Carbean & Greenbarrow

[37672]

Hello,

 

It's been a while since my last post on my 4mm micro-layout Trethosa, and a lot has happened since then, including moving house. Here I'm introducing my 7mm scale layout based on the former Carbean Branch near St Austell in Cornwall. Yes, another Cornish branchline!

 

The layout is set in early 1988 and addresses the question "what if" the Goonbarrow and Carbean Branches had not been closed, and instead the line was upgraded for modern diesel locomotives. In reality the terminus of the branch at Carbean was very cramped and, from old maps, photos and satellite imagery, I have been able to create a reasonable representation of the track layout in the space available.

 

Below is the original track plan (on a 0.5m grid), since then an additional siding has been added at the top of the plan, between the old wharf and the clay loading shed. The curve is 1.8m radius, which roughly corresponds to the minimum curve for a real class 37 or class 50 locomotive. The fiddle yard is off the bottom of this plan.

 

 

 

 

The layout has been in progress since August 2022, and at the time of writing I am preparing to extend it. The extension is based on another "what if" and will extend the branch beyond the old wharf (off to the left on the plan above) to sidings at Greenbarrow (the name of a current Imerys facility just to the north of the site of Carbean Wharf). The extension will allow trains to run through Carbean to hidden sidings in the next room, where locos will be able to run round.

 

The clay loading shed will be for clay slurry, with bulk and bagged powdered clay being laoded off scene at Greenbarrow.

 

In early 1988 CDA wagons had just been introduced and two of St Blazey's 37s were out of traffic following damage sustained in a shunting accident at Tavistock Junction Yard. This means that clay hoods and CDAs will coexist (I don't currently have any OOV wagons, but they are on the list), and the small fleet of BZ 37s will be supplemented by class 50s (including 50149), providing some added variety. The sidings at Carbean and Greenbarrow are also sufficiently busy to justify a class 08 outstationed from BZ.

 

There is still much to do scenically, and for most of 2023 I have focused on building and detailing locomotives and wagons. I have attached a couple of pictures here, but more are available on Flickr at

 

Cheers,

Kevin.

 

A printed polybulk (kit from Simon BT Blue with additional scratch built parts) and Dapol CDA. Both require weathering.

 

Old Oak allocated 50021 arrives, covering for an unavailable 37 on the trip working from St Blazey. In early 1988 50s were still common in Cornwall, working the Plymouth to Penzance local services, the TPO between Paddington and Penzance, the Penzance sleeper and the odd cross country as far as Birmingham. In addition 50149 was regularly found on local clay traffic. At the time 50021 was allocated to the Provincial sector, PXXA, but could turn up on just about anything.

 

37674 sits in the fiddle yard wearing grey primer. This will be finished in Railfreight red stripe livery with snowploughs. 08955 is on the right and 50035 lurks in the background.

[woodenhead]

28 minutes ago, 37672 said:

I had to double take with that image, then I thought you'd photoshopped a real 50021 onto the model.

[37672]

On 30/12/2023 at 12:10, woodenhead said:

I had to double take with that image, then I thought you'd photoshopped a real 50021 onto the model.

Thank you. I still need to do some work on the weathering, but it's almost there.

[bcnPete]

Great to find this layout via a tip off! 

 

Good to see you have moved to 7mm Kevin - this layout is shaping up nicely.

 

Watching with interest...👍🏼

[37672]

50 minutes ago, bcnPete said:

Great to find this layout via a tip off! 

 

Good to see you have moved to 7mm Kevin - this layout is shaping up nicely.

 

Watching with interest...👍🏼

 Thank you. Just been looking at your Wenford layout, very nice.

[37672]

I'm currently working on Dapol CDAs to represent their as-built condition. This includes, I think, an improved representation of the canvas canopy, adding the shield that protected the canopy during loading and changing the buffers for heavy duty versions, as well as a lot of other minor work.

 

This is the first one, appropriately 375000, the first production CDA:

 

 

 

Pictures of the real thing in 1987 are here: http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/latest-input--news--old-pictures-etc/tuesday-29th-august-2023

 

Comparison between the Dapol (top) and my representation of the canopy:

 

 

Cheers,

Kevin.

 

[Enfys_Rainbow]

Much, much better and far more realistic - I take it it's something over the original moulding?

 

Matt

[37672]

1 hour ago, Enfys_Rainbow said:

Much, much better and far more realistic - I take it it's something over the original moulding?

 

Matt

 

Thank you.

 

I cut out the original moulding, leaving a frame around the edge, then fitted some styrene rod for support before fitting paper over the top, which I then painted with diluted PVA. Whilst wet I shaped the paper. Apart from the original being too uniform, it's also completely unphysical, as the stretched canvas should be flat, not curved as Dapol have it.

 

I'm trying to think of a more efficient way of doing this, as I have a few more to do.

 

Kevin.

 

Edited December 31, 2023 by 37672

[37672]

A brief update on a couple of projects. 37674 (converted Heljan 37/4) is almost finished, just a few small details to add, and weathering of course. The IVA Cargowaggon is also a recent project (3D printed kit from Simon BR Blue).

 

Kevin.

 

 

[Enfys_Rainbow]

Nice work. I need to get myself a Cargowaggon in 4mm.