time...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pah!

 

[Captain Kernow]

On 20/11/2020 at 20:30, NHY 581 said:

let's not let the grass grow too long on this one

But I thought that was exactly what you did on your Sheepshanky layouts!

 

On 20/11/2020 at 20:30, NHY 581 said:

you know where to find me

In the long grass?

 

[Captain Kernow]

On 20/11/2020 at 21:18, Oldddudders said:

Ummm - how do we pronounce "Clun"? I ask because I had Welsh neighbours when I lived in Kent (they'd recently moved back from Munich, as a matter of fact). They swore that Clun, being in the Marches, should be pronounced 'clean'. I was sceptical, having passed through the village and seen a pub called the Sun at Clun. Was it really the Scene at Clean? Surely not?

My brother lives there.

 

It's pronounced 'Clun', which rhymes with 'pun' (unless you live down the end of Old Sodgers Lane, in which case the posh types pronounce it 'Clunmondeley'.

 

[Captain Kernow]

On 20/11/2020 at 22:29, MrWolf said:

the New Radnor branch is one of those odd lines that appeal

You have just made it to the provisional list for possible consideration for inclusion on the Christmas card list with that most excellent remark.

 

[Captain Kernow]

On 21/11/2020 at 09:51, Gopher said:

and Six Sigma

Back in the day, I used to loathe Sick Sigma.

 

[Captain Kernow]

9 hours ago, MrWolf said:

Some time ago, I put up a request for a bit of help with the signalling on one of the technical boards. (I still haven't got my head around it!) 

As it was my assumption that the GWR had put in proper signalling to run more than one locomotive, it got quite complex. 

There also seemed to be any number of options. I had originally intended to site the signal box at the western end of the station, so that the crossover and entrance to the goods yard were on the shortest rod run.

This was countered by the assertion that the box would be next to the crossing to operate that as well. 

I was thinking that the engine shed would have a manually operated point. But that's no longer relevant. 

So the size of the box has increased and it would be better off elevated to give a view of the opposite end of the station trackwork.

But I still don't think that the station warrants any of the "standard" boxes that are available in kit form. It was always the intention to at least partly scratch build the box. 

I was thinking of something like this box from Bryn Teify. It's not that large or high and it doesn't look like a kit.

 

 

 

Assuming you might wish to do a bit of shunting on the running line and working on the possibility that you may be able to use the loop to pass trains (passenger or goods in platform and goods only in loop), I have sketched a very quick signalling diagram, including points, facing point locks and ground signals, that implies at least 19 worked levers, including both distants, plus another two brown levers on a separate frame in the box, for the level crossing locos (plus a wheel to operate the gates themselves).

 

As such, I reckon the size of the box above, or St Marys Crossing etc. is too small. Most frames also had at least a couple of spare levers (white) as well.

 

Interestingly, you may just get away with the Ratio McKenzie & Holland 'GWR' box, very much like the one in your next photo, but I'd seriously suggest doing a scale mock-up of the signalbox interior, to help you determine the actual footprint of the box itself.

 

[NHY 581]

Morning all. 

 

If you've not come across this......

 

https://luggvalleyrailway.wordpress.com/penhydd/

 

Well worth a look. I tend to get lost for hours.......

 

Geoff did a 4mm model St Mary's Crossing box, as per his photos below. 

 

Rob.  

[NHY 581]

Another of Geoff's photos. 

 

 

 

Rob. 

[MrWolf]

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and contributions here, it's given me a lot to think about.

I have a metal kit somewhere for a lever frame, so I can work out from that with a bit of luck the footprint of the signal box. I don't want it to overpower the other buildings, especially now that I have dispensed with the locomotive shed.

[Nick C]

On 29/11/2020 at 02:05, MrWolf said:

Another similar design and sized box, this time with a porch, which is probably OTT for my location. It just gives another idea of the maximum size I would go for. Unless anyone knows of a better idea? 

 

 

That one looks very similar to the Ratio kit, with a porch added.

[Nick C]

11 hours ago, MrWolf said:

I have a metal kit somewhere for a lever frame, so I can work out from that with a bit of luck the footprint of the signal box

If it's any help, Alresford box on the Mid-Hants (LSWR type 1) has 18 levers and is roughly 15'x10' - I don't know whether GW boxes have the same lever pitch, but I'd imagine it'd be fairly similar.

