0820PerranporthPaddington

Many years ago, a company called Harris Edge produced some very good card kits of various models of steam locomotives and a Traction Engine. they were called 'Showcase Models' and were produced on a series of card sheets for you to cut out and glue together. They were very impressive and relly looked the part. Their only weak point was the wheels, as they ere only a series of circles and used to 'bend' over after some time. However, they were still very authentic. The range was: Flying Scotsman, Mallard A4, The Royal Scot, an American Wood Burning Locomotive and a Showman's Traction Engine. At one time, I had the whole set, but over time, they got damaged and lost. I still have an unmade boxed model of the Royal Scot, which I am not sure whether to make up or sell. I did hear a rumour that there was to be a model of a GWR 'King', but nothing came of it, so I dedcided to create my own, which was back in 1980. the first image was my first attempt, but I was never that happy with it and it has taken me unitl this year to do it again. I had no drawings as such to work on and both have been created from used cereal packets and painted. I also made a coach, using the same method of wast card. I titled it 'from Cornflakes to the Cornish Riviera' The second image shows my later attempt and the third with the original coach. I still have a fair way to go, with many fittings and pipework to add. One of my main successes is how I have created the wheels. All the spokes are carefully folded together to create a lifelike effect and the rims and flanges are strong enough to hold the model. I also made a 14xx in 1983, using the same wheel design, which can be seen clearly. The last image is the umade Royal Scot model, that gave me the idea of creating one of my favourite locos, The King Class.

Someone asked me if I could make a GWR Pagoda shelter in '0' gauge and to make it as authentic as possible! As I make cut out card kits of Cornish Engine Houses and have made one or two pagodas in '00' in the past, I looked at the possibility of printing corrugated card. As I had some sheets of various card and amongst them was a corrugated one, I designed the pagoda in kit form, scaled up fro 4mm to 7mm. With great trepidation, I fed the shett into the printer and after three or four attempts, it worked! The picture above is the finished model, placed on a makeshift platform, but I forgot to fix the fretwork on the roof! This I have done by printing the fret, using OHP clear film. The two downpipes are way too large, but that has now been remedied, shown on the second 'tryout' below.

I make these GWR Pagodas in 7mm scale, using corrugated card and are sold as a kit, with full instuctions.

Yes, I make and do sell them. If you are interested, please let me know and I'll give further details

Beside building my my large Clay built Cornish Pumping enine, I also make card cut-out kits, which are around 'N' gauge. I say around, because all of these engines vary in size due to the different sized beam engines within. The one above is a replica of a mine in St Agnes, Cornwall, called 'Wheal Friendly'. It overlooks the lovely Trevaunance Cove and today is just a ruin, along with many in the County. One very famous mine is the 'Michell's Whim Engine', which sits by the main street in Pool, between Redruth and Camborne. Now owned by the National Trust, it is a good example of a Cornish winding engine. I have also made this, again in 'N' gauge. They are printed on card and cut out and glued together. The picture below shows the completed model and make a nice addition to scenery, or layout. The National Trust also own the 90" puming engine at Taylor's Shaft, across the road and behind the Morrison's store. This engine is the third largest engine ever built and both can be visited in the Summer months. Below is my model of that mine engine.

Although it is quite large, due to the very varied sizes of the buildings that were built, this would certainly fit on a 00 gauge layout,

I first made the Pumping Engine in 1980, just to see if I could! It is made of clay and represented a typical ruined Engine House. Over the years, I thought about 'kitting it out' with a fully working example, but never getting past that stage until this year, when I obtained a synchronous motor, geared down to 5rpm, which when fitted with a crank, gave the correct speed for the beam to move up and down, nearly all engines of this type worked at five strokes per minute. First to go in were the main beams that support the Beam, which in turn are supported by the cross beams and the Bob wall. I then made up the front hoarding, which enclosed the top floor against the weather in a real engine. Next, starting to make up the bob platforms, prior to fitting the drive (a 220v synchronous motor, rotating at 5rpm). I then made the beam, or 'bob' in Cornish terms, which I found easiest to make by gluing six pieces of card for each side and gluing together, lining out and painting, drilling the holes for the various rods, then fitting to the main beams (I used cable clips, which give some tension to the movement), This shows the arrangement of the beam between the supports. It had to be accutaretly fitted to avoid any fouling from either end of the beam. The bob platt fences have been fitted, making sure of clearance. Finally, I made up the fences to the platforms and added the pump rod, the vacuum pump behind it and the mud pump behind that. The roof was built up of lines of printed slates on paper and fixed by pva glue. All of the pump rods work at five strokes a minute, a fairly normal speed of these engines. Although it is a large model (about 14" tall), it will sit quite comfortably on an 00 gauge layout. the large Taylor's engine at East Pool, in Cornwall is well over 60 feet high!

