Penzance 1913 - GWR in Linear Motor T Gauge

[martink]

After considering several possibilities for the next layout, I have settled on pre-1914 Penzance. At this time the station had only 2 platforms, but still had its small loco depot with turntable and the single-track timber viaduct running along the beach.

The size will be 6' x 2' and the scale 1:480, the same as Dauntsey Lock. It will be set up for automated exhibition running, both passenger and goods. Chyandour Cliff will have working road traffic, mostly horse-drawn at this period.

The track plan shows both the real and dummy tracks, almost complete except for one crossover and two short stubs off the turntable. The main technical challenges with this design are the reversing loop (already up and running, and just as tricky with a linear motor as with normal DC), the turntable, and coupling/spacing issues with reversing trains in the station.

[St Enodoc]

Can't keep up with you Martin! Are you planning to build the entire GWR main line eventually?????

[martink]

9 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

...Are you planning to build the entire GWR main line eventually?????

John - I have thought of doing a modular system, but even in 1:480, railways are just too big and I still have to compress the track plans.  I did some preliminary experiments a while back for a 1:10000 scale model using a completely different approach (and that number isn't a typo), looking at Plymouth-to-Saltash as a baseline, but even there I was running out of space.

 

Penzance has been at the back of my mind as a project even when I was still modelling in N, so it was a prime candidate here.  Assuming this one works out, I will probably look further afield for the next one, possibly LMS or MR.  Too far in the future...

[martink]

After a break over the new year, I am back at it again.  The reversing loop is up and running, and so is the first attempt at a turntable.

 

https://youtu.be/PXay57VdjaI

[ian]

Absolutely amazing Martin.

[martink]

The trackwork for the station area is now complete, all soldered together into a single piece.  These are the live tracks, and additional dummy tracks for the rest of the loco depot and the headshunt / carriage siding next to the main line will be added as part of the scenery.  The next tasks are cutting out the plywood trackbed to support it and attaching the electrical connectors to the underside of the track.

[martink]

Another spurt of activity has moved things along a few steps...

 

The basic timberwork is complete, with only the backscene still to be added. All the track is done, including the road along Chyandour Cliff behind the station, but final installation won't occur until after the new electronics have been built so that it can have some all-up testing. The first parts of the scenic structures have been printed and assembled: the east end of the sea wall and the beachfront viaduct. The next jobs are the backscene timberwork followed by a complete revamp of the electronics, which will allow for significantly more complex layouts.

 

 

 

Edited April 19, 2021 by martink
Grammar fix

[martink]

The new electronics have been designed, and some basic tests done, but I am now waiting for the blank circuit boards to arrive so I can move further towards getting things running.  In the meantime, I have started work on the structures, beginning with the main station building.  Some deliberate distortions here, mainly widening the building and overall roof to cope with the over-wide track spacing.

 

 

[martink]

It is proving difficult to get motivated in this era of few or no exhibitions, but things are slowly progressing with Penzance.

All the electronics have now been built and tested, and their installation and layout-side wiring is under way. The road loop is working, and the next task is making and fitting 100+ cables linking the track to the circuit boards for the rail side.

While this layout is primarily intended for fully automatic exhibition running, the more powerful computer I am using for it gives me additional possibilities. There will be a simple control panel that will allow full manual operation, including shunting, as a test-bed for using this technology on a future home layout.  Also very useful for testing.

[martink]

It works!  Trains are now running, although only in manual mode or with limited record/playback automation.  This is just a rough work-in-progress video, but it should give an idea of what it is all intended to look like when finished. 

 

 

Edited August 23, 2021 by martink
typo

[martink]

It has been awhile since I have posted, but once again work on the layout has resumed.  The buildings along the Chyandour Cliff road are taking shape, one block at a time.  Most of the raw data comes from Google Earth, with additions from old maps and whatever hundred year old photos I can find in obscure corners of the web.  Plus a lot of pure guesswork.

 

[martink]

All of the non-railway buildings along Chyandour Cliff behind the station have now been 3D printed. That works out to about 625m of street frontage, with every building present and to the correct scale. There are some distortions, with the road and retaining wall curving differently to fit the available track pieces, and a few guesses to undo a century of changes, but close enough.

[Bedders]

I'm having trouble comprehending the sheer amount of building you have fitted in

[martink]

All the buildings have been constructed, both railway and other.  The platforms and foundation work for the ground, roads and dummy tracks are coming along too.  It is almost starting to look like a model railway.

 

Designing the goods shed, loco shed and coal stage was challenging, since all of these buildings are long-gone. I could only find a handful of photos taken from very limited angles, so there is a lot of educated guesswork here.

 

 

Edited February 1, 2022 by martink
Photos split text

[martink]

The layout has finally reached the pieces-coming-together stage, with the plastering, puttying and preliminary painting now done. The next steps are the pavements and platforms.

 

I still have to decide whether to add more detail to the large area of beach: hopefully just having the tide out should be enough, with a sandbar, wet and dry sand areas, and a little bit of tidal water in Chyandour Brook under the bridge. If necessary, I can always borrow an idea from St. Ruth (a very nice 2mm scale layout set in a slightly later period) and add a couple of erosion-control fences.

[drduncan]

Any updates? Looking forward to seeing this at an exhibition!

Duncan

[martink]

48 minutes ago, drduncan said:

Any updates? Looking forward to seeing this at an exhibition!

