The new "Man Cave" is an extended Dunster log cabin and in part of its construction there are two walls that protrude into the internal space of the room.
Initially I was thinking about turning Rospeath Lane into a "roundy roundy" but these two walls hindered this to some degree. Many plans were drawn but I began to realise that it would become a very ambitious layout. One that may require more time than I have left to bring to a reasonable state of completion. Also I started to have thoughts about how I was going to continue with exhibiting a layout along with improving and learning more about the hobby. That the main reason why Boscarne Junction has been born.
So could I have designed it any better?
I've tried a few different ways of fitting the plan into the space but didn't want to compromise too much on the track plan. My main though was to keep the integrity of the track layout with the only compromise being taken on the siding length. The result being the track plan below.
After posting my thoughts and ideas on a couple of forums I received a good few replies with excellent suggestions. The major problem I had with the track plan above was transferring cassettes between Bodmin North/Wenford and the Bodmin General cassette boards. One suggestion was to curve the Bodmin North line so that the Bodmin North/Wenford and Bodmin General cassette boards could be combined.
I was not sure about curving the Bodmin North line as I felt it would deviate too much from the original and therefore loose some of the genuine feel of the junction. Even so, I played around a little and finished up with the plan below.
- It will allow me to include the Southern Railway bridge over the River Camel.
- With enough trees this compromise of curving the Bodmin North line could be masked quite well.
- The trees will also be a natural break between the bridge and junction to give a tantalising glimpse of trains running over the bridge to/from Boscarne to Bodmin North/Wenford before they appear at the junction or disappear into the cassette board.
- By extending the Bodmin North line will allow any shunting of Siding 2 from this end to be contained within the scenic section of the layout.
As this curve brings the two lines closer together I need to work out the land contours leading up to the Southern Railway Bridge. Also the new baseboard is going to complicate storage and transportation.
One of the many decisions I need to make is whether to include a track around the back of the layout. This would be used to exchange clay wagons between the Wadebridge and Bodmin cassette boards rather than carry a cassette the length of the layout. I need to discover how regular clay traffic travelled via Wadebridge and along the North Cornwall Line. Then decide if this is a movement I'd include in the timetable.
