Lydbrook Dean

[wiggoforgold]

With Yelverton almost finished, and Diddington being a long term project, I’ve started work on a new layout. Set in the Forest of Dean circa 1962, it will be called “Lydbrook Dean”. It will be set on the former Severn and Wye line, and Ben Ashworth’s book “BR Steam in Dean” has given much inspiration, as has a short stay in the forest.

The layout will be 00 gauge, Peco Bullhead track with copper clad points. It will be DC, with the points controlled by Cobalt motors. Motive power will be various types of pannier, mainly Bachmann. Freight stock will be from various sources. I’m going to try Sprat and Winkle couplings instead of my usual DG, as I am finding the DG couplings too sensitive for exhibition use.

I’ve learned a lot from exhibiting Upwell Drove and Yelverton, and the lessons will be incorporated in the new layout. The overall size will be 8’ by 2’, and the folded layout will fit on the back seat of the car. The height of the folded layout will give unobstructed visibility through the rear window of the car. As part of the planning process I have made up a test piece to the overall size of the folded layout, and loaded it on the back seat of the care to make sure everything fitted.

I’ve sketched out a track plan. I decided to use the copper clad points because I had several in stock that I had made a number of years ago, including a 3 way which I particularly needed. There is a slight differential height between these and the Peco plain track, which will be addressed by packing under the underlay beneath the points.

The baseboard frames will be PSE , with tops from ply, the whole glued and screwed together, so that the PSE frame forms and “L” with the base board top. Where the boards fold, there will be a permanent hinge block at the rear of the layout, and a removable on (a la “Upwell Drove”) at the front. I’m hoping to be able to make a start on the frames later this week.

Alex

 

Edited January 7 by wiggoforgold

[Graham T]

Looking forward to seeing this one take shape Alex!

[F-UnitMad]

51 minutes ago, Graham T said:

Looking forward to seeing this one take shape Alex!

Agreed!! I saw the layout name title and thought "that can only be set in one place!" 

As a great fan of the railways of the Forest of Dean, and Ben Ashworth's work myself, I will look forward to seeing this develop. 👍👍

[wiggoforgold]

One of the design parameters for Lydbrook Dean was that it should fit on the back seat of the car, without obscuring the view through the rear window. The basic frames are now complete, and have been test fitted in the car to make sure everything fits.  I have managed to preserve sufficient leg room for the front passenger.

Edited August 21, 2022 by wiggoforgold

[wiggoforgold]

With the baseboard tops in place, I’ve been experimenting with the track layout. I’ve decided to use peco turnouts apart from the  3 way. Playing with the track layout like this has enable me to make sure there are no cross braces where I will want to fit point motors later.

[wiggoforgold]

Baseboard construction for Lydbrook Dean is underway. The board fold out to 8’long and when folded fits on the back seat of the car. I’ve test fitted to make sure there is room. I had hoped to get the boards finished over the bank holiday, but profess has been slowed because the saw in B&Q in Plymouth is currently broken, and I need some more ply strips.

 

I’ve started work on stock building. Here is a 16xx (Model Rail/Rapido) and some mineral wagons, posed on Yelverton.

Alex

[NHY 581]

Standing by.........

 

 

[mullie]

Just found this, yet another follower. As you know I use Spratt and Winkle couplings (for over twenty years), currently using a variation on the 3mm mk 1 coupling. Once set up they are reliable and relatively easy to adjust. I find them easier to use than Kadees!

 

Martyn

[wiggoforgold]

17 minutes ago, mullie said:

Just found this, yet another follower. As you know I use Spratt and Winkle couplings (for over twenty years), currently using a variation on the 3mm mk 1 coupling. Once set up they are reliable and relatively easy to adjust. I find them easier to use than Kadees!

 

Martyn

Initial experiments with Sprat and Winkle couplings have been encouraging, and they are easier to fit to locos, which just have the loops.

[wiggoforgold]

The line enters Lydbrook Dean through a tunnel, which on the model hides the entrance to the sector plate. I just wanted a simple stone tunnel  entrance, rather like the south entrance of Bradley Hill south of Soudley. I searched online for suitable stonebuilt tunnel mouths, but surprisingly couldn’t find anything suitable. All were too ornate. I eventually found the Hornby “Skaledale” tunnel entrance which I thought might suit, but having repainted it and started on weathering it, I decided that the stonework was too regular for my purposes, so it seemed my only option was to scratch build one.

I started with a  piece of artists’ mounting board and stuck a Scalescenes tunnel entrance template to it which I down loaded from the Internet. The template was then cut out and the stones forming the arch ring were made from individual pieces of 40 thou plastikard glued round the arch.  Das airdrying clay was then spread over the card and allowed to dry (which took about 3 days because the moisture in the Das soaked into the mounting board).  It was kept flat while drying by sandwiching it between two plates of glass.  When dry the Das was scribed with a stonework pattern.  The next stage will be painting.

Edited September 10, 2022 by wiggoforgold

[wiggoforgold]

Tunnel mouth construction now complete. I made the raised part by adding a strip of card to the front before applying the Das. The layer of Das was spread up to the level of the card strip. When this was dry and carved, I applied a “sausage” of Das to the card strip, which was squared off and scribed for stone work when dry.

The cap strip at the top of the parapet is from the Wills building details kit.

Next stage, painting.

[DLT]

Looking good Mr.Wiggo

[Captain Kernow]

What a lovely next layout project, Alex.

 

[wiggoforgold]

19 hours ago, Captain Kernow said:

What a lovely next layout project, Alex.

