Wencombe/Kingsbridge Regis/Louville Lane

[pwr]

Instead of treating what is now the Slapton Branch as a carriage siding could it not be a docks branch.

 

Kings Lynn (GER) had both a harbour branch and a docks branch and the two were not the same! Alternatively it could be  a freight line to some other part of the area. 

 

Personally I like Wencombe as it is but I can see this will provide a brand new challenge and I am sure it will be every bit as good if not better than what you have now.

 

Another thought - do you need the turntable - I guess its too far back up the line to run tender first or to go for turning - unless there was an imaginary triangle off stage which in practice might mean using  a cassette road to lift up and turn the loco's. Perhaps what is the Slapton branch could be the route to an off stage MPD. Then you could use the space to keep the dairy.

 

Just some random thoughts

 

Paul

[Andrew P]

HI Alan, as much as I admire Wencombe, I also like the Terminus idea, Its a bit like Borchester Market (one of my favorites) on a Branch Line Scale. I do like the dock idea but it would be nice if you could keep the Dairy somewhere PLEASE.

 

Andy

[westerner]

Is Wencombe going to have a DPS (Dairy Preservation Society) Andy are you going to be the chairman?

 

Paul, I had thought about the present Slapton branch line being the line to an off site MPD (rather like Penzance), But following the Kingswear plan, which had a couple of carriage sidings along side the line in for the Torbay express coaches, mine would be for the The South Devon set of carriages.

[Andrew P]

Micky can be CHAIRMAN,

 

I'll be Treasurer and take the MONEY, hhahaha

 

Andy

[westerner]

I suppose that leaves me as being Secretary No Thanks.

[Alister_G]

I suppose that leaves me as being Secretary No Thanks.

 

You can't be Secretary, conflict of interest

 

You're the one planning to redevelop the site...

 

[Andrew P]

WDPS need more ordinary workers, its a bit like Ants, the workers work.

 

Micky checks the Chairs as there laid, (Chairman, get it lay the Chairs, Chair Man) haha and I'm the Treasurer who collects the Money.

 

Also I Bodge, haha

[pwr]

You can't be Secretary, conflict of interest

 

You're the one planning to redevelop the site...

 

 

I thought the building was listed

 

Paul R

[salmonpastures]

I thought the building was listed

 

Paul R

I can categorically state that the dairy is listed,,, I  managed to sneak a preview of the "development plan clipboard" last night.

 

"Westerner" was flicking through some dusty old Devonshire bus gazette's/magazines,,,, and I really can confirm the dairy is definitely top of the list to be creamed into eternity,,,or perhaps even get the chop!!,,

 

To be replaced by a Bertram Mills type-circus- type thing,,, full of hippo's,,, pythons,,, and truncated Syphon B's,,, [well I think that's what he said],,, he also mentioned something about "milking the art deco obelisk to maximum effect,,, then whey-ing it in on Ebay to generate revenue for some Concretus Monstrositus  dwellings and if we all try hard enough we REALLY can milk the fete/fate of our favourite Devon bovine squeezing parlour until the cows come home!!

 

If he carries on like this it won't be long until he is seriously looking at even more chimneys and grime and muck and trying to get back on board with the real world!!!! 

Now that's what I call progress,,, there's far too much flocking going on!!!

 

SAD   

[Andrew P]

How about re locating the Dairy on the Harbour Branch, just before the Fiddle Yard entrance, in fact it could HIDE the Harbour Branch fiddle yard entrance. :locomotive: :locomotive:

 

Andy

Edited March 19, 2014 by Andrew P

[westerner]

Whoa! a 1000 replies Gulp, gulp.

 

I do like that comment SAD. It will be refined concrete and chimneys though, not those multi-windowed milly things they have oop north, that Jason and SAD and others build.

 

As we're on buildings one of the few on Wencombe which has rarely if ever featured on RMWeb is the goods shed a D&S Mouldings (I think and having not seen an advert for yonks no longer trading) cast stone kit.

 

So here it is.

 

 

 

[westerner]

Whilst still pondering on the future of Wencombe (it could be some time or not) some pics of the latest parcels acquisition the Hornby ex LMS CCT

 

 

 

[gwrrob]

Nice aren't they Alan.I bought the weathered LMS version.Looks nice with screwlinks too.

[Clive Mortimore]

Hi Alan

 

I am very concerned about your recent post regarding the possiblity of a change. I for one will miss the updates of this lovely small junction station in the middle of no where.

 

If the alterations take place this lot are still avaiable to transport your little passengers while there is no trains running.

 

[westerner]

Many thank s for the offer Clive. They might be needed.

[westerner]

For those of you who might be wondering if any track and platform lifting has started yet, the answer is no. I'm still trying to picture what the new arrangement (layout ) will/might look like. Until I get a clearer idea, Oh to be able to do drawing like Messers Lunn, Rice and Norman. When I do start any demolition work I will post pictures so that you can share any pain that I might feel.

