TRETHEVY, WAS BODMIN SR circa 1930

[N15class]

Thanks Nick

 

Yes there will be, but I am busy moving workshop and building an extension to the house. The material for the first two boards is waiting for me to get organised.

[N15class]

I have been a bit quiet on this things have been a little difficult this year. 

 

Had lost a lot of Templot stuff due to laptop failure. I have just redrawn the layout and added the basic shapes of the buildings etc. I have now got what I think is a layout that will work. My only problem is its size. When I was downstairs it would of gone through the door way to be played with as a whole. But now I have a wall outside my door. And for some strange reason the layout has grown from 4.5 metres to 6.3 metres. I will start the build and then find somewhere for it to go. I wonder if SWMBO would agree to another floor on the house???

 

Anyway here we are still planing and watching Tomanyspams Chris`s build to crib ideas. So the plan hot from Templot.

 

 

Well I know it is almost the same a few points have been pulled closer together and the head shunt is back, what do you think???

[Donw]

I would work out where you are going to be able to set it up. I would hate to spend a lot of time building a layout and not be able to use it. I am assuming that Model Railway exhibitions are not common in Brazil otherwise you could build it for exhibition use. I know plenty of people in the UK who could only set the whole layout up at exhibitions.

 

Don

[Simond]

Peter,

 

Many moons ago, I had a 16mm garden railway. Terminus to reversing loop. Worked great, except for two things: brushing the detritus on the trees under which the terminus was built off the track (I've no idea what they were but the seed cases could derail a 16mm live steamer) - and carrying the stock out at the start of a session, and then having to cart it all back in at the end. The stock lived in purpose made boxes under our bed, so they had to be carted upstairs, which made it worse. Handling stock is never going to make it better, and only being able to run when you can rearrange the house and have the patio doors open, and you can't get into the kitchen because it blocks the doorway, and it all has to come down in time for tea... is going to lead to frustration.

 

So I'm with Don here. Plan for a permanent home for it, or at least one in which it can be left set up for prolonged periods, and on which the stock can remain from day to day. If that means that you have to do a bit of judicious shrinking in places, well, that's the price we pay for modelling in 7mm.

 

Hope this helps with the thought processes!

Season's Greetings

Simon

[N15class]

I would work out where you are going to be able to set it up. I would hate to spend a lot of time building a layout and not be able to use it. I am assuming that Model Railway exhibitions are not common in Brazil otherwise you could build it for exhibition use. I know plenty of people in the UK who could only set the whole layout up at exhibitions.

 

Don

 

 

Peter,

 

Many moons ago, I had a 16mm garden railway. Terminus to reversing loop. Worked great, except for two things: brushing the detritus on the trees under which the terminus was built off the track (I've no idea what they were but the seed cases could derail a 16mm live steamer) - and carrying the stock out at the start of a session, and then having to cart it all back in at the end. The stock lived in purpose made boxes under our bed, so they had to be carted upstairs, which made it worse. Handling stock is never going to make it better, and only being able to run when you can rearrange the house and have the patio doors open, and you can't get into the kitchen because it blocks the doorway, and it all has to come down in time for tea... is going to lead to frustration.

 

So I'm with Don here. Plan for a permanent home for it, or at least one in which it can be left set up for prolonged periods, and on which the stock can remain from day to day. If that means that you have to do a bit of judicious shrinking in places, well, that's the price we pay for modelling in 7mm.

 

Hope this helps with the thought processes!

Season's Greetings

Simon

I tend to agree with the notion that a layout to fit a space is the best way around.

Things have changed since I started planing, and I would really like to carry on with the plan. There are places in the house where it can be set up; The original idea was to have the first board up in my room the other half could go up and down easily in another and stock kept on the permanent part.

 

I am also looking outside at something different  Also at the loft which is more than long enough but would need some ventilation. Here there is little difference in the temp in the loft and my room without the AC running. It is lined with heat reflecting foil.

 

Anyway; Time to ponder other worldly things Happy Christmas to all, have a good new year with plenty of modelling. And thanks for following and commenting on my efforts 

[N15class]

I've not done much of anything lately. But in the last few days i started to wire up the test track. I have got half the cross over done so I now have got a track from one end to the other. I'm a bit slow at this wiring malarkey.

 

Took young Pedro into the workshop for the first time. Looks like he may well like model railways.

 

[Simond]

Did I hear that you've already got him on "Thomas" & friends?