Many thanks, Mellangoose. I also love modelling Cornish stations. I recently made a model of the former station house at Helston, but my greatest love was the little station at St Agnes, which closed in 1963. i made a static display of the station, which is in the St. Agnes Museum

Excellent Model of Bodmin Parkway! You have captured it brilliantly. A couple of years ago, I made a display of St Agnes station for the Museum there. it depicted the station around 1950 and is a permanent fixture. My nex project is of the same station, but in 'N' Gauge it will be in two parts, going from the original single line as built in 1903, to the rebuilt layout from 1937. Should be an interesting project for me, as not modelled in 2mm before, although I have already built the ststion and Goods Shed

The footbridge at Bodmin Parkway, in Cornwall is one of the finest of the GWR designs. Made of wood and iron, it spans both tracks with opposing stair towers. Itnot only gives access from the down platform to the up, but also provides access to the Bodmin & Wenford Railway. Because of the intricate nature of this bridge, I decided to make a model. Made of card, designed and printed on my computer. it was created in three sections. 1. The central Span, consisting of the two sides with windows cut out and glazed, the Ironwork individually cut out and applied to each side. the underside, made up of three sections and the roof in three sections. 2. The stair towers, which were cut out and the Ironwork applied the same way Fitting the three sections together proved the most difficult, as getting the structure to sit correctly and square meant gluing together more or less as it will stand. There have been some design changes since this model was made, so will post further.

The footbridge at Bodmin Parkway, in Cornwall is one of the finest of the GWR designs. Made of wood and iron, it spans both tracks with opposing stair towers. Itnot only gives access from the down platform to the up, but also provides access to the Bodmin & Wenford Railway. Because of the intricate nature of this bridge, I decided to make a model. Made of card, designed and printed on my computer. it was created in three sections. 1. The central Span, consisting of the two sides with windows cut out and glazed, the Ironwork individually cut out and applied to each side. the underside, made up of three sections and the roof in three sections. 2. The stair towers, which were cut out and the Ironwork applied the same way

The branch that ran from Gwinear Road to Helston closed to passengers in 1962. all that is left now at Helston is the platform and the Goods Shed, which acts as a community centre, the station site is now a sheltered housing complex. Two years ago, I created a permanent display of St Agnes station, which resides in the Museum at St Agnes, I am now a member of the Helston railway project, which plans to re-open part of the original line, so I decided to make an 00 gauge model of the very large station at Helston This is a view of the platform side, from the Helston end. This is the view of the roadside, also from the Helston end I decided to add lighting for a better effect and this shows a close up of the station entrance. This is a view looking along the station from the Gwinear Road end. There are a few things to finish and tidy up, but as yet I'm not sure if it will be part of a layout, or just a single display item I am also trying to get line drawings of St Ives and Bodmin General, so if anyone has any info on these two stations, I would be very grateful.

The branch that ran from Gwinear Road to Helston closed to passengers in 1962. all that is left now at Helston is the platform and the Goods Shed, which acts as a community centre, the station site is now a sheltered housing complex. Two years ago, I created a permanent display of St Agnes station, which resides in the Museum at St Agnes, I am now a member of the Helston railway project, which plans to re-open part of the original line, so I decided to make an 00 gauge model of the very large station at Helston This is a view of the platform side, from the Helston end. This is the view of the roadside, also from the Helston end I decided to add lighting for a better effect and this shows a close up of the station entrance. This is a view looking along the station from the Gwinear Road end. There are a few things to finish and tidy up, but as yet I'm not sure if it will be part of a layout, or just a single display item I am also trying to get line drawings of St Ives and Bodmin General, so if anyone has any info on these two stations, I would be very grateful.

I believe the Helston Railway Project might create a museum in due course, so it could well be possible!

Many thanks, Mikkel It was an unusual project, working backwards, but I felt that it was a nice idea to resurrect the old station, albeit in minature! The most unusual and challenging part was working out placing the track, especially between the platform and cutting, but got there in the end. My only drawback was to have to shorten the layout at either end, due to the confines of the Museum's display cabinet. The trackbed from the booking hall to the road bridge needed to be another 7 or 8 inches, to allow the catch points and curved points more room and be more to scale. I'm thinking of constructing another St Agnes station layout for home in 'N' gauge. This will allow me to create the whole layout, so will keep you informed. I have already reduced down my original Booking Hall design and will cut it out as a trial. Many thanks again, Mike

