South Tawton- North Devon 80s in N gauge

[TomJ]

So reading the 'Dawlish washout' thread on here looks like I need to upgrade my layout and invest in some new stock ASAP.

 

South Tawton as part of a diversion to avoid the sea-wall??? Well it adds an intersting what-if to my layout. Looks like I need another HST or two, a 50 and rake of Mk2 coaches and a lot more freight stock! Not sure if the infrastructure (well my fiddle yard) is up to this.

[roundhouse]

When are you building a model of Meldon Viaduct fully refurbished for the new train service?

[TomJ]

Well of course the Meldon Viaduct is in a bad state so it has had to be replaced. With something that looks remarkably similar to a Ratio kit!?!

 

The complex web we modellers weave to justify our plans! But seriously keeping the ex SR route to Plymouth open (perhaps 50s with Mk2 from Waterloo) would make an interesting what-if

[TomJ]

Its been over a month since I last posted an update but things have been happening behind the scenes. Hopefully some photos will follow tomorrow or the weekend.

The conversion to DCC is in full swing - in fact its completed now. I have decided to go the whole hog for DCC operated points. The push came when I realised that the existing switches were in completely the wrong place and would need moving anyway - so if I had to rewire them I might as well change. After a lot of searching and questions on here and the web I settled for the DCCconcepts decoders - what a good choice. They are just what they should be, working straight out the box. I had thought the instructions on the packet were a little too brief but it turns out it was even simpler than that. All I need to do now is remember which accessory decoder address corresponds to which point! I fancy making up a signal box diagram or similar to hang above the layout.

 

The two points in the refuge sidings at the 'Exeter' end had to be worked by the Peco side mounted motors (the position meant there was nowhere to fit a underneath motor or a conventional one on top) which don't have any easy way of connecting the accessory switch to change the frog polarity. I read lots of complex ways of doing it involving relays and the like but went for the easy DCC option of a Frog juicer. What a great piece of kit as well. I know the purist consider it cheating but just two wires and, like the points, it just works! I'd consider it for any point on a future DCC layout.

 

So not quite the 'only two wires' some say but its a lot simpler and tidier than the wiring used to be! A copper tape bus runs under the layout with plenty of track feeds and connections to the accessory decoders and juicer. Its great fun operating several trains - my son and I have been running four trains around and around following each other, just because we could. I now have a 25, a 31, and a 108 and 122 for the Barnstaple traffic and a 47 and 37 for the 'Meldon' line. Other 'rule 1' visitors include the 47 and mk2 coaches to Barnstaple, a HST on summer specials and an 08 working trips to the yard from Exeter. Just waiting for Dapol to release their 33 for the full correct roster.

 

Now I've finished turning the boards over I've added the backscenes. Painting's not my strong point so going for something pre-printed. As there will be hills, trees and buildings right up to the edge I'm considering just a sky background? I'm getting excited now as all the carpentry, wiring and heavy work is done so now the fun job of turning it into a model railway starts.

 

Further updates to follow (sporadically!!)

[roundhouse]

Tom

 

Good to hear of your progress going full DCC.

 

I have drawn up track diagrams in Windows paint onto sheets of A4 then laminated them for ROUNDHOUSE and they are affixed to the layout at shows using Velcro do this might be useful until you do your signal box type diagram.

 

Regards

 

Ian

[TomJ]

As my enthusiasm for the project continues I have made more progress! The back scene is now installed and waiting for painting. I'm not a great painter and think that many otherwise excellent layouts are let down by over complicated or over detailed back scenes. So I may well put something printed on - or just have a plain white/blue sky - not sure yet. Construction was simply leftover plywood (of various thicknesses!) with battens to keep it straight and glued down to the layout. On the right hand side a gap has been cut for the point motors - this will be disguised with buildings. A bit more thought at the planning stage and this could have been avoided! At the 'Barnstaple' end on of the trademark three arch bridges hides the exit, and the 'Exeter' end it will be another bridge, I'm still undecided whether it should be a single track bridge or to model the line as a singled ex-double line with a wider bridge?

 

The hole for the motors can easily be seen. I plan to put some industrial buildings inspired by those at Lapford to hide them

 

The three arch bridge

 

Wiring is all complete and working well

 

Not quite just two wires but a great deal simpler than the old point levels. And of course now I can operate from virtually anywhere the cable stretches. 

