Polzeath - Digital Withered Arm

[21Alizard]

Time for a new blog and new layout, the idea of going 'Southern' has been mulling around my head for a whilst but with limited free time my Western Region 80's/90's diesel garage layout has gone nowhere so the idea of something smaller and different is appealling more and more. With the large amount of Southern ready to run stock avalible it is the ideal time to model another region rather than the WR plus the LSWR still allows me to use some of my existing WR rolling stock. So here is my brief for a new layout:-

 

Small branch line terminus or BLT in just 6ft plus fiddle yard (9ft) from the Peco 60 plans for small layouts

 

Southern/LSWR region SR style buildings etc:

 

Peco code 75 track

 

DCC

 

So why Polzeath this could be a branch on the opposite side of the Camel estuary, smaller than Padstow as the platform will only handle 2 coaches which would be prototypical for the area, to run steam and diesel including a 'Thumper' unit which never worked in Cornwall. Buildings will include Wills CK16 station in stone (has anyone tacked this kit) Wills CK15, Kernow 'Wadebridge' LSWR type 4 signal box, Roxy Mouldings 4B12 Roader shed. Unfortunatly I wanted Dart Castings L95 LSWR/SR Swan Neck Lamps but these are currently unavalible and the item I can not find is Southern Region concrete station name boards can anone help with this item? 

 

More to follow!

[A1X]

how strange i have just started to plan my LSWR BLT  , and in the same space , looking forward to seeing this develop . 

[Andrew P]

Polzeath is a wonderful place, I was posted to my cousins near Launceston in the school holidays and we would be taken to Polzeath on many occaisions each summer.

My late Farther built the roofs on the houses on the right hand hillside, (looking out to sea) and I did my O Gauge St Budoc based on the view from the hill and painted it on the back scene, including the Atlantic Ocean, but omitting the houses.

 

I am really looking forward to watching this develope, how about a 33 with a 4TC set?

 

Andy

[Gwiwer]

I know Polzeath and the surrounding area and villages rather well.  I still have friends living in the area and recently paid a visit to the farms my father was evacuated to in the war which are also nearby.  I shall watch this project develop with interest and am happy to offer any advice or discuss thoughts as you wish.

 

A branch to Polzeath might once have come about but never did as history tells us.  The rather undulating countryside would have made any route indirect but such was the nature of the NCR main line from Launceston to Wadebreidge.  I would suggest the junction might have been made at Port Isaac Road or thereabouts taking advantage of the relatively flat ridge-top of land until nearer the coast.

 

There is no reason why a Thumper should not appear on such a layout.  They might in fact have reached that far if the lines had survived a little longer - WR DMUs made it after all.

[Tim Dubya]

There is no reason why a Thumper should not appear on such a layout.  They might in fact have reached that far if the lines had survived a little longer - WR DMUs made it after all.

 

Indeed, in fact a Thumper was spotted (well, as soon as it arrives) on a late 1950'S ex-LSWR branch in South Devon - so why not Cornwall!

 

Looking forward to this one too

[fender]

spent many a summer day at Polzeath. very fond memories and looking forward to seeing this develop.

[21Alizard]

Thanks for the replies this gives an insight into a branch to Polzeath possibly from Port Issac Road with a station for Rock, there is a caravan park at Polzeath which would be an ideal location for the station, had the railway been built no doubt the village would be bigger!

[21Alizard]

I have added the basic idea of the track plan SP25 from the Peco book '60 Plans For Small Locations' athough not exact this will be the basis for Polzeath. The plan will include an extra siding but no loco servicing facilities and no turntable, the platform will hold just 2 coaches to be able to run round but this was common on this part of the LSWR. Polzeath being smaller than Padstow would be a smaller station!

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest 34008Padstow]

Hi 21A. This looks like it has all the makings to be a fantastic little layout. Will be following with great intrest.

[D1041]

Looking good so far. When do you intend to start building? What sort of baseboard will you be using?

