devondynosoar118

The fiddle yard will do that, I can’t fit three points in the scenic length and have 2nd radius curves, or the board join ends up on the curve. Sidings tended to be simple spurs on all the pictures and plans I have seen. Not seen how they laid out loops or wether they just put one train away in a simple siding then let the other pass.

That has prompted me to fill the empty space, thank you.

I have decided on some British “Archie” in the form of an AA detachment, protecting the road and the railways from enemy aircraft. That will give me some options for vehicles, including the AA truck, and a few bigger QF guns, plus ancillary kit and servicemen.

Anyone got an answer to the sidings conundrum?

What happened was the preservationists negotiated to buy the Kingsbridge line, but the ministry in London had already signed a scrap contract for the infrastructure which they wouldn’t go back on, thus preserving it failed and the people involved in the Kingsbridges scheme transferred their money and efforts to the SDR.

One died, the other survived.

The SDR used Totnes BR station for a time until BR changed the rules or the layout (can’t remember which) and the SDR had to develop Riverside and the bridge to Totnes entirely at their expense.

The two books on the Kingsbridge line are well worth reading, lots of interesting stuff in both, plus many photos of the branch.

I am guessing it hadn’t gone before the minister.

Hi all.

I have been planning something to put my Bachmann Baldwin on. Having secured a good value pack of 009 track and points from EBay I have been trialling the idea I had for a small ish layout that will likely go out on the exhibition circuit.

It will be subject to my unique presentation style, but that doesn’t change the basic requirements. It can be up to 6 ft long in total, the viewed area is about 36” by 24” and I envisage a basic three road traverser hidden behind on a 12” extension, with two 1ft extensions on the side of the main board to take some of the curve, giving me a 6x2 total set up, not sure how best to divide it up.

Here’s a picture of the 3ft scenic section mock up.

I am looking for the front main track to be part of a continuous loop, the standard gauge section will be worked by “flying fiddle yards” over the NG line on short cassettes, as I am planning only 0-6-0 and a few wagons on there, possibly the Hattons ROD special edition.

The continuous loop will mean I can solo operate without getting in a mess, I envisage a maximum of 3 NG formations, a Baldwin, Hunslet and a Kerr Stuart providing motive power on 3 wagon long trains.

That leaves the following questions-

What to put in the area marked “?”

How to get the radii right for the curves so stock can go round reliably, will I need to use a longer main board?

If so would a simple 5ft or 6ft by 2ft work and allow me to go 2nd radius or slightly tighter with the track set back from the board edge at the front?

All advice welcome. The siding connections are both ways to allow setting back by trains running in both directions on the single line. If that’s not going to be prototypical, all I have read says 1 engine in the line, direction immaterial, visual separation if travelling the same direction was the norm, should I just have a double trailing connection? Less visually interesting that way.

Less than I want, more than I need.

Layout operators with this installed are going to have to provide opera glasses for viewers to see it working.

The station building at the Kingsbridge terminus was used by the GPO after the closure, it sat semi derelict behind warehouses on the site but visible from the road for many years.

It was reputedly on a temporary listing to protect it, although I have no source other than local chatter for that.

Over the course the of a weekend (supposedly to avoid scrutiny from planners or the listed building officer) contractors moved in and knocked the whole lot down. The original canopy brackets were sold off as was any decorative parts that could be re used. The rest of the stone was largely dumped on site and has been steadily dwindling away ever since. Only a section of the platform right in the corner of the old site remains, plus the goods shed and the wall behind the signal box. The rest is hidden by industrial buildings or gone. Thankfully the goods shed is in good order but the loading bay canopy has been removed recently.

I have pictures of the demolition but they are not digital and the photographer who gave them to me did so on the strict proviso that I didn’t share them on the web, since he was given permission by the contractors to take the pictures but they knew what they were up to was a grey area legally, so asked he not share them. Several RM Webbers have seen them, I have taken them to the Taunton members day in the past too. I can probably set some up with a private link on Google Drive if people are interested.

Here is the end of the platform as it is today, the station building was to the left beyond the caravan.

The SDR trust have previously stated restoration of services into Ashburton is not in their plans for the line. If money was no object it could be technically feasible it seems the trust has decided (rightly IMO) to focus its efforts on sustainable development of its existing facilities with a view to improving coaching stock standards by making it easier for them to be stored undercover and providing better workshop space for C&W.

I would have loved the Primrose Line to still be there to ride on, it’s a glorious route and the station site at Kingsbridge deserved better than to see its building demolished over a weekend in an underhanded manner to leave an ugly pile of rubble for 6 years instead of a fine William Clarke building that has been visited by Eisenhower, Montgomery and played a role in both world wars.

We should be thankful the intermediate stations have been better cared for and that sections of the line are still there to be enjoyed so long after closure.

I have to be content with battling to produce it in miniature instead!

The SDR is seeking to move forward with its coaching stock, with the new shed being completed beyond the engineering works for undercover accommodation. As ever the principal issue with completeing the Buckfastleigh redevelopment has been money or lack thereof, with a lot of hard work done to get things moving forward and secure funding.