 

The frog juicer controlling the two points in the 'down' yard. I have absolutely no idea how it works but the lights come on and flash as locos cross the point and it just works every time

 

But of course something has to dampen the enthusiasm and this case its my 108. I just can't get it to work on DCC. Runs fine on DC but on DCC the lights come on but nothing else - can't reprogram the decoder or anything. Its not the decoder as I've swapped it and both work fine in other layouts. Looks like its beyond my fixing - any recommendations for repair?? I might even resort to hunting out another and removing the motor from this to run it as a trailer unit?? But I won't let the gloom over this spoil my good mood about the way things are coming on

 

 

[TomJ]

It's a roller coaster this modelling lark. Motivation right back at rock bottom. Today it seems like I have damaged/destroyed three locos in quick succession.

First the 108 - couldn't get the body off easily. Think I might have damaged something in the process as it just wouldn't come off. Now the lights work (correct for direction etc) but nothing at all to the motor on DC or DCC

 

Then the 08. Digitrains fitted a decoder for me - ran fine on the programming track. Tried running it in on the layout - it just stopped on a point and now nothing. Took it apart, can't see anything obvious but blowed if I can get it back together again!

 

Finally my 37. Started running erratically then a foul smell. Took body off and found one loose lighting wire and a burnt out chip!!

 

To say Im fed up is an understatement. I do have a plan though. The 37 runs fine on DC and the offending wire has been taped over (not bothered about lights). Hopefully a new chip should be ok. I'll wait to hear from Bachmann about the 108 - hopefully they can have a look at it. If not it'll become a dummy unit and I'll get a 101. And finally I'll speak to digitrains and see if they can look at my 08.

But at the moment I'll be glad if I never see them again!!

[TomJ]

After my last post my motivation has returned - thanks to great customer service from various sources. The situation with my DCC locos is now much improved. Digitrains did their magic with my 08 - a dodgy connection or something - they did it and returned it the same day!! Bachmann had a look at my 108 - the motor contacts had come off, so quick service and that is back running. And the 37 has had its chip removed and the loose wire insulated and it runs fine on DC - so once I get a new chip it should be okay. So saved a fair few pounds there……I know people advise to avoid cheap DCC decoders but at least it means if you are hamfisted like me you only destroy a cheap one!!!

 

With normal service resumed on the running lines and all crawling under boards with a soldering iron finished I am now back on the scenics. The back scene is all fitted and covered with a simple sky paper. Given that most of it is covered by hills, trees or buildings I think it looks better than trying to paint a more detailed scene. The original plan had been to have all the point motors behind the back scene - but a bit of experimenting showed that it worked much better a few inches back - so now a few of the motors are on the visible side. Rather than move them I am going to cover them with buildings. These are based on those at Lapford - which is part of the inspiration for my layout. Currently (or when the Google van went past!) they are in use as a storage/removal depot but I believe in the past use has included an abattoir and a factory for Ambrosia. My son suggested we should get some custard tank wagons! Pictures were obtained from Street View and from Eggesford Box's fantastic pics on the web

 

I quite like working on buildings, kit bashing or scratch building. Partly because its so much nicer to sit at the dining room table with the family than by myself in the garage. The building is low relief and built from thick cardboard. I generally prefer working with this than plasticard - not sure why. The front appears to be whitewashed brick, so this is Slaters plastic. I prefer not to mix mediums but in this case there was no other way of making the painted texture and I'd run out of suitable plasticard for the main structure.

 

 

 

The basic structure is done - just need to add the windows and roof and paint the front. Although quite large it doesn't dominate the scene too much and seems to fit in quite well on the layout as an example of rural-ish industry. I'll put some pics of it in-situ later. The next building will be something to run on the street behind the signal box and a level crossing - perhaps a pub. Google Street View is amazing useful as from my computer in Yorkshire I can 'drive' round mid-Devon looking for suitable prototypes. I quite fancy a thatched pub (cliche I know) - not sure if there's any rules as to how close to a railway they might be located.

[roundhouse]

Tom

 

A lot of my locos on Banbury use the cheaper decoders and they run fine. There isn't much shunting on my layout so a dearer decoder doesn't make much difference between similar locos but with different decoders.

 

As you say, if one of the cheaper ones does go wrong or get damaged by a wiring issue / short, then its not so great a loss. I have had the dearer decoders fail in similar circumstances aswell.

 

Ian

[cornish trains jez]

Looks great Tom! nice to see you have your modelling mojo back. I have also had some issue with decoders and I now always use gaugemaster decoders as they seem to work fine for me.

