Salcombe Harbour

[Highlandman]

Andy.......The plan is a bit like the old Carrick Road, great fun to operate.

 

Be careful tho of accessing the fiddle yard. My back scene was approx 10" high, the thing I found was it was a REAL 'fiddle'!

 

I eneded up with a rebuild but maily because it was hard against the wall of the layout room.

 

Very tricky to get access to anything, particulalry the far end.

 

I didn't use cassettes then, just the standard fan of sidings so the loco's had to be uncoupled, picked up and replaced, quite a bind really.

 

Cassettes may be much easier, I use them now from an 'open' storage area.

 

4' is the longets, but thats hard enough to manage without any over reach etc.

 

Good luck, it looks a fun layout to operate!

 

Neil

 

 

Hi Neil

 

Many thanks for that insight. The fiddle yard is still a concern but the fan of sidings is all i can come with at the moment. There isn't enough room for a traverser or sector plate really so cassettes are the only other viable option. I would be very interest to see how you implemented your and if you could PM some pictures I would be most greatful.

 

All the best

 

Andy

[Highlandman]

There hasn't been much movement on the layout front apart from some more cork laid and the temporary placement of some track to check clearances.

 

I still need to get at least eight Kadee electromagnetic uncouplers and a power supply rated at 16 to 18v dc up to 3amp output to operate them. I'd be interested to hear from anyone else who has used these what power supply they used or if they used any other type of under track magnet.

 

Have not had much luck with the Kadee one as I was getting uncommanded uncoupling on most of my wagons because they have steel axles, even though I have added extra weight to them.

 

Progress so far. (Sorry not much to see)

 

I have one in stock so I should be able to use that as a template to prepare holes in the board before I lay anymore track. I have also recently purchased some kits for a water tower and a goods shed.

[Anglian]

I had a great holiday in Salcombe and walked the site of the proposed station. I look forward to seeing your progress.

[DDolfelin]

Not great memories of Salcombe for me.

 

Rented a large Cruiser for a holiday.

The first night the dog was very ill and both SWMBO and I had headaches.

Gas leak (!!!) identified at dawn and full scale rescue took place (during which the outboard came off the whaler I was using and nearly went to the bottom).

 

Not easy to model my experience but congratulations on a worthwhile project.

[dave thelens]

http://www.internethobbies.com/kadhomagunho.html .. I have been experimenting with these and I find them excellent, cut a hole through the baseboard where you want the magnet to be ... big enough for it to fit, cut a chunk of thick plastic card larger that the hole for the magnet to sit on and offer it up underneath, pack the magnet with thiner card till it sits under the track, (balast and such like will hide it) and glue into place ... easy peasy

 

Dave

[Highlandman]

http://www.interneth...dhomagunho.html .. I have been experimenting with these and I find them excellent, cut a hole through the baseboard where you want the magnet to be ... big enough for it to fit, cut a chunk of thick plastic card larger that the hole for the magnet to sit on and offer it up underneath, pack the magnet with thiner card till it sits under the track, (balast and such like will hide it) and glue into place ... easy peasy

 

Dave

 

 

Thank for the reply Dave

 

I have also experimented with these. Instead of cutting a hole I used a router to cut a recess deep enough for the magnet to fit at track level allowing for cork underlay. I layed track and ballasted it but i was still getting uncommanded uncoupling if i pulled steel axle stock over it. Bit of a problem as nearly all stock supplied in Britain has steel axles. Bit of a shame as they are so easy to fit and can be placed under pointwork if clear of the motor. Less wiring and no problems in find a suitable power supply.

 

May be it's because i'm fussy (she who must be obeyed says 'perfectionist' ) but i would like stock to move without coming apart at the first sign of a magnet.

 

All the best

 

Andy

[Highlandman]

I had a great holiday in Salcombe and walked the site of the proposed station. I look forward to seeing your progress.

 

 

I know the site reasonably well but will be visiting it soon to get some pictures of it. Hopefully i can take some from the Salcombe side and stitch them together as a panorama for the background. Just to lend a little more authenticity to the model, trouble the weather this last week down here has not been to good. There again why shouldn't I have a grey overcast background. Now that would make a change for a Devon layout.

[Highlandman]

Not great memories of Salcombe for me.

 

Rented a large Cruiser for a holiday.

The first night the dog was very ill and both SWMBO and I had headaches.

Gas leak (!!!) identified at dawn and full scale rescue took place (during which the outboard came off the whaler I was using and nearly went to the bottom).

 

Not easy to model my experience but congratulations on a worthwhile project.