Duncan

I've been doing a host of other minor projects over the last few months, things that I have wanted to do for a few years but have put off for various reasons.  These include: 1:300 scale slot cars (with both manual and fully automated display racing), some new Aussie VR 1:480 trains (J & K class steamers, a Walker railcar and some typical goods and passenger stock), a working T Gauge level crossing kit for someone else, updates to some of the linear motor electronics, selling off most of my conventional N and T models on EBay, etc, etc.  Today, just out of idle curiosity, I started experimenting with building a 3D printed mechanically interlocked lever frame (which is looking good so far, at least for very simple designs).

 

Getting seriously back to work on Penzance is the next task, since it is tentatively booked for an exhibition in August.  I usually tend to procrastinate when doing the scenery, but time pressure is starting to increase, so...  All the buildings have been built, and the roads, pavements, etc. are done.  I have started painting the buildings and have been doing some preliminary experimental work for the backscene (which is going to be a major challenge).  Some minor electronics changes to give more flexibility (basically a full 2-controller cab control system) are also pending, and then the full set of rolling stock and road vehicles need to be built and tested.  Then the beachfront and lots and lots of detailing.  And, of course, the full-blown software to drive it all.

 

As for seeing this at an exhibition, unless you plan to visit Melbourne at just the right time, that might be a bit difficult.  On the other hand, there are usually a few good videos of that particular show each year.

[drduncan]

Ah. I shall look out for the videos!

D

[John Besley]

Any chance of reloading the missing photos?

[St Enodoc]

6 hours ago, martink said:

I've been doing a host of other minor projects over the last few months, things that I have wanted to do for a few years but have put off for various reasons.  These include: 1:300 scale slot cars (with both manual and fully automated display racing), some new Aussie VR 1:480 trains (J & K class steamers, a Walker railcar and some typical goods and passenger stock), a working T Gauge level crossing kit for someone else, updates to some of the linear motor electronics, selling off most of my conventional N and T models on EBay, etc, etc.  Today, just out of idle curiosity, I started experimenting with building a 3D printed mechanically interlocked lever frame (which is looking good so far, at least for very simple designs).

 

Getting seriously back to work on Penzance is the next task, since it is tentatively booked for an exhibition in August.  I usually tend to procrastinate when doing the scenery, but time pressure is starting to increase, so...  All the buildings have been built, and the roads, pavements, etc. are done.  I have started painting the buildings and have been doing some preliminary experimental work for the backscene (which is going to be a major challenge).  Some minor electronics changes to give more flexibility (basically a full 2-controller cab control system) are also pending, and then the full set of rolling stock and road vehicles need to be built and tested.  Then the beachfront and lots and lots of detailing.  And, of course, the full-blown software to drive it all.

 

As for seeing this at an exhibition, unless you plan to visit Melbourne at just the right time, that might be a bit difficult.  On the other hand, there are usually a few good videos of that particular show each year.

That might be a good reason to come to Caulfield again this year!

 

By the way, I'll be in touch soon to discuss the proposed miniature railway for my Mid-Cornwall Lines layout.

[martink]

11 hours ago, John Besley said:

Any chance of reloading the missing photos?

I did a purge of older pics on my PC a while ago, so many of the lost ones from earlier in this thread no longer exist.  The scenery has progressed, and the next batch of pics should begin to resemble the final intent, so I think I will wait till then.  That should only be a week or two from now, and I'll make sure that the whole layout is covered.

[martink]

11 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

That might be a good reason to come to Caulfield again this year!

 

By the way, I'll be in touch soon to discuss the proposed miniature railway for my Mid-Cornwall Lines layout.

I considered taking Monbulk Creek and Dauntsey Lock to Sydney this year, but was unable to get in touch with the Epping crew (gmail and hotmail addresses both get bounced).   I ended up booking Monbulk into the Australian Narrow Gauge Convention down here in Melbourne instead, but I expect to show both Penzance and Dauntsey at Caulfield.  Whether that is worth the trip is another matter!  :-)

 

Whenever suits you for the miniature railway, but as of 2022 more options have opened up.  While I am not in a position to do anything commercially, I am now free to make the odd private sale.

[St Enodoc]

46 minutes ago, martink said:

I considered taking Monbulk Creek and Dauntsey Lock to Sydney this year, but was unable to get in touch with the Epping crew (gmail and hotmail addresses both get bounced).   I ended up booking Monbulk into the Australian Narrow Gauge Convention down here in Melbourne instead, but I expect to show both Penzance and Dauntsey at Caulfield.  Whether that is worth the trip is another matter!  :-)

 

Whenever suits you for the miniature railway, but as of 2022 more options have opened up.  While I am not in a position to do anything commercially, I am now free to make the odd private sale.

Thanks Martin. I'll follow up by email to save clogging this thread.

[martink]

After a long break and the half-year detour to Malmsbury, I am finally back on to this one.  That means starting up again by taking stock of where I had got to before, which was a preliminary rough coat of paint on some of the buildings.  So, the next steps will be to complete them and tackle the backscene.  Those two were the main causes of the pause, and one of the goals of Malmsbury was to try out some new techniques to break the logjam.

 

 

[martink]

The buildings are all done, except for some minor cleanups and detail work that will come later (fences, gardens, etc).  As usual with this tiny scale, the closeup photos are extremely cruel, but at a normal viewing distance they look good enough to do the job.  So, onward to the backscene!