 

Best regards,

 

Jeremy

[mudmagnet]

The large building opposite the station at Lapford (currently Rose Removals), was once the Ambrosia Factory and then in later life was a fertiliser depot. The abatoir was on the other side of the track, through the bridge.

 

The factory has been extended over the years and there quite a few photos in various books over the years, such as The North Devon Line.

[Ramblin Rich]

Yes, Ambrosia built the factory in 1928 and moved out in 1970; UKF/Kemira fertilizers were there until 1993. The abbatoir actually used the third arch of the viaduct at Lapford! The entrance was on the opposite side of the road from the main platform, but that would have made it just across the track from the island down platform - can't have been pleasant for passengers there. There were still big hooks embedded in the brickwork when I had a look around....

Nice looking model, Tom. Are you going to include the half-timbered look of the real thing (which I assume are false in reality)?

[TomJ]

Thanks for the replies and comments. Glad to hear it was the Ambrosia factory - I prefer modelling a custard factory to an abattoir! I do like the idea of custard tankers and rice pudding vans. I rather like the higgedly look of all the extensions. I'll make a start on the brick building next door next.

I agree about the decoders - I use Bachmann ones in my DMUs as they just run through and the do just fine.

 

Now just waiting for the paint to dry.

[TomJ]

Yes I will include the (presumably false) half timbering - I think it's part of the character. I'll probably use strips of painted paper.

 

Interesting about the bridge and the abattoir. Maybe I could hang some 2mm pig carcasses from the arch??

[Ramblin Rich]

I should stress that the arch was closed up when in use by the abbatoir! A few fictitious custard tanks would be fun though. "Devon knows how they make it so creamy" Yum!

[bridgiesimon]

...and a geezer riding a cow through the streets!!

 

Anyway, transferred my reading across from the North Devon discussion feed, this layout has loads of potential and is looking good

 

Best wishes

Simon

[TomJ]

I'm stuck indoors on a dull day at work on the bank holiday so naturally my thoughts and daydreams have turned to the railways of North Devon!! The factory is coming on rather nicely - and fills a gap in the layout without overpowering it. Now this is in place I have been pondering about how to go about the scenery. The real Crediton is someway from the town and other stations are similarly out in the sticks. This is the look I wanted to achieve, rather than craming buildings in. To this extend I have been on Google Earth 'driving' around mid Devon trying to get a feel for the area. I think at the left (Barnstaple) end I will have a hill rising up to the backscene, maybe wooded. The road from the level crossing will go straight up to the backscene, and I have found pictures of a rather nice pub/row of houses nearby to go alongside. This just leaves the 'Exeter' end. There is going to be a rather large expanse of space between the tracks and the factory/yard. Not sure yet whether to leave this as part of the industrial scene or maybe have it as scrub and or farm land. I shall have a ponder.

 

Still trying to decide what to do about the level crossing. I have a thing about old fashioned gated crossing. Although the real Crediton had been converted to barriers long before my time period there are West Country  examples of gated crossings surviving into the 80s (and there are still some up here in Yorkshire). But on a visit to Pecorama my son was rather impressed (as was I if I'm honest) by the working level crossing - the lights flashed and then the barriers came down automatically as a train approached. I've tried to look into it but still no idea how to procede or whether its feasible. I'm not into scratchbuilding servo motors and the like myself! I did find the Veissmann models one, but it seems like I need a relay and four train detection switches - and I'm still not clear how you'd wire those - and thats before I even consider the lights! If anyone has some tips then let me know. Otherwise I might go back to the gates!

 

Photos to follow when back home

[TomJ]

A bit more progress with the scenic side with the wet weather recently. Its starting to take shape now - and I like this stage as I am getting a feel for how its going to look when complete. Even though the scenery is nothing more than bare plaster the fact that there is a back scene and terrain starts to 'showcase' the layout and make it a little less train set and a little more model railway. Although I have planned it and start off with a  rough idea I find this stage a bit fluid, and the scenery often evolves as I'm starting it. I don't have the baseboard skills to go 'below' the rail level so I am imagining that the station and railway are at the low point of a valley, and emerge out of a cutting with the scenery rising above. Nothing rocket science to this stage - expanded polystyrene formers (mostly salvaged from flatpack furniture packages!) covered in either plaster of paris strips or sculptamold

 

The bridge and cutting at the 'Exeter' end. Although the real Crediton was originally double track I have gone for a single bridge (the Barnstaple branch was single) to give the impression of a quieter backwater

 

 

 

