Andy Keane

Keith Now I come to play with your layout I notice this is a third track plan, being different from the original when the line opened and also from the one in the photo above that I am working to. Do you know when the station was laid out as per your plan? regards Andy

Keith, I have not tried those but at a glance they don't seem to offer a curved point which is what one really needs. Though they seem to be kits so I guess one could try and build a curved point with one of their kits? The trouble with my hand built track is 1) there are no chairs on the sleepers, just solder and 2) its hard to make the point change mechanism as reliable as the mass produced points. The finescale stuff comes with the chairs and I would guess their mechanisms are quite good - so maybe worth a try.

Dave I think I will probably use the points at the station entrance that I made and Peco for the rest. Not sure how it will line up yet.

Yes they still have the plans for your order and are going to make me a set which really helps. But I am not going for a gradient on the track otherwise things will roll around when uncoupled!

Have had a response from LCUT saying they have already done Helston station windows!

Tony I am looking at the station building. It looks like you have used LCUT doors and windows. Are these custom version or part of their standard range? regards Andy

This is the current amount of space around the engine shed - it seems OK at present. I am now working on the booking hall and have borrowed a signal box from the web.

ps - I think the two Hornby brake composite coaches are to Diagram E140 - there is a photo of a pair in the coaches book on page 192 and as far as I can tell the window layout on the Hornby stock matches the photos. The caption notes that the pair in the photo were operated by a 45xx between Cheltenham and Kingham.

As I already scratch built an OO set 50 years ago and still have them I may see what I can make of them. But yes I had wondered about modifying the PECO points. And actually I think the above CAD version uses the large curved PECO points (I have tried both). Maybe a gentle tweek would help but fundamentally its the frog angle that is the issue. Tony what gradient did you use on the entrance track? The photo I am working to shows the stone shute siding area being level with the entrance track so maybe they had to brake wagons placed there in real life?

CAD mockup of the station throat. I am trying to get the placement of track and bridge to look a bit like the photos in the book. I think this shows why it is better to scratch build the first two points - these are PECO code 100 large radii at the moment.

New rolling stock in place for sizing engine and carriage shed entrances. Samhongsa RTR 45xx plus pair of Hornby brake 'B' coaches as typically used for the branch.

The work on the CAD of the shed progresses. I have completed the structure. The roof trusses are overscale but will not be visible and I want them to be quite strong. I am now drawing up the stonework so that this can be etched onto the sides by the laser at the same time as cutting. This is slow work:

I am currently (rather slowly) adding the stonework to my shed model ready for the laser. I now also have the LCUT windows and have adjusted the CAD to suit these - they are slightly larger than the drawing but close enough so that is great. Hope to make the first pass at laser cutting next week. Also have ebayed up a 45xx and two coaches to have some stock to size against the drwaings prior to cutting. I am not going to risk an engine shed with a door that is too small a second time around. regards Andy

Tony Not sure if you have seen this: Home>Modelling Zone>Layout & Workbench Content>Modelling real locations>Revisiting Helston No other followers but me as yet though. Andy

Just found your thread. I too am revisiting Helston so good to see somebody else doing it. Have you Seen Tony's layout (A Cartoon of Helston). Would love to see some more pictures of your layout.

Tony thanks for that - I will annotate my copy of the book with the extra detail. I wonder what else might have been updated - maybe I will keep an eye out for a later copy. regards Andy

Tony I think your copy of the book by Jenkins must differ from mine. In mine in Appendix 1 there are no 44xx engines listed at all? And the only 042Ts are 569 and 1163. Maybe your copy is a later print? Mine is dated 1992. Andy

Tony Many thanks for all this. I agree the overfeel is what counts. I am continuing to play with AnyTrack as well. I have also ordered a stack of books - these need to be smuggled in of course. Dave47549 is also looking at what operated there. Not sure what sources of rolling stock to use. I am more interested in building the layout than the stock at the moment so will see what I can find on ebay etc to begin with. And I will split my posts so as not to clutter yours with my meanderings and misunderstandings! But it IS nice to get your imputs as a start this whole thing going again. regards Andy

Many thanks for this - I am revisiting Helston and plan to model the station in retirement (having started while at school 50 years ago!). Thus gathering info. I have a letter dated 1972 from a chap who responded to my call back then for help in the Railway Modeller. He had taken much interest in the branch and said: "In 1938 the locomotive would have been one of the following: 4407, 4503, 4523, 4525, 4561, 4569 or 4571. This class certainly worked the line in the period that you intend to model. In addition to the main branch locomotive, a 58xx tank, 5812 occupied the sub-shed at Helston." This is the first mention of the smaller wheeled 44xx on the line that I can recall. I wonder if this is correct - would you know about 4407 as well?

To build the engine shed I am converting Pat English's drawings to CAD and will then get bits laser cut from the CAD: Locos will be some of the following: 4407, 4503, 4523, 4525, 4561, 4569 or 4571. In addition to the main branch locomotives, a 58xx tank, 5812 occupied the sub-shed at Helston in the 1930s as well. When I started on this shed back then its entrance door was very tight for height so may adjust that to allow for the actual track and engines I will have, though from photos it is clear getting a 45xx in there would have been very tight in reality.

The 1905 map (now out of copyright) shows the initial track layout but I plan for somewhen in the 1930s when the branch was laid out a little differently and worked by 45xx engines. According to my measurements the track radius under the bridge was about 1000 feet with most of the points at that end having radii of around 500 feet, while those at the carriage shed end are around 300 feet. The Peco large radius turnouts of 381 feet are thus a compromise and apart from the first two on entering the station I will live with this. The whole station will fit onto three six foot by three foot boards which I plan to be portable so as not to cause issues with my local planning authority. I anyway will start by making buildings this time, beginning with the engine shed.

Tony rather than continue to pollute your topic I have created one of my own to record my progress and thoughts. I will clearly be following in secure footsteps though. Regards Andy

Having thought again about building a model of Helston Station in Cornwall and having been so much encouraged by the Helstonish Cartoon topic of Tony (Mulgabill http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/115712-a-cartoon-of-helstonish/ ) I thought rather than pollute his topic I had best set up one of my own. I am in no hurry to finish this layout but as I near retirement and with my first Grandson in place now seems a good time to be doing this. I first started modelling Helston in 1972 with a query for help in Railway Modeller leading me to Pat English's articles in the 1967 issues of Model railway News. This lead me to flooring my parents attic, creating baseboards and starting on the track. I had previously had Hornby stuff but wanted better control of the layout so decided to scratch build the track. 50 years later and I still have the points from that early build: This time around I think I will use Peco streamline 100 for most of the layout, but may still build a couple of the points by hand to get the entrance to the station correct as per the large scale OS map of the track.

ps - on shed roof vents I have several sets from the old airfix engine shed kits that I may recycle. Also found 10 unused airfix cattle truck kits still in their boxes plus a ratio Syphon kit and three Ratio bogie bolster flat wagons, again unused. Not sure if Syphons ever got to helston though.