Nigel

[ess1uk]

Sounds like an interesting idea. I look forward to seeing your project take shape.

[21Alizard]

Easter is here and I intended to make a start on the baseboards unfortunately decorating has taken priority, hopefully a start can be made on the woodwork shortly. However I did find some plans of the stations used on the North Cornwall line so Wills CK16 can be made in stone to represent the LSWR station building.

 

 

 

  

[tender]

That drawing looks familiar,

 

 

Will be watching this develop from the other side of the estuary.

[Gwiwer]

Most of the major station buildings on the North Cornwall were to very similar designs.  

[2ManySpams]

Here's one I made earlier (about 10 years ago!):

 

The shell was made up from plasticard

 

 

 

 

To this I added on the Wills rough stone (which is a s*d to cut, join and work with)

 

 

 

 

 

It ended up looking like this

 

 

It was built by scaling from photos, trying to count bricks on the Tresmeer building and a lot of guesswork. About 2 years later I managed to source the LSWR drawings for the buildings - Sod's Law in full effect. The building wasn't far off dimensionally, apart from the length of the waiting room (single storey bit) which was deliberately shortened to suit the layout. 

 

All the buildings of this type are similar. Some are left-hand, some right. The shape and position of the windows can vary from site to site. Some of the prototype buildings have differences on the road-side around the station master's entrance. Oh and materials varied from brick, to stone that looked like crazy paving, and on through to coarse stone. 

 

They are, however, a very distinctive building that really help to place a layout in North Cornwall. Good luck with yours.

 

PS, there is an error in the building. I assumed the double doors to the platform side were hinged. It was pointed out to me at one show that this wasn't the case. In fact they open by sliding behind the side windows, like some patio doors. Never got round to changing it!

[tender]

 

PS, there is an error in the building. I assumed the double doors to the platform side were hinged. It was pointed out to me at one show that this wasn't the case. In fact they open by sliding behind the side windows, like some patio doors. Never got round to changing it!

That's interesting, will come in useful when I get around to the building proper (from the card mock-up).

[BrushType4]

Fabulous!!

[BrushType4]

I’ve a commission to build this in 7mm. Waiting room is done. Started with smallest building to try out techniques for lasercutting and painting the stonework.

 

[BrushType4]

Scale drawing. ND Station.pdf

[21Alizard]

The very slow progress of a layout, unfortunately with the state of the garage being a mess as every thing gets dumped in there the layout has been a non starter, however with lockdown finally made a start on the baseboards designed to be portable rather than fixed  

 

Edited April 24, 2021 by 21Alizard
picture not showing

[21Alizard]

Fast forward to the second lockdown and the garage has been refurbished and baseboards in situ

Edited April 5, 2021 by 21Alizard

[21Alizard]

Getting serious now, the first point in. The code 75 curved point is second-hand with the electrical contact for the frog already cut underneath, therefore as recommended for DCC a PL-13 switch is added to switch polarity to the frog and electrical continuity is not relied on the point blades to make contact. The little stone LSWR signal box is of course a Kernow Models limited edition.

[21Alizard]

The main throat of the station starting to come together, no fancy CAD was used in the making as everything was placed on the baseboard using the stock to work out sizes etc;

[21Alizard]

Collecting rolling stock, I notice some tend to weather the wagons before the layout is complete but the rolling stock will not be done until the layout looks more like a layout.

It is amazing how modern stock just does not look right even at the bare boards stage!

[21Alizard]

LSWR No1 goods shed it is not but the closest I could find without resorting to scratch building, but how Wills can get away with calling a box of bits a kit is beyond me. After a search I can not seem to find anyone that has built one of these, maybe everyone looks in the box and slings it in the back of the cupboard. Certainly Wills should get their act together and actually sell these with the parts ready cut to size as in similar fashion to Ratio to give less skilled modellers a fighting chance of building a so called Craftsman's Kit, maybe Wills would even sell more product?

 

Here goes start on the goods shed which will require a bit of hacking about, mainly on the canopies to make a representation of a LSWR goods shed