 

The next step is a cheap loco, cheap decoder (set to sensible vmax) and three Lima/big-big wagons...

 

Then you fit them with three-links and you're away!

 

Best

Simon

[Deano747]

Start him young, eh?!!   

 

Regards, Deano.

[N15class]

The kit for Thomas is being picked up later this year. I have also been looking at Annie and Claribel. If I can get hold of a couple of 4 wheelers at the right price.

[Simond]

Lima - it's robust like toys should be, almost certainly non-toxic and it's cheap.  Not sure about the Annie & Clarabel, but troublesome trucks and Toad are entirely do-able!

 

I did fit metal wheels & 3-links.

 

Ironically, I sold three trucks and a toad on WT last month as mine are now 17 & 19, and "don't play trains"...  never mind

 

best

Simon

[N15class]

Lima - it's robust like toys should be, almost certainly non-toxic and it's cheap.  Not sure about the Annie & Clarabel, but troublesome trucks and Toad are entirely do-able!

 

I did fit metal wheels & 3-links.

 

Ironically, I sold three trucks and a toad on WT last month as mine are now 17 & 19, and "don't play trains"...  never mind

 

best

Simon

I will look into Lima, I was given a load a few years back. If only comes to mind.

As for coaches Jim's seem to be a good buy at £70 plus wheels and card interior. Looks like I need to build and sell another loco.

[N15class]

I have finally got the test track wired and running. I had some problems getting the parts required. I also had a shortage of wire I came to Brazil with 40 metres of black, red, green, blue and orange, but seem to only have orange in the store. No idea where the rest had gone. At least I can buy it here.

As you can see not the most tidy but it all works.

 

Switching is simple I have the 2 points linked for each direction, and for the extra switching for the crossovers I have mounted 2 surface switches rather than build in micro switches to two of the point motors.

 

 

 

 

There's also a dead section at one end.

 

 

A couple of videos to show it works. The track is very noisy in them for some reason much quieter in reality.

 

 

 

[Simond]

Peter,

 

I think there's an ERTL Percy for sale on the GOG sales at the moment. Might suit your purposes!

 

The scissors is tidy!

 

Best

Simon

[N15class]

Right I have been pondering layouts and things. it looks like Bodmin north will have to wait a while due to space. The model making and stock will be aimed at Bodmin. But I think I want to have somewhere to play. Although shorter than my test track by a 100mm I think this will give me some play value.

 

It is 2230mm long and 750mm wide. The ideas is as follows. A small fictitious small port town in the west country. Not much in the way of goods but maybe a wagon or two of fish a day, coal for the locals and bunker coal for small craft. Local goods inwards on the railway for a small community of farmers and fishermen.

 

 

 

At the top will be the platform with half relief Bodmin station for later use Fiddle yard to the right. The platform will be the whole length I hate short ones, plenty of room for two coaches and loco. There is a run round for the platform and a short spur to hold a spare carriage or whatever.

At the moment there is 3 sidings at the bottom 2 linked to the run round and one with a spur direct to the fiddle yard the spur is truncated and does not go to the yard. Here I feel I may make it only one siding and 2 spurs. The spur at the bottom right I want to make it for loading bunker coal into small boats with just one hopper and chute. The other maybe cattle and or end loading. I also want to add BN goods shed to the left hand end which is why I think only one siding there would or might be better.

 

Well I am going to do a re draw and see if the latest thoughts work. Any ideas please throw them my way, help is very much needed.

[N15class]

I had a little play last night. I think this version is better. I need to do some measuring of stock to work out if the layout and fiddle yard would work. The fiddle yard will in actual fact be a traverser. At the moment 800mm long.

 

If it needs to be longer I may have to reconsider as this I feel is probably as compressed as it will allow.

 

 

I think this has a better feel than the first version. Well the one above anyway. There should now be room for a goods shed bottom right the bunker coal to the right and either coal or cattle/end loading in the centre. And maybe coal or a carriage on the run round spur.

 

Any observation would be gratefully received as I am still not 100% sure about things.

[N15class]

I'm still planning a small layout, but any stock I build is always towards my goal of Bodmin.

Here lies a problem. I'm looking at my next scratch build project it was going to be a K10 but Finney7 will be making one so I will wait for that. I know a lot of the 6'7" Adams 4-4-0's were used on the north Cornwall line. I've seen pictures of the 460 class which at a stretch I could claim to be in my time period. But has anyone seen or know whether T3's or X6's were definitely used as well?