 

 

Sorry you had such a bad experience of Salcombe. I hope you didn't let it put you off trying again. The estuary is such a wonderful place to explore and more so if you can get round the coast to Dartmouth.

 

I think Salcombe and the South Hams area in general missed out when they close the Kingsbridge Branch. It would have made a great preserved line or could have helped ease traffic congestion in the narrow lanes during the busy summer season. I have always felt it could have formed part of a wider Plymouth Transport network including the old Yealmpton Branch and the extant Gunnislake line.

 

Andy

[DDolfelin]

Yes, I'm sure you're right, Andy.

 

Good memories of the Harbour Master who was very helpful (and very livid about our experience!).

[Highlandman]

Not much modelling happening at the moment as I have been away down in 'wonderful Devon'. But this has meant i was able to pay Salcombe a visit and look at Snapes Point, the proposed site of the railway if the extension from Kingsbridge had gone ahead.

 

The aerial map from Google Maps shows what I think the route might have been and how the docks might have fiited in.

 

 

The next picture is Snapes Point taken from the town. Not very freighter friendly now, but if the docks had been developed this inlet would have been dredged to provide a deepwater berth for ships. Well at least in my mind

 

 

Now the holidays are over I must start making an effort with the layout. Keep watching this space.

 

Thank you to everyone who has commented so far.

[Clagmeister]

I like that. Very Kingswear. Station should look good tucked up against the harbour wall. If you have seen my Caolisport thread you'll know that there is a man on here that specialises in scratch built boats. A small freighter or the passneger ferry that I presume linked the town to the station could really make Salcombe harbour!

 

Very good.

 

Claggy

[Jack]

I still need to get at least eight Kadee electromagnetic uncouplers and a power supply rated at 16 to 18v dc up to 3amp output to operate them. I'd be interested to hear from anyone else who has used these what power supply they used or if they used any other type of under track magnet.

 

I've used Eurobatteries and All Components ... see here for a bit of a discussion ...

[Anglian]

Not that it matters one bit but I think the proposed line was slightly higher up the hillside to ease the gradients over the line.

[Coombe Barton]

Not that it matters one bit but I think the proposed line was slightly higher up the hillside to ease the gradients over the line.

Having the docks up the hill would be unusual.

[Anglian]

Indeed it would be very odd but the actual real proposed line was further up the hill – you can walk part of the track bed that had been cut in preparation. I guess they were looking at building a jetty to berth the steamers in deeper water – I know there were plans for a suspension bridge to link the station to the town. None of this actually maters of course…

[Highlandman]

Maybe they were preparing for global warming.

[Anglian]

They knew something we didn't. I always imagined a Dartmouth type building either on the Salcombe side or perhaps to control the entrance onto the jetty. I spent a very happy week wandering around the area imagining what it might have been like.

 

I guess they stuck with Kingswear due to the very deep water – my father sails at Dartmouth and tells me they get astonishing readings on the depth finder.

[Wummyock]

Great idea for a layout fella!Live just up the top of the hill from Salcombe now and was wondering where the line was gonna go to get back to Kingsbridge?Would've been great if it had hugged the side of the estuary back to Kingsbridge.Probably the most level route as well.

[Coombe Barton]

I guess they stuck with Kingswear due to the very deep water – my father sails at Dartmouth and tells me they get astonishing readings on the depth finder.

I think you'd get astonishing reading in practially every south west estuary is it weren't for the silting. The Dart wasn't in the real mining/clay producing area (this is my theory which I've tried to prove with seismics but no funding as yet. I've tried taking manual boreholes but the mud is a little bit sticky and treacherous) so would not silt as much. There's also no offshore source of sediment as much as in the Exe or Teign. The Fal goes down to +20 fathoms along the course of what I beleive was the original valley. The Plym and Tamar all had industry above that filled the rivers. Plympton was at one time a port.

 

The Avon Estuary in my lifetime has got less watery - more silt, more exposed land at high tide.

[Highlandman]

It's been a bit manic these last couple of weeks, what with school returning from summer holidays and having to update its website for the new term. But I have managed to get some work done on the layout. Some of the track has been laid using PVA to hold it down (no pins) which is a new technique for me.

 

Track across the first board joint has been fixed and cut. I used 1/2in No2 Brass round head screws to solder the rail to before I cut it. I was going to use some copper clad sleeper strip I had purchased many moons ago but found it was not thick enough to match Peco sleepers.

