stivesnick

Theres no wheelie bins supplied by the council. They prefer bin bags in round plastic bins. Some people in falmouth have bought their own, and commercial propertys use them. There is now however garden waste wheelie bins, which are a brown colour and you need a "kerbside licence" or some other money making scheme to use.

Thanks for the information. I will make some round bins and a couple of brown wheelie bins to keep in the back gardens.

Nick

Hello there

 

I lovely little tribute to clay country. It's alway nice when proper contours are added to a railway. The river being a great focal point. As a Signalman who covers Goonbarrow, I hope you wont mind me commenting on one feature of the layout. There isn't enough clay around! Believe me - it gets everywhere, on cars, on the wagons, on nearby properties etc... The roads in the complex should be bright white, and the ground white blended with grass (which looks great by the way). I can supply some photos to aid you. Please dont be disheartened - It's a matter you can attend to with little effort or change.

Thanks for the suggestion. - once the track had been ballasted, I was going to add a touch of white spay over the track area. If the whole area needs a dusting, some pictures would be great.

Nick

Some local knowledge please about Cornish Wheelie Bins

I was going to make a set of bins for the front of the houses, but in checking the colour of local bins on the Cornwall CC web-site, I found an article on " why we don't do wheelie bins in Cornwall". Can someone confirm if this is the case.

If no bins, what - plastic bags, recycling boxes?

Nick

Some progress on the house gardens.

The roads have also gone in - Scalescenes on card. Not totally convinced by the affect. Rural roads are normally more even, also no sign of type wear. Any thoughts on how to improve the final appearance?

Nick

A picture update. Thought you might like to see some trains on the layout for a change.

Overall view of layout. Since the last update the greenery as extended across the baseboard joint.

Class 66 and silver bullets passing the old china clay works.

Class 153 on the main line and the recently installed Peco signal box and PW cabin.

Top and tail 66s on a PW train

Have just returned from the N Gauge Show with some trees and fences

The house builders have been at work. I have some Muswell Models house kits but have finally got around to adding the windows.

The final layout of the 8 houses was marked out on a piece of thick card. Card level being pavement, and house datum.

The road area was cut out and some Scalescenes tarmac stuck onto the baseboard. I tried to file ramps where the parking bays would go with limited success. The card base was stuck down, then the parking bays and pavements added. Kerbs were 1.0 x 1.5mm plastic strip, with thinner section at the parking bays.

work in progress picture below. Next task work in the gardens!

Like the layout, especially the long platforms. Just like a real sea-side town would have to deal with summer specials in the past.

Spent some time tying to work out if OO or N, still not decided 100%. How long is the layout?

Nick

Thanks Will for the comments

If anything is thinking of doing something similar, no problem, but it is worth understanding the basic ideas behind Molinnis:

• Simple track plan suitable for post 1970s/ 80s layouts  
• Multiple units only on the “main line” to avoid touching stock at exhibitions
• China Clay theme as trains generally shorter than other industries
• China Clay trains use covered wagons so no difference between loaded / empty trains.

Ideally the layout needs to be bigger which could allow for the following to be included:

• Include station  and rest of the town
• Longer trains to be run
• Spread the scenery out– ideally the china clay works would be on the other side of the branch line to give a more natural slope away from the river.  
• Worth looking at 1980s operation when there was more wagonload traffic and locomotive hauled regional trains.

Here are a couple of ideas using a similar track plan but with a very different end result.

Idea 1 – Based on Westerfield: A station just outside Ipswich on the East Suffolk Line where the line to Felixstowe branches off. On the prototype the main line continues as double track for another few miles. The main line sees flask traffic to Sizewell on top of the hourly DMUs (Class 170s, 156s) . The branch also has passenger trains (hourly Class 153) and up to 50 container trains a day as well as light engine movements. I would want to extend  the fiddle yard sidings to allow freight longer trains to run. If Sizewell C power station gets the OK, there could be an additional 4-5 trains a day on the mainline for construction materials.

Alternatively back date to the late 1980s when Sizewell B was being built and Class 37s worked the construction trains, class 101s on the passenger , class 47s on the container traffic. You could add a grain terminal by the station for a bit of shunting.

Idea 2 – Northern built up area. Replace river by a canal. Lots of terraced houses. Scope for large disused factory. Branch serving coal mine or power station.   

Over to you guys.

Nick

More scenery stuff added this weekend

First some power poles to provide power to the china clay works, (homemade poles but using Tomix transformer) and some lighting for the site (mike Howarth kits). I have added hedging along the track using 4D model black foam as a base and covered in scatter material. The black foam material comes in sheets 10mm thick which allows for the height and depth of the hedge to be adjusted.

One question, I need to add fencing between the works and the railway to meet railway codes about the railway being fenced along its route. But what about the works itself from the track. Anyone with some local knowledge that can say if normal / security fencing would be provided to protect these sites?

The level crossing gates on the branch line will operate as an Accommodation Crossing with telephone. Gates are from Cavey's Scale Models and are etched brass. They look a bit thin to me. The crossing signs are from Sankey Scenics.

