dave k

Craig, Attached are some photos of the point work on Hallatrow plus my friends Roger original curved switch filing jig. The idea of this jig was to file both switches at once - but it did not work. The revised version files one blade at a time. A 9ft curved switch This is the outside slip and half the crossing into the down lay by.

No Ian, but the black pannier in the photos on the Scalefour web site is Tim's - he has a photo in his collection with take loco at Hallatrow so wanted a model version as well.

I don't think I have any more photos currently on the completed (layout in its current) state but will keep looking.

My model of Hallatrow was built as an entry in the Scalefour Society's 18.83 Layout Challenge. Hallatrow was a station on the Great Western's Bristol & North Somerset (B&NS) branch which ran from Bristol North Somerset Junction to Frome through the North Somerset Coalfield. The line was originally built by the independent Bristol & North Somerset Railway Company (B&NS) which promoted the line to provide a better outlet for the collieries of the Somerset Coalfield. Its act, of July 1863, authorised the company to build a standard gauge line from Bristol to Radstock to join the Great Western's (GWR) then broad gauge mineral branch from Radstock to Frome. The first turf was cut at Clutton on the 7th October 1863 but following this auspicious occasion the company was beset with financial difficulties which caused no less than six contractors to be employed and the line took ten years to complete. By the time the line opened, on the 3rd September 1873, the B&NS had entered into an agreement with the GWR to work the line. In July 1873 the B&NS received powers to build a branch into the Cam Valley, from Hallatrow to Camerton, which was opened on the 1st March 1882. The B&NS became part of the Great Western's empire when it was absorbed on the 1st July 1884. The Camerton branch was extended by the GWR to Limpley Stoke, on the Great Western's Bradford-upon-Avon branch, in 1910. At the same time Hallatrow also under went a major re-build with the provision of a platform and additional sidings. The station became a passing point and a new signal box was built for the re-signalling. The Challenge, set at Scaleforum 2002, was to design and built a layout to P4 standards with a total layout foot print of no more than 18.83 sq. ft. The designs were to in by the following Scaleforum, in September 2003. A progress report was required the following September and the "finished" layouts to be exhibited at Scaleforum 2005. Of the 50 designs submitted, 25 were finally exhibited at Scaleforum 2005. If you want to see more of the designs plus photos of those exhibited at Scaleforum follow the link to the Challenge page on the Scalefour Society's web site. The layout modelled for the 18.83 Layout Challenge shows the station after the new 'up' platform was built around 1910-1. The track plan was developed using the TEMPLOT computer design program using a copy of a GWR track plan as a guide. Construction techniques are fairly standard, 4mm ply for the base boards, nickel silver rail in P4 Track Co. chairs stuck to 'full' depth sleepers stained with Colron wood dye. The point work was built was built by my good friend Roger Sanders using his innovative jigs to construct GW curved switch blades.

I'd seemed to remember something about converting Wheal Elizabeth into a through layout and you even published plans on RMweb (the old version) - or were they from some helpful friends but thought that was just a pipe dream. But now we have a baseboard. Dave

Thanks for that will have to get out my copy of "GW Branch Line Modelling" vol. 3. Dave Keeler

I like the look of your platform surface - how did you do it? Dave Keeler

Well what do you expect when the introduction to there brake kits states: "This fret should not be attempted by anyone who does not have a very large vocabulary of naughty words which have developed over the years' whilst attempting to put impossibly difficult things together." Enough said.

Mikkel, I love you 'layouts' with your attention to the little details having followed 'The Bay' since the days you ran the GWR Modelling web site and building a GW layout myself set c.1910-12. On the question of suitable figures I don't know if you are aware of Hubert Carr or Model Railway Developments. He does a range of Edwardian figure including Sherlock Holmes etc (one wonders if a a 'Farthing's' story could come). Anyway I've included the web site for you. http://www.emardee.org.uk/epages/BT2573.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/BT2573/Categories Dave

Will be seeing the new signal in pride of place at the Southampton show??

A labour of love.

I notice in the third photo that your Tortoise point motors are wired using coloured ribbon cable. May I ask are you using the Tortoise's internal contacts for the polarity changing for the vee's and if so are you using one or both sets.

Mark, Whom are to standing in for, if it's not a delicate question?

An oak tree? But its a beautiful model of a tree and look superb on your layout makes you thing its the real thing.

Oh boy, that's impressive even for a mock up.

Can you tell me what you are using for your AJ uncoupler.

As a matter of interest what scale/gauge are you going to build this version of Bodmin in as I saw the North London one at S4urm?