 

Think I also have a plan for the small layout. Will get it checked for fit soon.

 

Thanks in advance.

[N15class]

Long time since I posted on here. Well, things have change the space I was going to use is no longer available. But, I am now building a layout, which will use some of the buildings from Bodmin, as my long term goal is still to build it.

I have a space in a three metre square room. I'm building across a corner, so it will all be on a curve.

 

Below, are pictures of the base plan, a few things will probably be adjusted as we go. The tightest curve is into the bay on the left, this is 5'6" or there about. The rest are 6' or much greater.

 

 

The sector plate will be removable and go across the door where the steps are. 

 

The name of the layout has now changed but I will be posting updates here rather than start a new thread. 

Hope you enjoy, there will be a few catch up posts, but, then it will follow the build.

[N15class]

A bit more of the catch up. 

 

Base boards, here the basic L is made, there is still the corner infill, and the sector plate are still needed.

 

Next job while waiting for plywood, is to mark out where the cork will be.

 

 

I decide not to put cork under all the track I am putting the sidings straight onto the boards, to get a little verity in rail height. I sanded ramps down in strategic places. I was originally going to have the sidings higher, but then realized, there would be a chance of run aways. 

 

 

The plan was reduced and then glued to the cork. Now track laying can begin.

 

 

More catch up soon.

[N15class]

Track laying time.

We start with the crossing timbers for the long siding, and the crossover.

 

 

 

And then some of the plain track, this is to late, LSWR 45' rail spacings, being a backwater I can't see it having been replaced in 7 years.

 

 

Rail starts to be added, this is the turnout to the long siding, a B6.

 

 

 

Then comes the platform release crossover. These are both A7's.

 

 

Time for some plain track, the loco release.

 

 

And some of the platform line.

 

 

This is where I came to a stop as I needed to make the two missing boards. So instead of wasting time I prepared the parts for the three way and bay points. Both of which are about two feet long.

 

[N15class]

Here we go to get almost up to date.

 

The corner board is made, but is now an odd shape, due to point work.

 

 

Cork and timbers layed, now onto the sector plate before the rails go on.

 

[47137]

I found a way to put portrait photos into topics - edit them to add broad white stripes each side so their bitmaps become landscape.

 

I ought to be following this build, it is reassuring to see someone else who has been on the same project for 5 years :-)

 

- Richard.

 

 

[N15class]

On 14/06/2021 at 03:53, 47137 said:

I found a way to put portrait photos into topics - edit them to add broad white stripes each side so their bitmaps become landscape.

 

I ought to be following this build, it is reassuring to see someone else who has been on the same project for 5 years :-)

 

- Richard.

 

 

For some strange reason it's only this site that they are wrong. On the other forums they all come out correctly.

[N15class]

Right here we are. This post brings us up to date with the layout. Very slow it is too. With two droppers per piece of rail, and brass pins at each joint, it all makes it slow.

 

But here we are, the sector plate board, with I think mark 4 plate, which has actually been replaced by mark 5. But no photos as yet.

 

 

 

The platform bay turnout and 3 way are now completed. The platform main and run round have been joined to what was already done.

 

 

I have not got enough rail to finish. But, I think I have enough to get all the sidings across all the board joints. Which means I can then take them apart to wire up without sitting on the floor. The bay, and goods shed line are over the joints, just the cattle dock one at the rear to do.

 

 

 

Oh and these two at the other end.

 

 

These will take a few more nights. The newly laid track needs all the cuts and fish plates adding, the blades all need the operating mechanisms made and added, plus all the electrickery to make them work. Probably mega panels with 

 

 

 

 

[Simond]

Pete,

 

if you don’t need an electrical break, you can always part cut the rail with a razor saw, and superglue the fishplates over the gap.  Electrically conductive and visually convincing, and saves droppers!

 

atb

Simon

[N15class]

12 hours ago, Simond said:

Pete,

 

if you don’t need an electrical break, you can always part cut the rail with a razor saw, and superglue the fishplates over the gap.  Electrically conductive and visually convincing, and saves droppers!

 

atb

Simon

That's exactly what I've done so far, except at either end of the crossing wing rail assemblies which have insulated fishplates. There will be some breaks but undecided so far. I am using 500mm lengths of rail, so I've also been soldering the length together with a short bit of 0.7mm wire to the outside. The layout is not long and we don't have a great temperature range, 20°c is as cold as it gets, up to 35°c. Plus the layout is not long.