Finally with all the rain we have been having, the river has finally started flowing. It will be a paint job with loads of coats of varnish on top.

Despite the lack of rain, the grass and general greenery has started growing at Molinnis.

Two additional "structures" have been added. The first is the remains of an old office block at the china clay works. This is simply a sheet of card with some plastic strip to represent the remains of the internal walls. With the area becoming overgrown ( see below) there was no point in worrying about brick details. Job done in 15 minutes including painting.

The second structure is the pipe bridge to disguise the entry of the branch line into the fiddle yard. It uses parts from the Walthers conveyor kit. The truss is cut down to suit the layout. I add some concrete piers as foundations to the truss, made from plastic section. Finally some etched brass grid was added to stop people walking along the unit.

The track has been spray painted using beige car spray ( I have never seen a car this colour!) Ground cover started with the path alongside the old china clay works. This was a mix of light brown and grey fine ballast materials. A darker, more brown coloured mix with some grass added in was used in the works area.

Once dry, coarser material was added. I use self seal bags to mix the material, with generally 5-10 different scatter materials in each mix. I always mix far too much, and bags are labelled to allow for touching up any areas later on.

Next task, add bushes and trees, fences etc.

Nice project

 

I thought that clay dries were often built in to the landscape (Moorswater/Wenfordbridge) so you might have to build up the landscape behind the slurry tanks flush with the top, perhaps making a cutting as you disappear into the tunnel/FY.

 

Just a thought - feel free to ignore

 

Watching with interest...

Hi

You are correct - if only the layout was a bit bigger! The back of the tanks is just in front of the backscene so not much room for hills. There will be a small cutting as the branch line disappears into the fiddle yard. My thinking is that, as a mineral branch it would have been built as cheaply as possible so avoiding tunnels if possible. One of the reasons why the construction of the layout was delayed for so long was tying to sort out a scenic setting that was realistic ( not 100% sure even now that a railway company would a built this railway), ideally the branch would follow the river.

Nick

New trestles as built by the chief carpenter - thanks John.

Identify all the types of "proper" joints if you can.

Hi Ben

You may have noticed some similarities with the office block / shop units on Horseley Fields - this is the mk2 version.

The building is 130mm long x 55mm wide. Ideally it needs to be a bay or two longer and additional floors. Not sure where it would fit on Horseley Fields b ut happy to do a mk3 model sometime. Might get away with a version on Dogsthorpe if we ever get round to building it!

With the building as it is, there is no boiler room at ground floor and the toilet windows are not right. I did think of adding a plant space extension, but no room on layout.

Nick

The final major building has been started! This is the 1960's style office block to go with the warehouse. The building is typical of that era using precast panels for much of the walls and a flat roof.

The windows are laser cut wood from Proses, available from OnTrack. They are OO scale domestic windows but work as N office windows.  

The main walls use a clear plastic sheet as a base, with the windows and cladding panels glued on. The windows were painted before gluing. With hindsight, I should have painted the brick piers as well before gluing. Each side took about an hour to do. Part completed and complete sides shown below.

Picture of building with walls stuck together. The roof is Scalescene's tarmac sheet.

Final picture showing added roof plant. The fans come from the Walthers modular series.

Hello

An update following a useful session at the Chief Carpenter's. Once a few wiring issues caused when I re-wired the connections between the boards were fixed, a range of services were operated, helping to define a draft timetable. Sorry no pictures but running were: Class 150, Class 221, 66+ CDAs, 66+ Silver bullets. Fellow N Guage Society group member Paul had the first vehicle of a MPV set. (see on the shapeways web-site)

The wagonload service will be added once I have fitted the Dapol couplings to some vehicles.

First exhibition - March, Cambs next March.

Nick

Thanks All

Discovered a problem last night. When I tried to put the two boards together and boxed up with the end panels, the road hit the bank behind the china clay works. Will need a larger spacing between the boards. Call for the Chief Carpenter! 

The scenic work continues. Most of the contours are now formed; polystyene tiles covered in paper mache. I have added a base coat of emulsion paint so that if the scatter material comes off you don't see any bare paper. Progress photos below.

Overall picture of the layout with a lot are part finished buildings:

The factory end of the layout:

The disused china clay works, the hole in the backscene will be hidden by a pipe bridge:

Some more work on the scenery this weekend.

The right hand side of the layout around the china clay dries has had the contours created from polystyene packaging and the whole lot covered in paper mache. I started by smoothing out the changes in level with rolled up bits of paper, followed by a covering over the entire surface. The surface is now nearly dry after 30 hours and the next stage will be to paint a base colour (using a poster paint set). 

Progress picture below.

Following previous comments I check the Freightmaster series of books and it appears the wagonload freight traffic to the Fitzgerald Lighting works at Bodmin continued until late 2000 as a Class 66 hauled trip working from St Blazey Yard.

Steven

Fitzgerald Lighting have a factory in Bodmin that used to send products out by rail in VGA vans until the 1990s. I have assumed that this traffic continues.

