Test build of first Trestle

To fit Rospeath Lane into my current car I've calculated the trestles need to be less than 3" (75mm) thick when folded flat. On paper it looked achievable, but before this project progresses too far, I thought it wise to test the theory.

Jake the peg trestle

Using a three leg design allows the single leg to be interleaved within the two main legs. It needs a chain or rope attached to stop the legs splaying out. I'm also considering whether the trestles need some levelling devices adding to the legs.

So far so good

Steel or Nickel Silver rail?

This project has stalled a little since my last post, mainly due to time sent posting items on eBay in order to raise much needed funds. There was also the hosting of March's Scalefour Cumbrian Area Group meeting. During the meeting, I received some very helpful ideas about problems I was foreseeing with Rospeath Lane. 

The main decision I was facing was what rail to use. This dilemma had been created after getting Tredethy Wharf out of storage. Much of the steel rail had deposits of rust. At our previous house, the layout had been within the house in a central heating room. Since our move to Cumbria, my hobby room is now a Log Cabin in the garden. During the reorganisation, the log cabin (after it was used for furniture storage) I noticed that some items felt a little damp. Finding rust on the rail should not have been a surprise but is a big concern for Tredethy Wharf's future. I'd been planning on using steel rail for Rospeath Lane especially as I've a good amount of steel rail in stock. On checking this stock of rail some had also gained patches of rust while being storage. This was not good I thought...

So what to do? Would running a dehumidifier in the cabin stop the rust, or should I use Nickel Silver rail instead? During the meeting it was mentioned that high-Ni Nickel Silver rail has an appearance more like steel than standard Nickel silver. I was not aware of high-Ni Nickel Silver rail before but it does sound to be the solution, so an order has been placed. In the meantime, I do have some standard Nickel Silver rail in stock which I might use for the coal sidings at the back of the layout. I'll make that decision when the high-Ni Nickel Silver rail arrives.

Pushing it to the limits!

My intended period for the model will eventually be March to July 1959.This will allow the majority of locomotives seen on shed to be steam but also allow me to run a few of the early Diesel shunters and Hydraulics.

This got me thinking about how the diesels would have been refuelled. Penzance didn't receive its first allocation of diesels until Sept 1958 when three Class 08s were allocated. Two of the three were reallocated in November the same year, leaving one (D3514) which remained at Penzance until June 1968. The first Laira based Hydraulics started to appear at Penzance in 1958.  My understanding is that D600 and D800 Warships carried a fuel capacity of 800 gallons. If this is correct they would not have needed refuelling at Penzance for the return working.  The Class 08 would still need to be refuelled. This would seem to indicate that Penzance’s diesel facilities may have been very basic in 1959. All photographs I’ve seen for the 1959 period do not show any diesel refuelling points. So have to assume that refuelling was very rudimentary, either direct from 50 gallon barrels or direct from rail or road born tanks.

Further information I've gathered from Diesel Depots, The Early Years by Irwell Press indicates that shed staff initially treated the first allocations of diesel locomotives with a modicum of disdain. The Class 08s being stored on sidings away from the main running shed roads.  In taking a look at my track plan, I realised that there was no such siding to accommodate locos away from the main running shed roads. I wanted to include some sort of diesel refuelling so added a very short siding at the front. Between this siding and the running shed there will be room for some barrels diesel fuel.

Track plan v.4 (including siding for Class 08 storage)

In adding this siding along with some slight overall modifications I’ve managed to increase the scenic area to within the last square inch of the 2711.52sq ins.

Scenic area 2710.5 sq. inches

Baseboard tops have been purchase and cut to the new dimensions. Next task is to decide on how much of the plywood from version one of Rospeath Lane can be used in the baseboard construction.

I believe slow projects is better than none…

Fitting it all in the car

 At the outset the main concern of mine was fitting Rospeath Lane v.2 in my car. Rule 1d of the Scalefour Jubilee Challenge stipulates "The layout has to be portable and capable of being transported by a single car or similar size vehicle and exhibited by two people". I'm surprised it doen't state that both operators have to be transported in the same car as the layout. As a cost saving exercise for exhibition managers I feel it would be prudent for both operators to travel with the layout.