It would be great to have better views of the engineering shop and C&W as both are producing lots of interesting and high quality work, I am sure there are further plans for both.

Glad to hear you enjoyed your visit, both lines have their unique charms and we are fortunate in having them here.

I would recommend an occasionally muddy but always beautiful walk along the old track bed of the Kingsbridge branch, the section from Loddiswell Station towards Gara Bridge is particularly beautiful at most tones of the year.

This thread has provided a wealth of information, thank you all.

My only concern with a line emulating the road route to Salcombe is that it would need a number of tunnels and embankments, the road goes up an down all the way, there isn’t a flat strech on it.

The estuary route arriving across Batson creek on a Barmouth style bridge and a terminus at the end of Island Street where there is now a car park and slipway would provide both better scenery and a flatter route. You could probably fit an intermediate halt in or a very small station at one of the hamlets by the creeks. Up until the early 70’s there was very little housing on the Malborough side of Salcombe, followed by a steep hill into town, well away from the principle sources of traffic for the railway that the towns quays generated.

I think that tunnel looks great there, I had to look twice to check the scammel was only a photo!

I am busy berating my kids to get back down the pit so I can put another round of coal into my router ready to access a new look RM Web. Full steam ahead!

Some very realistic static grass work on the foreground track in that shot.

Our proper traffic warden was great, she kept her focus on ticketing yellow lines on main roads and used her discretion on the residential areas slapped with 2hr max stay bays.

Bloody “Council Tax Subsidy Collectors” we have now are a pain in the arse, when my Morris broke down blocking a side street I pushed it onto a bit with single yellows, put a note in the window and went off to find parts. I returned to find it had been given a ticket. Time allowed for recovery vehicle or repair, from when it was “observed” to ticket issue was 8 mins. I have never seen an AA man arrive that fast and even on my best day it takes me that little big to get the toolbox out the boot, open the bonnet and start looking, never mind fixing anything.

The ticket was appealed and quashed, but only because a friendly garage gave me a towing invoice, I had to prove I had bought parts, which was tricky since the points and condenser used to fix it came from old stock in my shed and you can’t buy them in any shop in town even if you wanted to!

I would love to see a manufacturer do a “British Bangers” range, with flat looking paint, accident damage or parts from scrapyards that don’t match etc put on already. Such scruffy sheds were an essential part of most eras and existing 60’s/70’s products could be used as a basis.

I am sadly a no for this, much as I would have lived to come and see you all. Enjoy yourselves and hope to see some of you face to face again at some point this year!

That looks great!

Not a very hard scratch build off a flat bed chassis? Real one is just a box on the pick up chassis.

Great pictures of period commercial vehicles here-

http://a2ecommercials.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=87595403

If you want a cinder/gravel/coal dust finish then very fine sand (play sand is good as it’s washed) sieved onto the yard then wetted with a hand sprayer and fixed like ballast works very well. To get the tonal variation I use dyed PVA mix, use calligraphy inks in varying black/brown mixes added to thinned PVA with water and a bit of washing up liquid.

To do the coal dust use a fine sieve with real ground coal, same with ash. You can mix the two together and dust over the wet sand mix.

An example of a yard in this finish can be seen here, note this is 2mm/N so the coarser bits can look a tiny bit over scale.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/39822-squeezebelly-lane-depot-n-inglenook-in-a-table-still-going/?p=683441

No idea how I missed those 100E’s!

That film was ace, good selection of vehicles! Saw an old friend in the R12, my dad loved his Renaults, he had a R4 van and a couple of Renault 12’s.

Where’s the Fiat Stradas, Talbot Sunbeams/Horizons and Vauxhall ‘Shove its” in the vehicle manufactures releases? Good to see the Mk1 Fiesta available tho. Likewise Granada and later Cortinas, both of which were common and in run down form could be seen well after the reps had finished with them.

Currently the steam era cars are short a ton of common models, little Roootes group stuff available and even Fords seem to be a bit limited, no 100E’s .

You will be asking the printer to do all the things it’s less good at, namely small individual surface detail (bricks/windows) and thin, hollow structures with apertures in (walls.) At the end you will have an inferior result compared to “traditional” methods.

As several people have now commented card is a very good medium for this type of building and base material could even be free from packaging, combine with either a printed skin or even a single sheet of brick paper and your hut could be done in an hour for under £1.

Plasticard with brick sheet overlay would also work if you want a more robust job, again materials bill will likely be less than £5.

If for any reason self assembly is impossible for you I am sure someone on here would put the scale scenes hut together for you, it’s a very quick build.

I have all the required parts in my stash, I could build the hut in your photo and post it to you (uk only) for £5.

It’s surprising how many really common vehicles from the rail blue era are not available as models!

Don’t forget a few medium to big Fords and Vauxhall’s , like Granada’s, Carltons, Cavaliers and Cortinas.

Few boy racer Mk 1&2 Escorts if you want a cameo or there’s a good garage on the layout.

Also BL products were common, like land crabs, knackered princesses etc. You can include some exotic foreigners like the Renault Fuego, VW golf gti and Scirocco and the mighty Matra Rancho if there’s even a model of that.