Could I use some Posphor Bronze Rail

 

A couple of days ago I tweaked my back which hampered progress on baseboard construction. To keep a modicum of momentum going on this project I looked around for some light duties.

I’d been kindly given some used Phosphor Bronze track, unfortunately as it’s mainly in short lengths I’ll not be able to use it for standard 60ft sections of track. It would be a shame to discard them so I started to mull over how to justify their use. I vaguely remembered reading something about the GWR using shorter sections of track prior to standardising on 60ft sections. Then found, in Stephen Williams’s book Great Western Branch Line Modelling - Part One, that after 1929 the GWR started to use 60ft rail sections on the main lines replacing the previous shorter 44ft 6in sections.  After a little further research on the internet I discovered a good article by Stuart Hince on the Templot site http://templot.com/martweb/pdf_files/gwr_track_panels.pdf which confirmed this and also describing how to create these 44ft 6in sections in Templot.

So how could I justify 44ft 6in sections of track on my model? My thinking is, in my fictitious twist on history, when this area was being redeveloped in the 1930s any reclaimed 44ft 6in rail was reused by the thrifty GWR in the construction of the sidings. After all, these sidings might not have seen much traffic so would be on the rusty side which phosphor Bronze track can depict. The thought then was, do I have enough rail? This prompted me to open Templot and use Stuart Hince’s article to redraw the three sidings at the front of the layout with 44ft 6in sections and 18 sleepers in each.

The track bases were of thin plastic with 3 bolt chairs and not in the best of condition. Also as my preference is to use 1.5mm thick plywood sleepers I stripped all the rails off the bases. The rails were then laid on the revised plan of the sidings matching each 44ft 6in section.

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It looks like there are enough, especially as I found another short section of track when emptying the turntable storage box. Next task will be to clean all the rails as they have been heavily weathered.

Excellent, this might not be prototypical for 1959 but it might have been possible…

Baseboard construction - Part 1

 

I made a tentative start on building the baseboards yesterday. My first task was to mark the different track levels on each cross piece. All changes of track levels do seem subtle at this stage. I’m hoping that subtle changes should help to project a believable scene.

 

At the above stage I realised that the very end cross piece (furthest away in the above photo) was going under the turntable. How did I miss that on my plan? I’ve been lucky enough to acquire a GWR turntable from Alan Smith after he’d decided to dismantle and break up his Little Stoke layout.

I carefully brought all pieces out of storage and couldn’t resist installing the turntable deck to check it over. I’m looking forward to seeing this in operation. 

 

Little Stoke’s baseboard is 9mm and the turntable is mounted on a 15mm thick ply underneath to allow for the turntable pit. It’s a solid piece of modelling and therefore a little on the heavy side. Unfortunately, after mulling the options over, I think modifying it would destroy what is a good working turntable. With that in mind I decided to accept its solid construction and move on to how I’m going to install it into the baseboard.

I was not surprised that the former track positions on the turntable board don’t match my plan; it would have been a slim chance if it had. That will be one modification that I’ll be able to match without causing any irreparable damage. So by ignoring the current approach tracks on the turntable board means I can align the turntable base square to my baseboard. In doing so means it would also miss the proposed inspection pit on the right (marked by the ply strip). My intention is to use 6mm plywood for the baseboard top with 3mm cork underlay which should match the 9mm of Little Stoke’s baseboard.

All seems good at this point…

Timber has arrived

Yesterday the Plywood for the sleepers arrived all 4000 of them for plain track, plus strips for turnouts. My God, this now looks a daunting task to lay all those sleepers!

Then today I got a knock on the door and found the arrival of the baseboard timber.

As traveling to the nearest decent Timber Merchant would probably be against the current Covid rules I settled on ordering the plywood online. Initially I thought about using a supplier of laser cut base boards. I then decided against this due to the track plan having some subtle differences in levels. Finally found a supplier that would cut birch ply to any size I required. Below are the pieces of my baseboard jigsaw puzzle.

My aim is to cut each piece for the ends, width and sides to the correct profile, then the longitudinal pieces will fit at one depth to brace the framework. The tops can then be cut to match the profiles and track bed with all the rises and falls. Baseboard construction will not start for a few days just to give the plywood chance to adjust to our house conditions.

Well that’s my plan we’ll have to see if my carpentry skills are up to the task.

Locomotive Allocation

While I'm waiting for timber to arrive for baseboards and track I'm having another purge on stuff that I've accumulated over the years. As it would be daft to move on stuff that I'll need, it has made me consider the stock requirements for Rospeath Lane.