The problem I face is Tredethy Wharf fills my car including the passenger seat. I've been relying on help at exhibitions from friends having their own transport. Also Rospeath Lane's footprint is larger than Tredethy Wharf which means there is more to fit in the car. This is why I've been worried about how I might achieve my objectives.

Since committing to the Scalefour Jubilee Challenge I've almost exhausted the grey cells in working out how to fit Rospeath Lane into the car. I have taken many measurements of the boot space along with all other nooks and crannies that could be used in the car. Much thought was then given to how to reduce the important clutter around the scenic section of the layout. In this I mean the support structure, lighting frame, control panel, cassette boards with blanking/information panels and tool box along with the all important operators stool for thous quiet moments.

The diagrams below hope to show how I visualise it all fitting in the car including a couple of small overnight bags for multiple day shows. Hope you can make sense of the drawings...

One way I'll be saving space is to use the storage box tops for the lighting frame. This, along with the back screen, will help to create an enclosed space to minimise external light flooding the layout. I'm also planning to include the control panel within Baseboard 2.  The current support structure for Tredethy Wharf has improved the stability at the expense of taking up more spave in the car. My concern has been how to create a rigid support structure while reducing it's mass. I may have a solution in two trestles supporting and U girders, the proof being when its constructed.

To keep costs down I'll taking a leap of faith by adapting Tredethy Wharfs current legs for the trestles. So the hope is they will be a simplier solution for supporting Tredethy Wharf.

Goodbye Rospeath Lane version 1

I’ve eventually been able to get my new hobby room organised. I have eventually organised my new hobby room, transforming it from a storage room, filled with furniture and boxes, to a space where I can begin building a layout. First task was to take a proper look at the original Rospeath Lane baseboards. The damage was not as bad as I originally thought… Hmm…it would have been an excellent layout with potential for expansion in the future. Despite building it in two baseboards, it would be very large and difficult to transport to exhibitions. The two baseboards were more for movability during construction and also in case a house move. Even though it has moved house, with now what seems to be minor damage, I’m sticking with my decision to replace it with a more manageable size layout.

Last view of version one before being dismantled

Today has been the day I embarked on dismantling v1 baseboards. The intention is to repurpose as much of the plywood as possible for version 2. The baseboards had been designed to accommodate tortoise motors so had a frame a depth of 110mm. Version 2 will not require a frame with the same depth as I’m proposing to use Makeit Miniature’s turnout actuator. This will mean I can tidy up the cross members to a uniform size.

It's now just a pile of plywood 

None of the baseboard tops seem suitable for the new layout. This gives me a choice deciding to go with 6mm plywood as the baseboards tops or going with 5mm FoamX Board.

Before I dismantled the baseboards, I did salvage all the sleepers and rail. 

With the plywood tidied away in a corner of the room for sorting later, I made a start on cleaning up all recovered wooden sleepers.

First update of the New year

The Christmas period should be a good period to find a time for either painting a few war-gaming figures or work on some railway items. However, this year, I found it difficult to put a side time for either hobbies. Instead, I’ve been gradually trying to organise the new ‘Man Cave’ so that I’ll have room to start on Rospeath Lane. Also, as I seem to have decided on two projects that will keep me going for the foreseeable future, I’ve been sorting out model railway stock that will not be required. These are gradually being put on eBay along with war-gaming models. The proceeds from these sales will go towards the construction of Rospeath Lane and Boscarne Junction.

Since then I found time to print out a full size track plan from Templot. The purpose of this was to get a better impression of size and perspective of the layout. Then, while the wife was away for a day, I laid the track plan out on the living room floor.

Having  the trackplan full size made me realise how much track I have to build. To save some work, I might sideline the Repair Shop until after 2026 and just have a hoist over a pit instead. If I still run out of time, I might skip the construction of the office/engine men's mess building as well.