Camelbridge - A cornish clay inspired layout

[TomJ]

As my large roundy-roundy in the garage is reaching a sort of completion (well it looks done and I can just turn it on and play with it!) thoughts are turning to my 'little' test track in the spare room. My existing little terminus to fiddle yard doesn't really work so after much thought I am going to salvage the buildings and baseboards and start again.

So here's the criteria - its N gauge and I've got two walls of the box bedroom which is 9ftx6ft. My main interest in Cornwall's china clay lines and I've been particularly inspired by Wheal Elizabeth on here by the idea of running mixed periods. To do so I plan the layout to be mainly freight, with perhaps just a halt for any passengers. The era will be 1960 (so the last few years of steam in Cornwall) to the mid 80s (clayhoods and blue diesels). I like the idea of running my ex GWR and ex-SR stock so the Bodmin area, and particularly Boscarne junction has inspired me.

 

Enough waffling - here are my couple of ideas

 

 

This is very much inspired by Boscarne Junction - with the junction for the Wenford/Bodmin lines at Dunmere off stage to the right. Because I want some shuntingm and I like the buildings, I have replaced the fourth loop siding with a small clayworks, like Carbis Wharf. I might add a platform/halt on the WR side, either on the passing loop or before on the curve. In the 1960s WR trains run from the lower line right to left, with ex SR running on the higher line, with the loops being mainly for the interchange of wagons coming off the SR routes onto the WR. By the 80s the line to Bodmin North has shut so the main purpose is as a reversal point for trains coming off the Wenford Branch. For interest I have assumed the line to Wadebridge (and Padstow?) remained open for a DMU service, and perhaps a little freight.

 

I did wonder if this was all a bit too crowded so I came up with version 2.

 

 

Showing better just the station and pointwork area

 

 

This time its a simple junction between the through passenger lines and a freight only branch heading up to clayworks on the edge of Bodmin moor. Passenger trains (both ex-GWR and ex-SR) simply pass through with freight being shunted off the branch or to the clayworks. By the 80s there is only an occassional train venturing up the branch and it is mainly used as a headshunt for the clayworks.

 

I think I prefer version 2. It just seems less cramped and simpler. The fiddle yards should easily accomodate 4 coaches or rakes of 12 clayhoods which will be plenty.

 

What do people think? Any comments and queries welcome. I'm also wondering how version 2 would be signalled (version 1 I can copy Boscarne) so I have cross posted to the signalling forum

 

Thanks

 

 

 

[Joseph_Pestell]

I tend to agree with you that v2 is better.

 

You might want another crossover in the works to make it sensible to shunt from the branch.