[rovex]

You're a braver man then I am. Mind you the difficulty I have is finishing a layout. but having built such a good one I wouldn't be thinking of ripping some of it up.

 

Will watch with interest.

 

Dean

[NHY 581]

For those of you who might be wondering if any track and platform lifting has started yet, the answer is no. I'm still trying to picture what the new arrangement (layout ) will/might look like. Until I get a clearer idea, Oh to be able to do drawing like Messers Lunn, Rice and Norman. When I do start any demolition work I will post pictures so that you can share any pain that I might feel.

Prior to posting such images, can we have a warning post to allow the obtaining of a stiff Gin before viewing.

 

Thank you.

 

Rob.

[rovex]

Perhaps we should organise a "railtour" excursion special before the tracks are lifted

[Ramblin Rich]

Personally I'll be disappointed if Wencombe is lifted, it's been very inspirational despite being the 'wrong' era & company area to fit with my interests. The fact that it is still something I look for regularly must show that it has that indefinable but irresistible 'pull' of a classic model.

I understand that you feel a need to move on, but it will inevitably be a wrench if/when the track gangs do move in. My only quibble with the track plan as shown is that the 'carriage siding' re-use of the present Slapton branch seems a bit contrived - why build a bridge over the stream for a siding which then ends almost straight away? Could you re-think another use for this line to take it off-stage (as it does already) to justify the bridge? Don't want to seem over critical, but this does seem a bit wrong to me....

[westerner]

Rich, thank you for your kind comments and I would hope that you would feel the same about the re jigged layout should it come about.

 

As to the Slapton branch being used as a carriage siding I felt I had two options;

 

1. Being that the plan is inspired by Kingswear, hence the awkward carriage sidings at the top of the plan, there were carriage sidings along side the mainline, which normally held the stock for the Torbay express, hence I felt a need for a carriage siding to hold the South Devon which would always arrive into the platform allowing a direct "push" into the siding, and if it had to be built over a stream so be it. Although I could alter it to make the stream culverted under both main line and siding.

 

2. I did wonder if it could be used as the line to a loco shed off seen, as at Penzance, although there would be a fair bit of toing and froing to get from the other platform face to the line to the shed. Mind you the same might be said off engines getting to the turntable.

 

It's still early days yet, I'm still pondering

[pwr]

Perhaps we should organise a "railtour" excursion special before the tracks are lifted

An A4 at Wencombe sounds like a good idea. It could start at York and run via Birmingham and Bristol. On its return it could be turned at Exeter and run via Templecombe and on to the Somerset and Dorset up to Bath where it would come off and be replaced by a. Jubilee for the return leg.

 

Then of course Bath would have kept the A4 for a couple of weeks to help out with the summer motive power shortage.

 

Suitable suggestions as to Loco's anyone

 

Paul R

[rovex]

Personally I'll be disappointed if Wencombe is lifted, it's been very inspirational despite being the 'wrong' era & company area to fit with my interests. The fact that it is still something I look for regularly must show that it has that indefinable but irresistible 'pull' of a classic model.

I understand that you feel a need to move on, but it will inevitably be a wrench if/when the track gangs do move in. My only quibble with the track plan as shown is that the 'carriage siding' re-use of the present Slapton branch seems a bit contrived - why build a bridge over the stream for a siding which then ends almost straight away? Could you re-think another use for this line to take it off-stage (as it does already) to justify the bridge? Don't want to seem over critical, but this does seem a bit wrong to me....

 

Would it work as a back story, that this track originally was the branch to Slapton. When the branch was closed and lifted, this section was retained for use as a carriage siding?

[Karhedron]

If you are feeling that Wencombe is as finished as it is going to get, would it be worth considering selling it? That would preserve it for future exhibition while allowing you a clean slate to give your inspiration full reign. I am probably biased but I can't help feeling that tearing up half the current layout and rebuilding would be messing with perfection.

[Oldddudders]

If you are feeling that Wencombe is as finished as it is going to get, would it be worth considering selling it? That would preserve it for future exhibition while allowing you a clean slate to give your inspiration full reign. I am probably biased but I can't help feeling that tearing up half the current layout and rebuilding would be messing with perfection.

A jolly good idea, but one that may not be practicable - Alan will tell us, no doubt. I think it is very easy to accept minor compromises in the early stages of layout construction that then come back and increasingly nibble at if not bite your bum as years go by. Elsewhere on RMweb Ben Alder had a fine layout that many of us adored and said so. But he, as owner and operator, had to live with shortcomings that eventually drove him to wholesale change for the better. Now we happily laud his fine new effort. Maybe Alan is at the same stage?