Cornish Branch Layout Idea

[fender]

I'm still scratching my chin over my new layout plan. I had wanted to model a real location but with the limited space I have (about 4.5m x 60-80cm or so) I have very few options. one of them is Bodmin General (with a tiny bit of compression), but I'm not convinced on that one yet.

 

the biggest problem I have is (surprise surprise) compromises. there is almost nowhere (besides Bodmin General) which will fit into the space I have and has natural scenic breaks for the trains to leave the viewing area.

 

so, to that end, I've decided to think about making up a layout combining some of my favourite features.

 

here's something I've put together using XtrkCad, based somewhere on the Par-Newquay line.

 

 

the layout has rising landscape from the front to the back, with the 'main' single-track line to Newquay at the bottom and a clay branch line comes down from the top left "Burngullow style". this comes down to a loop (the other end of which is off scene past the road bridge, which has steps down to the platform/halt below). there is also a storage siding for the clay industry.

 

two traversers at either end supply the rolling stock and there would be a tunnel as a scenic break to the left, with the clay branch disappearing round a climbing and overgrown bend.

 

I'd be happy to hear any comments you have. I've tried to keep it simple but still incorporate a few typical things from the Cornish railway scene and a bit of operational interest. this would be a fairly rural setting.

[maunsel]

A few suggestions. Firstly it seems more versatile if the fiddle yards at each end were of equal lengths, as you'll be limited to the length of the shortest storage road.  Secondly, do you need to model a full metre of platform? Space can be saved by just modelling the platform end and using the overbridge as a scenic break as a full length platform would usually be longer than the longest train.

 

You don't mention era. I'm guessing the sole siding indicates a modern theme. But even one more siding would enhance shunting possibilities. Or maybe convert the siding into a storage loop for the clay traffic?

 

Good luck

 

Eric

[Flying Pig]

A bit more slinky with (greedy) extra sidings.  The reverse curves to align with the fiddle yards (dotted) should be hidden to maintain the fiction and I've included a bridge at the right as maunsel suggested.

 

[TomJ]

Well I'm a bit of a fan of cornwall in N gauge - so here's a few suggestions. Firstly what era are you modelling, steam, BR Blue or modern privatisation. Do you want to watch the trains go round or have a bit of shunting interest? The idea behind your plan is good - if you wanted a bit more there would be plenty of space for a small low relief clay works along the back.

 

The space you havve is pretty good for N gauge, so should get a fair bit in. What sort of train lenths are you running? If you have 60-80cm in width then in N gauge a round and round is very possible (hide the tight curves off stage). That way you only have one fiddleyard - and still plenty of length visible.

 

Bodmin General would (and indeed has!) make a good model. Even if you're in the post-steam era an interesting layout could suppose that the branch has survived for passengers, with clay freight, and a speedlink style goods for Bodmin and Wadebridge.

 

Here's a couple of plans I drew up a while back just for a suggestion. I was planning something similar, although in a much smaller space.

 

This was an end to end, originally designed for 8ftx1ft (2.4mx30cm). The idea being that the rear line is the main branch with a loop (the other end is off stage), and hiding the fiddle yards is the exchange sidings and clay works. Using cab control or DCC you could run the two independently. The exchange sidings at the LH end could be modelled as a reversal point and loading dock like Nanpean Wharf, or as the remains of a previous branchline, now just used as a headshunt - like what happens at Goonbarrow. In your space you could still have the branch going to a short fiddleyard. I designed it for the 80s period but it could easily be tweaked back to the steam era.

 

 

This next one is very similar but turning it into a roundy - now 8ft x2ft3. Now you also have a freight only branch leaving the line

 

Hope this helps

[fender]

thanks very much for all your input. I've replied below:)

 

EDIT: don't know what's going with the quotes on this site. they all look wrong to me at the moment. anyway, I've deleted the quotes and replied by name.

 

 

Eric,

 

yes, the two fiddle yards would be the same length. I didn't take the screen shot very well on that.

 

good idea about the platform, I'll make that change.

 

era would be, well since I would be making this layout to avoid compromise in the first place, more or less any! well, to be more precise, I suppose 50s through the early 70s. I should be able to get away with this I think as I've found a few places where the major track lifting didn't occur until into the 70s at least. I'd like to get some BR blue or green diesels to run, but with the option of running some steam at a later date. I didn't mention that I'm planning on going EM for this, so I've read converting steam locos would be a little more problematic, and maybe not something to start out with.

 

anyway, one idea I had with this layout was to make the layout itself a bit chameleon-like so that I could eventually run whatever trains I wanted. that's why I've gone with the idea of a platform or a halt, which usually did not have any goods yard anyway, so nothing to lose post-Beeching track-wise, and also because I don't think there was much change initially in the china clay lines and sidings etc.

 

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Simon,

 

that's very nice-looking with a lot of good ideas. thanks very much for doing that. I wouldn't have kept it as straight as my diagram showed (I just made it that way as it's easier to draw quickly) but I like the extra interest you've put in with the sidings.

 

 

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TomJ,

 

I've thought long and hard about N, and although the space-saving appeals to me I do have this long-standing ambition to one day have models running round the garden and I'd rather stick with 00/EM I think. this layout I'm planning will be another stop-gap layout that maybe one day I could incorporate into something bigger, so I'll have to just live with the smaller space I'll have. besides, I've noticed some really tremendous layouts and modelling done in much smaller spaces than I have, so I figure I should just be thankful for what I do have and make the best of it. thanks for the layout plans though, there are some ideas I like there too.

 

yes, Bodmin General is very attractive, and I haven't ruled it out yet. in fact I've just received a book I ordered on the Wenford-Fowey line so I'll be pouring through that shortly for some more ideas.

 

the good thing about Bodmin General is the compact nature, the natural scenic break (road bridge) and the enormous range of traffic you can have. although pax services ceased in the early/mid 60s they still used it as transfer/turning sidings for the clay traffic from Wenford up until the early 80s, and it remained with the same layout, more or less, with all buildings intact, until the late 70s I believe. so I could run steam b-sets and goods trains in the 50s/early 60s and then Class 08s and 37s later on for the china clay trains.

 

the other option would be to completely ignore the history and go straight to modern-day with the Bodmin&Wenford railway and then I could run almost anything I wanted on the layout, including corridor stock.

[TomJ]

For some bizarre reason I thought you were modelling in N gauge! So that's why I suggested it! However my first plan should still fit in 4mm scale in your space and still allow for sensible length trains (not perhaps a 50 and 12 coaches on a summer special!).

 

50s to 70s should work, a lot a places the track layout stayed the same, and many buildings were still brown/cream. For example the layout at Bodmin stayed virtually the same until closure. The goods shed and engine shed had gone sometime in the 70s but a little modellers license could see them remaining. Remember that until 1978 there was still a goods service to Wadebridge.

[fender]

thanks TomJ and Mickey.

 

I'm now leaning very hard towards Bodmin General. the fact that it's not far from my parent's house also means I can easily visit and take lots of pics of the station and platforms, which afaik are the same as they were back in the day. apart from that, lots of operational interest, covers a wide time period so lots of different rolling stock can be used. had a couple of single lines to small places (Colesloggett Halt and Boscarne Junction) so if I ever get the space I could easily extend it and keep it 'real'.

 

I'll draw up a track plan of it to make sure I can fit it nicely on about three baseboards and if that works I think it'll be a green light.