Helland Wharf

[David C]

Swop the bodies over? That's what I did with a couple of Brawa 98.1xxxx class locos on my German H0 layout. (Its a Bavarian 0-8-2T if anyone's interested)

 

David C

[Rivercider]

2 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

30586 was not a common sight along the branch, due to her altered water-filler not playing nicely with the tank at Penhargard Woods. 

 

Yes, I think 30586 was generally used as Wadebridge station pilot, while the other two took turns to Wenford Bridge,

 

It is a lovely atmospheric little layout,

 

cheers 

[Mike_Walker]

25 minutes ago, David C said:

Swop the bodies over? That's what I did with a couple of Brawa 98.1xxxx class locos on my German H0 layout. (Its a Bavarian 0-8-2T if anyone's interested)

 

David C

Yes, I'd thought of doing that.

[DLT]

Beautiful!

[Hal Nail]

17 hours ago, Mike_Walker said:

 

 

I must get some crews from Modelu.

Lovely little layout. I hadn't noticed before they've modelled cab floor straight across when in reality that is the height of the inside splashers and the floor was lower. May need to be creative to get the crew the right level!

 

Edit: now I've looked, the Modelu specific crew have the legs chopped off on one and the other sat perched on the rear shelf!

Edited September 15, 2023 by Hal Nail

[Hal Nail]

30586 did occasionally get up the line. There is a nice R. C. Riley colour picture copied on pmoffat.tripod.com of it at Boscarne but it doesnt let you post a direct link

 

Edited September 15, 2023 by Hal Nail

[Andy R]

On 15/07/2023 at 01:50, Mike_Walker said:

Having received a number of likes in response to my recent post in “Realistic Modelling” I feel it’s time to start a thread on my current project Helland Wharf.

It’s a deliberately simple layout which started out as no more than a photo plank but has evolved into a portable layout which can fit in a Mk3 Focus.  It is inspired by this classic Peter Gray image.

 

 

To make it a bit more interesting I have included the siding which was closed and lifted in 1960 but for operating purposes I plan to exercise Rule 1 and use both Beattie Well tanks, WR 1366 panniers and even 03 shunters.

 

 

Inspired by others use of shelves, I used a 1200 x 250 x 15 shelf from Homebase for the main, scenic section with matching 450 shelves at each end providing basic off-scene representations of the Dunmere and Wenford ends of the line.  A lightweight frame was added to the underside to accommodate the wiring (which is simple in the extreme – analogue, no DCC hereabouts) and the DCC Concepts dowels to locate the three sections.

 

I started off by constructing the two iconic cottages that flank the line here.  The one on the right of Peter Gray’s photo is called Hollyhock Cottage today (and that’s what I call it even if it was something else back then) and is actually one of a semi-detached pair but I only have space for one.  It is an interesting building which has obviously been altered many times over the years.  Fortunately, there are many photos of Helland on the web so I was able to discover how it appeared in my time frame (it has since undergone further modernisation) which enabled me to create a drawing as a first step.

The other, Cobbler’s Cottage, is even more interesting in that it appears to be a single storey dwelling above a storage area, the whole building being set into the hillside.  Again, it has obviously been extended and modernised over the years but sufficient photographic evidence can be found to show what it was like in my period.

Both were built using my preferred method, a shell constructed out of multiple layers of 2mm card faced with Plasticard then painted with acrylics.  The windows were printed out onto self-adhesive labels and then cut out with a very sharp knife – new blade!  The rooves are both covered with Scale Model Scenery’s weathered slates which I think are excellent.

 

Here’s the front wall of Hollyhock Cottage and below, the shell of Cobbler’s Cottage under construction.

 

 

 

The two completed cottages, gardens excepted.

 

 

With those done it was time to start on the layout proper.  The track is Peco bullhead with a medium radius point laid on 3mm cork sheet.

Wanting to keep things as simple as possible, I've chosen to keep the point hand operated (as was the prototype!) using a simple slide mechanism that will be invisible once the ground cover is finished/

 

 

Next the various backscene boards were added and which have since been painted.

 

 

And so to the scenics starting with the road and crossing…

 

One thing I wanted to achieve was a seemingly joint less transition of the road into the backscene.  This was achieved by taking a screenshot of Google’s Streetview image of the lane which, fortunately, hasn’t changed. 

 

 

This was then played with in Photoshop to get the scale right and to extend the road surface sufficiently to allow it to reach the rails.  Fortunately, the lane climbs quite steeply beyond the cottage although on the layout it rises vertically!  However, as the lane can only be viewed directly and not from the sides this isn’t a problem.

 

 

 

Work continues towards Dunmere.  Stay tuned…

I am enjoying this thread for the first time, seemed to have missed it before but saw briefly on Realistic Modelling. What is great here is showing the simple and effective building techniques that helps modelling knowledge Thanks for sharing.           

[Mike_Walker]

30585 on the daily goods bound for Wenford Bridge.

 

 

 

 

Moving on a few years, a Class 03 brings some china clay from the Wenford dries bound for Fowey.

 

 

[Mike_Walker]

First of my Beatties now has a crew thanks to ModelU.  Seen passing Helland Wharf with clay empties for Wenford Dries.

 

 

The clay wagons are Bachmann on modified Parkside chassis.  Having done all six in my fleet no doubt someone will now give us a hi-fi clay wagon!

[Mike_Walker]

Now returning with a mixed goods.

 

 

I've replanted the vegetable plot with N scale veggies as the previous ones, sold as H0, were far too big!

The ex-PO mineral P205578 was based on one captured on film at Bodmin General by Peter Gray.

[Mike_Walker]

 I mentioned earlier that I have been upgrading Bachmann clay wagons.

 

 

The Bachmann model has been around for more than a quarter of a century and is the only such RTR offering. Although now somewhat dated, it’s hardly been out of the catalogue in that time.  Its main weakness is the underframe which is clunky with heavy mouldings which include the brake levers in the main moulding – something unacceptable today.  Additionally, it has roller bearing axleboxes which BR did not fit until the 1970s, not much use to those of us who model the Duchy’s main industry in the steam era! 

 

Therefore, I binned the underframe (keeping the wheels) and replaced it with a Parkside kit, PC07.  This includes the parts for their 16 ton minerals so it has the 9’ wheelbase and Morton brakes but is unfitted.  It is also 16’ 6” long so 1mm has to be cut off each end of the solebars.  The mineral wagon buffer beams are of the wrong pattern so new ones were made from 3mm x 1mm plastic channel and cast white metal self contained buffers from MJT and drawhooks fitted.  Another change was to cut off the brittle plastic tie bars between the axleboxes and replace them with Cambrian etched brass examples which are of a better profile.  A rummage in my bits box turned up a vacuum cylinder and a piece of plastic rod and a etched operating lever to complete the underframe. The biggest omission on the body is the end door hinge bar which was again furnished from the bits box.  The last addition was the “door bangers”.  These are not on Bachmann’s model and I made them up from 1 x 0.2 mm brass strip, super glued in position.

 

The competed chassis was then painted dark matt grey (I never use matt black for such things as black quickly weathers grey in real life) then the whole wagon got a wash of diluted white acrylic to represent the distinctive patina these wagons quickly took on.