The branch line which ran from Chacewater to Newquay via St Agnes, Perranporth and Shepherds to Newquay had a short life by comparison, with seven unstaffed halts at Mount Hawke, Goonbell, Mithian, Perranporth Beach Halt, Goonhavern, Mitchell & Newlyn and Trerice and Trewerry. It was built by the GWR to stop further lines from th LSWR encroaching further west. In 1937, it was decided to widen the station layout to include a passing loop, with a new 300ft long island platform, allowing the passing of trains. The original platform was demolished and the booking hall canopy was dismatled and replaced on the other side, the doors on the old platform side being bricked up and new ones opened on the reverse. This must have been a very large undertaking and obviously weakend the structure, as four supporting columns were added and the approach road built up, steps added to access the building. This left the booking hall rather remote from the new platform and made it an unconvential station. Although popular with the local area and being rather profitable, it only survived 60 years. Despite attempts by local businessmen and the council, the whole line closed on 4th February 1963 and demolition just over a year later. I have based this model on running in 1949, just after nationalisation, although I built it at first as it was left in a derelict state around the mid 1970's, finally creating the layout in 1949. When I visited the site in 1975, this was all that was left of the station This is my model of how the station booking hall was left after the removal of all other buildings. It was left in a weed strewn state and very vandalised, but managed to survive and is now a part dwelling and small business. As for the rest of the site, it is now a small industrial estate, the platform has been removed and the cutting below the booking hall has been filled in to the footings. This building and the weighbridge office at Shepherds are the only remaining buildings of the whole line, all others being demolished straight after closure. This is looking under the model of the booking hall. The original building's doors on the other side were bricked up and new ones created. Acces to the platform was originally by a footbridge, built in 1937, but was removed in the early 1950's, access then by a ramp, across the down line to the platform, a practice not allowed today! This view is from the platfom, showing the trackbed towards the road overbridge, looking towards Perranporth. The track split int two just this side of the bridge, with catch points protecting movements. This is a view of the booking hall from the field opposite. I have purposely built it in its derelict state, but have another one built for the finished layout, which I will show next. All of the buildings are made of card and were designed and printed on my computer, as no drawings survived. Some of the smaller items can be seen in the background, ready for the next phase. This is how the station looked in and around 1949, with the footbridge and island platform. the Cattle Dock under construction. You can see the new track layout, allowing two trains into the station at the same time. Looking from the road bridge, minus the footbridge. To the right of the booking hall is a large advertising hoarding, with a Pagoda Shelter to its left. This was used as a store. Behind the farthest booking hall chimney can be seen the weighbridge office and hut, with a siding which came round behind the goods shed and also served the coal yard, in the distance. On the platform is the waiting shelter. This is how the staion looked untill closure This is a view of the entrance to the station from the road. Traffic could park just beyond the curved black fencing and lorries would go straight on to the weghbridge and goods shed for loading/unloading. Often, there were tar furnaces stationed on the right hand side, which were used to repair the road surfaces in the local area. Ths cattle dock had removeable fences, as in the summer, two camping coaches were often stabled, allowing families to holiday at the station. As mentioned earlier, the footbridge was removed in the early fifties. This is going to be displayed in the St Agnes Museum, in Cornwall this Spring, as part of their section depicting the impact of the railway in the Village. And Finally! The last train ran on 4th February, 1963, a bitterly cold night, having had snow the whole week. This is how it probaby would have looked before the lights were turned off and the station closed forever!

The model is finished as it was in 1949, with the station complete with footbridge and all track laid, which was quite difficult working within the limits of the cutting, rather like it must have been in real life. I have created anothe entry, labelled: St Agnes Station, Cornwall from dereliction to 1949. This shows what it was like in the 1970's, to 1949, when in full working order

St Agnes, part of the Chacewater - Newquay branch was a typical Great Western country station, serving the Mining Village of St Agnes and surrounding area. Originally a single line, but in 1937 a passing loop was provided with a 300 ft island platform, accessed by a footbridge and barrow crossing, plus the addition of a 30-lever signal box. This new layout gave for increased traffic, as the branch now supported three passing stations, namely St Agnes, Perranport and Shepherds. The old platform was demolished, leaving the building rather isolated on a plinth at he north end. The canopy was completely turned round and replaced on the opposite side, facing the entrance road. Further support was neccessary, so four substantial vertical girders were added to support it. All the doors on the rail side were bricked up and replaced on the road side. This made a rather unusual design. Around 1950/52 the footbridge was removed and access to the platform was by means of the barrow crossing at the north end of the platform and this arrangement remained until closure in 1963. As all but the station booking hall was demolished, I chose to create it as it was left in its derelict state before moving on to 1949, post Nationalisation, just before the footbridge was removed, so the first few pictures show it around the mid-seventies, trackless and the building in a sorry state. I have a second booking hall, depicting how it was in the late forties, which will be included in the proper layout. Attached Thumbnails