 

I am going to use Kadee electromagnetic uncouplers under the track so have cut out the recesses in the baseboards for some of them using the one assembled unit I had as a template. Always a nervous moment when you have spent time and money to get the bases right and you don't want to make a mistake.

The uncouplers are not cheap so I am limited by funds as to how many i can buy at once. I have just received three more from Nigel Burkin at Nairnshire Modelling Supplies and will order some more, at least four, when I can.

Power supplies to power these are not easy to come by. They require, so Kadee say, a 16-18v DC power supply rated at 3amps or more. I can get one made for me by All Components but they are not easy to find of the shelf.

 

I will post some more pictures when I take some. I am a bit ashamed to show the mess in my sons bedroom which is where the layout is kept. I could always Photoshop it out.

 

Anglian, on 30 August 2010 - 21:17 , said:

 

I guess they stuck with Kingswear due to the very deep water – my father sails at Dartmouth and tells me they get astonishing readings on the depth finder.

 

If you do a Google search for Dartmouth and cruise ships you will be suprised at how big a ship can get into the Dart, even though some of them have to be towed in backwards by a tug as the river is not wide enough to turn around in.

[gwrrob]

It's been a bit manic these last couple of weeks, what with school returning from summer holidays and having to update its website for the new term. But I have managed to get some work done on the layout. Some of the track has been laid using PVA to hold it down (no pins) which is a new technique for me.

 

Track across the first board joint has been fixed and cut. I used 1/2in No2 Brass round head screws to solder the rail to before I cut it. I was going to use some copper clad sleeper strip I had purchased many moons ago but found it was not thick enough to match Peco sleepers.

 

I am going to use Kadee electromagnetic uncouplers under the track so have cut out the recesses in the baseboards for some of them using the one assembled unit I had as a template. Always a nervous moment when you have spent time and money to get the bases right and you don't want to make a mistake.

The uncouplers are not cheap so I am limited by funds as to how many i can buy at once. I have just received three more from Nigel Burkin at Nairnshire Modelling Supplies and will order some more, at least four, when I can.

Power supplies to power these are not easy to come by. They require, so Kadee say, a 16-18v DC power supply rated at 3amps or more. I can get one made for me by All Components but they are not easy to find of the shelf.

 

I will post some more pictures when I take some. I am a bit ashamed to show the mess in my sons bedroom which is where the layout is kept. I could always Photoshop it out.

 

 

 

If you do a Google search for Dartmouth and cruise ships you will be suprised at how big a ship can get into the Dart, even though some of them have to be towed in backwards by a tug as the river is not wide enough to turn around in.

 

 

The cruise ship 'The World' was in Dartmouth in July.I know because I missed seeing it and I think its the biggest cruise ship in the world.

[Beacon]

The cruise ship 'The World' was in Dartmouth in July.I know because I missed seeing it and I think its the biggest cruise ship in the world.

 

It is big but not the biggest - that credit goes to Oasis of the Seas at the moment - and not your usual cruise ship, being more of a floating apartment block with each 'cabin' owned by someone who can live onboard as it cruises around the world! Pretty amazing that it could get into Dartmouth though as many of these large cruise ships look pretty enormous even on Southampton Water where they are more usual.

 

Having said that, I doubt you can compare that with Salcombe which is not technically an estuary at all and you certainly wouldn't get anything very large very far up!

 

I have to say that, growing up in Kingsbridge, Salcombe has always been somewhere I've avoided in the Summer and I can only imagine it would be even busier if accessible by train!

 

Look forward to seeing how the layout progresses. Apologies for wandering off topic slightly!

 

 

 

 

[Highlandman]

Just a little update on the progress of Salcombe Harbour. I have managed to lay some track and cut out the recesses for the Kadee uncouplers. Three more arrived promptly by post from Nairnshire Modelling Supplies, and I have been able to fit these. Many thanks to Nigel Burkin for his prompt service.

 

Below are a few new pictures to show the general layout of the station throat and platform area.

 

The main station boards

 

 

The slip of paper covers the hole for the uncoupler;

 

Kadee uncoupler recessed in to baseboard;

 

The station throat and engine shed, to the left will be the cattle dock served by the road in front of the shed;

 

Another view of Salcombe Harbour station, the platform will be on the right;

 

You can see the harbour makes a good shelf for all the 'junk' used building a model railway.

 

So as you can see slow but steady progress. I have a few spare days so I might be able to develop the layout a bit more. Watch this space.

[westerner]

How are things going down at Salcombe? Well I hope. It would be good to see an update.

[Westyman]

And that plan from Railway Modeller is the one I am adopting too!! But the harbour will become a canal with a lock.