I did think about a 1980s layout, but because I have a number of Class 66s it has to be more modern. To backdate to the 1960s, the track plan would need to change. The old clay dries would still be connected and working, plus the junction would be a more tradditional double junction with two points and a crossing. The alternative woudl eb to follow the layout at Bugle station and have a seperate goods loop for the branch connection. 

All

River Mol it is then.

I will be with the N Gauge Society Cambs and Northhants Group's Horseley Fields layout at Trainwest Show at Melksham this weekend. Please stop by for a chat. Although Horseley Fields is set in the midlands, there may be the odd china clay train to be seen if I can sneek tham past layout stock control!

Looking intersting Nick good luck with the rest of the project.

Thanks Richard

When the details start to appear, you may find some of the products familiar!

Nick

Thanks for all the positive comments - more progress to report this weekend.

The other bridge, over the yet to be named river, (any suggestions ?) has been built. The bridge girders are plastic sheet and strip. The walls and centre support plastic sheet and scalescenes papers.

Have also been looking at the location of the disused china clay works. The original plan (see first posting) had the building parallel to the branch line track. This proved difficult to work in the scenery. It has been rotated, so now parallel to the river so it fits better into the hillside. I mocked up where the old railway tracks woudl have been, and it works out that a scale 9inch radius curve would work. I also assumed a second siding for coal deliveries.

With the building locaion now fixed, I mocked up the settling enclosures behind the building. These were used to allow the china clay to settle to the bottom of the area before entering the building at the upper level on the drying floors.

Some progress at last!

The road bridge at the left hand end is underway. I had intended to use a Scalescenes arched bridge but this was not wide enough to allow for the curved track, so I made a plastic bridge from 1.5mm sheet, covered in Scalescenes stone paper.

Picture 1 shows the basic elements.

Picture 2 shows the bridge in location for clearance check, at this stage the bits were not glued together.

Picture 3 shows the part finsihed bridge.

Finally the scenic contours are appearing. The new hosuing estate in the corner are Muswell Models resin kits. Glue the roof on and paint. Then add the windows.

Progress update

The first buildings for the layout are nearing completion. The intention is to construct all the buildings in one area, and then finalise their location along with any associated roads etc. before starting to construct the basic scenery.

The first is the disused china clay dries which was actually completed some time ago. The model is scratchbuilt using plastic sheet and covered with Scalescenes paper. The windows and doors have come from the scrap box. The original chimney used a plastic pipe, but the straight sides simply did not look right. So John (the official carpenter) turned a chimney on his lathe to achieve the sloping sides. The building is designed to be set into a hill side with the wet china clay loaded from the upper level at the rear. See photo below

The second building is the electrical factory and uses two Tri-star industries kits plus a loading dock, from Pikestuff. These kits are modular so it is possible to move the various wall sections around to get the doors where you want them. The canopy over the track is scratchbuilt. There are a few details still to add, such as roof vents, signage and external lighting, but hopefully it looks like a suitabel building that would dispatch products by rail.

The bridge of the river is under construction – pictures soon.

I agree the plan is a very good one - and maximises the viewing run for trains. It's good to see more china clay and N gauge. I look forward to seeing it develop. Do I spy the Dapol uncoupling magnets in the sidings? If so how have you found them, do they work ok? Am thinking of trying them for my new layout. Do you try to hide them under the ballast or are they not too obvious??

 

In terms of traffic most of my knowledge of the clay scene is steam days or the 80s but I'll try to help. The clay industry has declined markedly since 2000 with many works shutting and traffic lost. At the start of the millennium there was a lot more activity. Mainstay of the clay traffic was/is of course rakes of CDAs to Fowey docks. Out of Cornwall traffic included the 'silver bullets' as a block, although slurry was occasionally sent as wagonload (don't know what period) and Tigers/JIA (not yet avaliable in N gauge - something for the society....!?!??) and polybulks and occasional van traffic, presumably ferryvans.

For non clay traffic there has been a bit, although not at the same time! There's cement to Moorswater (using the old clay works). There has been scrap metal from St Blazey and incoming pipes. More recently there were freightliner trains of sand (a by product of clay extraction) which was used extensively in the Olympic build.

Loco-wise I think it's pretty much exclusively 66s, EWS/DBS and freightliner. The 67s were used for a while before the TPO ended and the 57s on the sleeper but these are both mainline of course. A few other locos/liveries appear on one off or charter trains.

 

Hope this helps, please post more pics as things progress

Hi Tom

Thanks for the information.

Yes they are the Dapol magnets. We use them on the Horseley Fields layout and they work very well, especially with longer rakes of modern rollings stock.

You mention the lack of Tiger wagons in N. You can buy the basic bodies as a 3D print off the Shapeways web-site. You can get the bogies and buffers from the N Gauge Society and Scale Model Transfers do the decals. I have got some spare etches from the N Gauge Society Polybulk wagons to make the end walkways. Hopefully a project to be done this winter.

Nick