 

Hi Tim. My messenger seems to be playing up. I've sent you a pm.

Alex

[KeithHC]

Looking forward to this progressing especially as I live just over the river from the forest.

 

Keith

[wiggoforgold]

I’ve stated painting the tunnel mouth. First it was sprayed with Matt black primer, which was then lightly over sprayed with Mig Faded Sinai grey, leaving the black showing through the courses between the stones. I decided the stonework should have a pinker tinge to it in keeping with the local stone, so it was drybrushed with various mixes of Mig “rotbraun”, earth and “new” wood. It was then given washes of Matt black, a grey/ earth mix and rotbraun, before being Matt varnished. The next stage will be the application of weathering powders.

Alex

[46444]

Just caught up with this Alex.

 

A cracking start and the scene is set!

 

That Model Rail/Rapido 16xx is weathered nicely. It looks like you attended to the troublesome bunker seam as well.

 

Will there be any Bradley (Berry) Wiggins representation on Lydbrook Dean?

 

If you are after some more Forest reading material Ben Ashworth's 'BR Steam in Dean' is well worth a read as is Neil Parkhouse's 'Forest of Dean Lines and the Severn Bridge. Plenty of Forest inspiration.

 

If your after a BR Class 14 Heljan are about to release a Forest themed set with four Dogfish ballast hoppers.

 

https://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/p/72015/1420-Heljan-Class-14-Train-Pack-BR-green-D9505-4-Dogfish.

 

Look forwards to further updates.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark 

[wiggoforgold]

Thanks Mark. Train pack is interesting. Class 14 is a bit modern for what I have in mind. If it was a 57xx though.....

Not sure about Berry Wiggins. They seem to be rather more on the Forest of Dean branch, rather than the Severn and Wye, which is where Lydbrook Dean is set. I do like them though, so I'm looking for an excuse.

Hopefully an update or two over the weekend.

Alex

[wiggoforgold]

I’ve made a start on the buildings. I like me to get at least the basic shape of the buildings done at an early stage as it helps me see how it will all fit together.

The first is a disused lamp hut on the old station platform. I used the GWR lamp hut 3d printed model from Dartmoor Model Services. 
It was given a coat of grey primer. The roof and door were sprayed with Mig “Old rust”. When dry, the roof was given a couple of coats of Mig “chipping effects” followed by a coat of Mig “Matt black”. As soon of this was dry it was hydrated with plain water which made patches come away, leaving the effect of rust coming through the paint. The roof was then lightly drybrushed with Mig “Jet exhaust burnt metal” and allied to dry. I then switched to enamels and gave it a Mig “light rust” wash followed by some Mig streaking rust effects applied with a small brush. The sides were given a couple of coats of Humbrol Matt cream. The window frame was picked out in white and the door in old rust. Weathering was a light rust wash followed by streaking rust effects and dark earth weathering powder.

Alex

 

[Captain Kernow]

The lamp hut scrubs up very well, Alex.

 

If you need an excuse for Berry Wiggins, you could always argue that there was a major landslip or some such on the FoD branch, necessitating the diversion of the tanks over the S&W and the de-mothballing of the Lydbrook Jct to Cinderford section (which had, obviously, never been lifted).

 

Edited October 1, 2022 by Captain Kernow

[46444]

38 minutes ago, wiggoforgold said:

I’ve made a start on the buildings. I like me to get at least the basic shape of the buildings done at an early stage as it helps me see how it will all fit together.

The first is a disused lamp hut on the old station platform. I used the GWR lamp hut 3d printed model from Dartmoor Model Services. 
It was given a coat of grey primer. The roof and door were sprayed with Mig “Old rust”. When dry, the roof was given a couple of coats of Mig “chipping effects” followed by a coat of Mig “Matt black”. As soon of this was dry it was hydrated with plain water which made patches come away, leaving the effect of rust coming through the paint. The roof was then lightly drybrushed with Mig “Jet exhaust burnt metal” and allied to dry. I then switched to enamels and gave it a Mig “light rust” wash followed by some Mig streaking rust effects applied with a small brush. The sides were given a couple of coats of Humbrol Matt cream. The window frame was picked out in white and the door in old rust. Weathering was a light rust wash followed by streaking rust effects and dark earth weathering powder.

Alex

 

 

Lovely work Alex.

 

The time taken with the weathering has brought out the detail nicely in the print.

 

As it happens I am awaiting the arrival of my order from Dartmoor Model Services with one of these huts. Matt and Nick have turned things around quickly.

 

Think CK's case for the Berry Wiggins tankers sounds very plausible.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark 

 

 

[wiggoforgold]

A pannier tank shunts what will be the quarry sidings at Lydbrook Dean The rock face is built up from pieces of foam, covered with plaster of Paris. Once dry, the plaster is carved to give it a more rock light ke appearance. I’ve given it a very thin wash of Matt black, to better identify areas that require further attention.

Alex

[F-UnitMad]

Oh, YES!!! The details on that Pannier tick the the boxes for me!! 

 

Spare lamp on footplate. 

Water hose hanging over cab side.

Fireman having a breather, and not looking where the engine is going.

Obligatory bucket hung on fire iron hook.

 

Oh, yes.... 👍👍👍👍

[wiggoforgold]

A bit of tweaking to the track layout. I’ve added a headshunt to the goods shed siding, changed the crossover from facing to trailing, and moved the position of the 3 way point.

Edited October 9, 2022 by wiggoforgold

[NHY 581]

Morning Alex. 

 

That looks to offer much in the way of operational interest. 

 

Standing by. 

 

Rob