[MrWolf]

7 minutes ago, Nick C said:

That one looks very similar to the Ratio kit, with a porch added.

 

I thought so too. I think that I can use a good number of components from that with a scratchbuilt lower brick base. All I have to do as @CaptainKernow says is make sure that my proposed lever frame would fit.

[Nick C]

2 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

 

I thought so too. I think that I can use a good number of components from that with a scratchbuilt lower brick base. All I have to do as @CaptainKernow says is make sure that my proposed lever frame would fit.

You basically need enough space either end for the signalman to get past the frame and block shelf to get to the front windows - from memory at Alresford it's about 3' each end.

 

The SRS site suggests GWR frames had either 4" or 5 1/4" pitch - so at 19 lever frame would be 76 - 99" long - so ~8', giving a minimum length for the box of around 14'

[Captain Kernow]

I appreciate that (as I recall) you said you didn't want a standard GW box, but I believe that the GW 5-window hipped roof box at Blue Anchor is (?was?) available as a R-T-P resin model?

 

Alternatively, one or more Ratio kits could be modified.

 

Also, have a look at what Dexters Cove are producing - https://dexterscove.com/store/c5/Building_Kits.html

 

[Captain Kernow]

2 minutes ago, Nick C said:

You basically need enough space either end for the signalman to get past the frame and block shelf to get to the front windows - from memory at Alresford it's about 3' each end.

 

The SRS site suggests GWR frames had either 4" or 5 1/4" pitch - so at 19 lever frame would be 76 - 99" long - so ~8', giving a minimum length for the box of around 14'

Don't forget to leave some room for the wheel to operate the level crossing gates and the associated two lever LC frame.

 

[MrWolf]

6 hours ago, Captain Kernow said:

I appreciate that (as I recall) you said you didn't want a standard GW box, but I believe that the GW 5-window hipped roof box at Blue Anchor is (?was?) available as a R-T-P resin model?

 

Alternatively, one or more Ratio kits could be modified.

 

Also, have a look at what Dexters Cove are producing - https://dexterscove.com/store/c5/Building_Kits.html

 

 

Now that is an interesting, not to mention tempting little model. Particularly because it can be ordered with the steps left or right handed.

At 50mm X 50mm it scales up to 12'6" square. Which may be a bit tight given the information that @Nick C has supplied re the lever frame . But it's something well worth considering because it's the right kind of building and it won't overwhelm the rest of the buildings.

[Captain Kernow]

22 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

 

Now that is an interesting, not to mention tempting little model. Particularly because it can be ordered with the steps left or right handed.

At 50mm X 50mm it scales up to 12'6" square. Which may be a bit tight given the information that @Nick C has supplied re the lever frame . But it's something well worth considering because it's the right kind of building and it won't overwhelm the rest of the buildings.

Blue Anchor box had 17 levers, including the two brown gate locking levers, plus the wheel - have a look at this site and select 'Blue Anchor' and then 'Blue Anchor Signalbox' - https://roundme.com/embed/sGCr6zEU58insmNTEVXP

 

[Captain Kernow]

This is an approximate example of what I had in mind (others more qualified in semaphore layout design than me will no doubt wish to amend!):

 

Edited November 30, 2020 by Captain Kernow

[MrWolf]

Wow. 

On several counts. 

The photos of Blue Anchor are quite impressive.

As is the signalling diagram, really impressive. I will risk appearing like a complete doof here, am I right in thinking that I require some nine individual signal posts, two junction/bracket signals and two ground signals?

[5BarVT]

I can get rid of some levers if you want.  (If this is just repeating what was said on your other thread, do say, I don’t want to make your head hurt again!)  As the Loop is only for goods trains, if it is not frequently used for passing you can save a few signals and some complexity on brackets.

2 isn’t absolutely necessary.

4, 6 and 18 can be disc signals.

9, 15 and 16 can be replaced with a single signal at the toe of 7, coloured yellow, so it only reads up to 13.  It can be passed when shunting into the spur/neck, although you couldn’t then use the spur/neck as a siding to leave vehicles (I think).

10 could be hand points, although that makes it more difficult for a goods going R->L to pass a passenger on the main.

As ever, the more flexibility you want, the more levers you need.  On the other hand, if you can restrict operations a bit, you can save levers.

It can be made to look good whatever you choose.

Paul.