The year I'm aiming to represent is 1959 (as the shed would still have had a good quantity of steam locomotives but the first Diesel Hydraulics and Class 08 shunters would be seen). As well as being the end of the summer months for scenic interest, August seems to be the start of the decline of steam in Cornwall. In August 1959 Long Rock (Penzance) had 33 Steam locomotives and 1 Diesel Shunter allocated. The allocation was 12 x Granges, 4 x Counties, 4 x Halls, 2 x Castles, 4 x 45xx, 2 x 4575, 2 x 94xx, 1 x Modified Hall, 1 x 51xx, 1 x 57xx, & 1 x Class 08. To build all these locomotives in P4 is a daunting thought as I'd also require a quantity of visiting locomotives from other Cornish sheds and from further afield.

In looking over the track plan I was able to squeeze into the reduced size of my 'Man Cave' the layout will not be able to stable 34 locomotive let alone any visiting Locomotives from Laira or further afield. At a push I think it would accommodate around 25 to 27 locomotives depending on the split between Tender and Tank engines. With this in mind I created a sliding scale in the hope this would allow me to proportionally reduce the locomotives but still represent the type of allocation this shed would have stabled.

In some ways the anomaly I have with the model being too small for the location works to my advantage. I feel that working towards building 17 locomotives plus approximately 5 more for working the fictitious lines west of Penzance is an achievable objective.

Track Plan v15

Another updated plan, I’ve now reached v15

Too much pondering and not enough physical modelling you may think. “The Devil is in the detail” and I may be overthinking some aspects of this plan. In the end I hope I will have thought of most of the gremlins that might creep into this project.

In looking at the previous plan, I started to contemplate the proposed signal box diagram and the comments made. This brought me around to asking what happens beyond the bridge (scenic break) on the left. The realisation then struck me that the large expanse of the bridges across the 6 tracks exiting stage left would not provide a very good scenic break. Even with well placed trees the exit would still be difficult to disguise.

After a couple of more drawings the below plans should help to resolve both of my above thoughts.

Plan 1

Plan 1 is the starting point and one that I’ll be using at home. As space is at a premium in the ‘Man Cave’ my intention is to use cassettes in the fiddle yard area while at home. The spot heights have been included to give me an idea of inclines which will create the different track levels. The Engine Shed entrance is a concern but as long as I keep it all in the same plane (with no twist in the track) all should be OK. Another question raised by a reader has been where is the coal stack? It seems coal stacks were not photographed very often especially in the Cornwall area. I do have a recollection of seeing a photo of a coal stack built over tracks somewhere but currently cannot find it. So I’ve suggested this might have been the case in this restricted Engine Shed layout. The Warehouse at the back is still up for debate. The building is intended to help hide the exit of Rospeath Lane at the back of the layout, and my intention is to base the building on the Penzance Workhouse, just have to see if this works out.

 

Plan 2

Initially this plan was drawn with the purpose of designing the signal box diagram with all track work beyond the bridges being fictitious. I then realised the plan could future proof this project. What if I should ever get the opportunity to run full length trains along the main line? If so I’d need larger fiddle yards at each end. Plan 2 would allow all three tracks access to a traverser on the left. At stage right a few trees should help to hide the mouse hole through the back-screen but Stage left the expanse of bridges makes hiding the exit impossible. I then remembered seeing Paul Marshall-Potter’s Albion Yard layout at a Newark show. He cleverly extended a row of cottages into the fiddle yard area which negated the use of a hole in the wall type scenic break. Borrowing his idea should help me disguise the exit beyond the bridges on the left

The photo above has been taken from a reasonable distance (about 1 foot) from the baseboard edge opposite the Running Shed. The PVA Tub is supporting a piece of foam board where the scenic break will be, with the back scene running in front of the pin board behind the cottage mock-ups. As trees in this area of Cornwall can be on the stunted side I’ve brought the warehouse back onto the layout. The warehouse may be a little far-fetched for this location but I don’t think trees would do the trick here.

For now I’ll be working towards Plan 1 keeping in mind the creation of a jigsaw piece for the interchangeable area with Plan 2. When viewed from the front at an exhibition this area would be hidden behind a movable/hinged display/information screen.

One of my main concerns about this project has been the depth of the baseboards especially the right hand one being 3’ 6” deep. Creating the full size mock-up has convinced me that I’ll be able to cope. After all while building the layout I’ll be able to turn the boards around. Once built, I’ll have to stand on a tool box to reach but it seems it will be manageable.