When posting a link on the Modelling BR Blue thread I realised I actually had very few pictures of blue trains on the layout! So here's a couple. The 08 has had a chip fitted thanks to Digitrains and I assume it works some trips to/from Riverside yard. This is also me testing out some of my conversion to Dapol magnetic couplers - I now have most of the wagons converted this way for hands free shunting

 

The nearly completed factory that I was working on earlier. Shown in situ covering the point motors. Basic mounting board frame with palsticard and brick paper for the detail.The roof is made of Scalescenes slates printed on to self-adhesive labels. I started off by cutting them out into rows and overlapping them but soon realised it was taking ages and they difference was hardly visible on a weathered roof at the back of the layout. I'd love to model to a much higher standard but I also want to actually get something in a state of almost completeness! Perhaps then I'll replace some of the buildings over time. My current philosophy is learning which corners can be cut without too much loss of detail!

 

 

The other 'Barnstaple' end of the layout - showing the hill and the bridge. The top of the hill is a removable hatch to get to the point motors underneath, incase of future disasters! 

 

 

As I mentioned in the last entry I wanted to go for a sparse look to the buildings, giving the impression that the station was someway from the village itself, as per Eggesford or Lapford. So there won't be too many non-railway buildings, Here is the start of the pub (based on one actually from Cornwall where we stayed on holiday) and a tin chapel - a converted Kestrel church, which was far too small to be a church but makes a reasonable sized chapel.

 

So now its a case of waiting for it all to dry. Next job is to patch up the bits I have undoubtable missed and then sanding it smooth. Then I am going to spray paint all the plaster either green or earth brown before starting on the actual scenic cover. Its all getting quite exciting now…….

[TomJ]

Is it really three months since I last updated this? There has actually been a little progress, amongst enjoying the summer outdoors. I thought that taking some pictures and an entry on here might spur me on a bit more. I think there's definitely a momentum to things, now it looks like a model railway (and I'm done with wiring and track laying etc) I can see more how I intend it to look, and so that inspires me to keep going.

 

Scenic work is in full swing with all the ground work done. Nothing rocket science here, a basic layer of expanded polystyrene (hence the white flecks all over the layout!), covered in a mix of polyfiller, sculptamold and plaster of paris. Then all given a painting of earth or grass green - I learnt the hard way about not doing this on a previous layout and it took me ages to cover up all the white! Finally covered in static grass. The back scene was brought from my local shop and is far better than I could have painted. There has been a bit of a tear and a mismatch at the join, but I think a chimney or trees should cover this. 

 

I'm trying to break the scenery into manageable chunks, so am starting from the 'Exeter' end, then the yard and finally the hill and the 'Barnstaple' end - which will need a lot of trees!

 

The 31 brings the morning train (with newspaper van) into South Tawton. This is a Farish engine thats had a DCC chip fitted. Currently it is the only loco without the Dapol magnetic couplers so it can't really be used for shunting. So I've removed the front coupler and will attempt a bit of detailing of the front end. The old loading dock was built to hide two point motors. Unfortunately the printed paper top has discoloured slightly with the glue so some touching up is needed

 

Looking past a Cornish 37 to the yard. The 37s weren't used on the Barnstaple branch except for later trips to Lapford (?bridge strength) but in my world they work the retained clay services, as well as being regular visitors to Meldon. Having gone to the effort to replace the front windows with finer etched ones I should get round to painting them!

 

The Barnstaple end of the layout showing a typical three arched bridge fitting into the hillside. I'm going to need a lot of trees for this hill! At the front will be some allotments opposite the signal box. You can also see the mounting board fascia I made to cover up my dodgy woodwork - a vast improvement. The top of the hill is removable for access to the point motors

 

Looking up the street across the level crossing. This shows roughly where the few non-railway buildings will go. The tarmac looks a little too dark for me so will need toning down. Then I will add the lines and road markings etc. The building front left is a Bachmann school, repainted to look more Devon, and on the left is a it bashed Kestrel house to resemble the old stationmasters house, now in private hands

 

The low relief factory I was working on last time to hide the point motors, and the start of landscaping the small industrial area I have assumed has taken over part of the old goods yard. That plaster gets everywhere and needs touching up!

 

Playing around with some ideas in the yard, with a digger and forklift for the timber/fertilizer. Also shows where I tore the back scene fitting it - am sure a tree or chimney should cover this.

 

So definite progress and should keep me going for a bit longer. Next job is to start on the tree production line and to add to the ground cover on the hills for the scrubby look