Why Cornish Railways

An unremarkable story of how a Lincolnshire lad became interested in the railways around Bodmin in Cornwall.

The Early Childhood Years

By the time I became interested in full-size railways, passenger trains had already stopped visiting the local village station. The only passenger services still using the line were early DMU sets, which didn’t inspire me. My main interest in the railway came from watching the steady procession of steam-hauled mineral trains and the occasional steam-hauled excursion heading to or from the coast. These trains were either spotted from an upstairs window across the fields or while standing at the village level crossing. Being of primary school age, I never took photos or recorded locomotive and rolling stock details. I knew little of Dr. Beeching’s railway cuts or British Rail’s modernisation plan. 

Unlike many, my interest in railway modelling didn’t start with train spotting or employment in engineering or the railways. Instead, I have to go back to the 1960s, when, as a small boy, I began playing with hand-me-downs from my three older brothers. These included early grey Triang track, a couple of broken locomotives, and a few wagons. 

I was also developing a passion for building plastic kits—mainly Airfix planes and WWII tanks—but I also built models of the City of Truro, Schools Class, and West Country locomotives, along with a few wagons. 

After spending many happy hours setting up the old Triang track on the living room floor and pushing the engines along, I think my parents realised my growing interest in toy trains. Triang sets were soon purchased, with relatives adding smaller items for birthdays and Christmases. A bedroom was allocated for my railway, and a redundant table tennis table became my baseboard on the floor. Many hours were spent laying different track configurations and playing with the trains. The Railway Modeller quickly replaced The Eagle as my must-read magazine, with each new issue eagerly anticipated. 

An Inspirational Article

A turning point came in 1968, when an article in a magazine changed my perception of what I might be able to achieve. 

One Saturday, while my father popped into his office in town, I dragged my mother into a model shop just around the corner. I don’t remember much about the visit, other than leaving with a copy of the July 1968 Model Railway News. It was a random purchase—perhaps chosen by my mother to keep me quiet—but inside, I discovered an article by Alex Bowie titled ‘Make Good Use of Superquicks’. I thought, I might be able to do that!

Around the same time, after much badgering of my parents, I was given permission to take over a small room at the back of my dad's garage. To my 12-year-old self, its 9'6" by 7'6" dimensions felt enormous. It had once been his office but had since declined into a junk storage room. 

I had to modify the article’s track plan slightly to fit the space. The old Triang turnouts were discarded, pocket money was spent on Peco Streamline turnouts and flexitrack. These allowed me to curve the track 180 degrees from opposite the signal box, around to the road overbridge, and beyond. 

Curving the layout also created space for a redesigned engine shed area in the resulting corner. Locomotives would now leave the main line onto a spur before reversing into the shed. The facilities were further enhanced by adding a turntable. I also included a parallel siding behind the platform for coach storage. The rest of the track plan remained largely the same as the article’s design. 

During the following years, I read about inspiring layouts such as Peter Denny’s Buckingham, Brian Fayle’s Harlyn Junction, and David Jenkinson’s Marthwaite, Garsdale Road, and Little Long Drag. My early allegiances lay firmly with the Midland Region, with a little Eastern Region influence thrown in for good measure. 

Girls and Marriage

My little layout kept me occupied for a few years—until, like many young lads, the inevitable happened. Testosterone kicked in and the opposite sex became a far more attractive distraction than playing with toy trains.

During my later teenage years, I occasionally spent a little time on the layout, but by the time I left home at 19, it was nowhere near complete. 

Adult life began with securing a job, quickly followed by getting married. We bought a house that needed extensive renovation, leaving little time for hobbies—especially after our daughter was born. 

Once house renovations were completed, I found myself at a loose end in the evenings after the little one was in bed. Watching TV didn’t quite fill the void left by all the completed DIY projects. I had continued to pick up the occasional Railway Modeller magazine, which kept a dim flicker of interest alive. Then, one day, I came across an article that inspired me to return to the hobby. 

Rediscovering the Hobby

The article was by Roy Link, titled The Art of Compromise. His track plan was an ideal fit for our small back bedroom, and because it was built in three sections, it could be stored under the bed when we had guests. 

I retrieved Peco Streamline track from my previous layout, and, as suggested in the article, I purchased and built prototype card kits. The layout was duly completed and named Edgecroft. 

During the construction of Edgecroft, I placed an advertisement in the local press and the Railway Modeller to see if there were other like-minded people in the area who might be interested in starting a Model Railway Club. To my astonishment, 12 people squeezed into our dining room to discuss the idea. And so, the Mablethorpe and District Model Railway Club was born. 

We were lucky to secure the use of an upstairs room in a local pub, and discussions began about building a club layout. One member, Nick Cook, brought along three books by R. Clark on GWR station track plans. After reviewing a few contenders, we settled on Bodmin Road as the basis for our first OO gauge club layout. 

The track plan required hand-built turnouts, and, fortunately, Nick had experience in constructing copper-clad turnouts. With a little help, I soon began building my own. The ability to construct track to any configuration opened my eyes to a more finescale and realistic approach to modelling. 

At the same time, I had already purchased a Lima 45xx and an Airfix 14xx for Edgecroft, which may have been the start of a natural transition from East to West. Choosing a Cornish station as the basis for the club layout deepened my interest in the region’s railways, particularly around Bodmin. Before long, my allegiances had fully shifted from the Midland and Eastern Regions to the Western Region. 

A Step Too Far

As I learned how to build copper-clad track, I began considering an EM gauge layout of Bodmin General. Around this time, Model Railway Constructor where publishing a series of articles by the North London Group about their P4 model of Bodmin General. 

I eagerly collected these issues, built a few EM gauge turnouts, and started making plans. Then, at a Peterborough show, I saw the North London Group’s Bodmin General in person—and it stopped me in my tracks (no pun intended). 

After reading about it and then seeing it up close, I began to doubt my own abilities. I felt I didn’t have the skills to build a model to the standards I aspired to, and, unfortunately, that feeling stopped me from progressing. I now deeply regret that hesitation. 

The 20-Year Hiatus

Life soon became busy again. Work, the birth of our second child, and another house move—this time requiring even more renovation—took up most of my time. To top it off, I decided to start an Open University course. 

Once again, time for model railways disappeared. 

This marked the beginning of a 20+ year hiatus from the hobby.