Track plan to fit location

Unfortunately I’d designed the track plan before looking for a location and though the location I've settled on (see the Bask Story Page) fits my thoughts on lie of the land, it’s not a true representation of how the track might have been laid out. So I went back to the drawing board and now think I’ve come up with a new track plan.

For me this one feels right. I think the addition of the main line gives the layout a location and purpose. In achieving the above I’ve unfortunately had to increase the total scenic baseboard size to 9’ 6” long by 3’6” wide at its widest. I know this will create issues if it is ever invited to an exhibition. This was something I struggled with during planning as I couldn’t create a plan I was happy with that would be easy to transport. Why should I compromise on what I what to achieve for events that will be a long time in the future and may never happen. For the moment I’ve also dropped the idea of a Diesel Maintenance shed, although the line between the Running Shed and mainline is still there.  It may depend on Class 22 allocation for the Sennen and St. Just routes.

It’s not a true representation of the location but it has enabled me to position the model in an area where I can put some meaning to its existence. Also I think I live far enough away to duck the wrath of Kernow folk. The river is to represent the Red River that runs through this area. Overall the location seems to fit with my initial idea of how I want to present the model, with land sloping up away from a river and scrub land. The Red River looks to be more like a large stream rather than the size I was initially intending but will still give the visual effect I’m after.  Unfortunately I’ve had to curve the main line to achieve the layout but think visually this adds to the scene.  Access and departure from the shed will be via a complex bit of track work which I admit may be not prototypical. My excuse is I wanted to use some of the main line to give added interest in operation, otherwise the main line would be superfluous. In the space I have available the track work is the best solution I can come up with (note this is v11). My initial Signal Box diagram below should help explain track formation. I still need to get this ratified by someone more knowledgeable.

 

The rest of the points within the engine shed area would have been operated by shed staff using levers next to the points. This will entail two lever frames on the model, one for the signal box and one for the shed area. Interlocking the signal box lever frame would be something I’d also like to do but it is probably for the future.

 

Using the above gradient diagram and an OS map I’ve calculated that at this location the main line gradient is 1:103 (from left to right on my track plan). On the model this will result in a rise of 28 mm on the main line from left to right. The entrance to the Engine shed will be at approximately 7mm up from the left and, apart from the coal wagon sidings, will be level throughout the shed area. This will make the Running Shed below the level of the mainline by about 21mm on the right. The coal wagon siding will be higher than the rest of the shed area but I’ll decide on how much as the build/planning progresses. My aim to have subtle and believable changes in track levels that reflect the slopes of the surrounding land.

Unfortunately since the reduction in size of my ‘Man Cave’ I will only, if I leave the door open, have room for a full length fiddle yard on the left. On the right the mainline runs into a wall so running trains along the mainline will not be possible…but who knows what the future may hold? The overall idea is the three sidings at the front will give me an excuse to either display wagons or coaches, or enable some shunting entertainment. The mainline will be used for locos arriving and departing under the control of the signal box. All engine movements (arrivals/departures) will be scheduled via the creation of a timetable. for trains arriving and departing from Penzance and thous that might have run on the fictitious lines to St. Just, Newlyn and Sennen.

A major flaw in the new plan is what happens to locomotives leaving in the up direction (exit stage right) to Hayle or Gwinear Road for shunting duties? As I’ve no room for a fiddle yard at that end I’ll either have to lift the loco off the track or move the whole layout to the left about 18” to create a small fiddle yard. Trouble in doing the latter is the layout will block the room’s entrance. Hmm… Should I curve the mainline through 90 degrees to enable a fiddle yard? Further thoughts to be mulled over I feel…  Will there be a v12?

The extra bit that I’m hoping to do is create some sort of operational feature that will replicate the day-to-day problems faced by shed staff, something that will put me (or any other operator) in a Shed Master and Running Foreman’s shoes. This may take the form of a card system that will dictate what happens to a loco when it arrives on shed or being prepared for its days’ work. I’m still gathering information on this so it's an idea that, I hope, will develop during the course of this project.

Next ‘mind-bender’ is a timetable for this project. I'll be cobbling the timetable together from a Penzance June to September 1957 Passenger Timetable and a Sept 1957 to June 1958 Freight Timetable. To this I'll add the fictious works of the St. Just, Newlyn and Sennen lines. This will give me a locomotive allocation and something to work with for Shed management.

Progress will undoubtedly be slow on this project but I’ll post updates as and when I have something to report.