New thoughts

While working on the wiring for Rospeath Lane I've been reflecting on what to do about Boscarne Junction. It has been a longstanding desire to construct a model of this junction, hence, all the information I've gathered over the years.

My thoughts started when I made the decision to scrap the idea of developing Heath End, and reorganise the Man Cave. In the reorganising I've created space for Rospeath Lane, Fiddlers Wharf, with the scenic boards of Trethedy Wharf, on display. So I started to wonder if there will be room for Boscarne Junction in the Man Cave?

The last plan for Boscarne Junction appeared at SolRail 2023. Though I really liked the scenic potential of this plan, the baseboard would be even more cumbersome than Rospeath Lane's. Especially in transporting to a show.

I'm approaching my 70th decade and I believe van hire will become more difficult. This would probably lead to the previous tack plan becoming a static model. Then because of some baseboards being difficult to manhandle along with the space it would take up in the Railway Room, it would be extremely difficult to erect Rospeath Lane prior to any show invites.

My previous plan for Boscarne Junction

So:

• Could it be designed to be an exhibition layout?
• What would the minimum number of operators required at an exhibition?
• Would it be possible to fit the layout in a car?
• Working to these constrains could I still create a reasonable representation of the junction?
• Could the baseboards be more manageable?
• Could a better design create more space to erect Rospeath Lane prior to a show without dismantling all or part of Boscarne Junction?. 
• Should I consider that eternal itch to build a late 1930s GWR banch line terminus rather then build Boscarne Junction?

While mulling over the above thoughts, I mentioned to Bob How that because of the reorganisation of the space I had, it was likely that I'd be satisfying an itch to build a GWR branch line terminus rather than Boscarne Junction. This would enable me to have all layouts, Rospeath Lane, Fiddlers Wharf in an operational state and a good section of Tredethy Wharf on display while building the BLT. He expressed disappointment and commented that many people have built GWR BLTs to a high standard. I replied it was only an idea and I'd give it more thought in a years time once Rospeath Lane was nearing completion.

His comment resonated with me, as I too would be disappointed not building Boscarne Junction. As Bob said, seeing GWR, SR and ex LSWR locos and stock all mixed on the same layout is enticing and one of the main reasons why I became interested in the junction. It would also be a shame if all the information I've gathered on Boscarne Junction along with The Bodmin & Wadebridge Railway would not be put to good use.

I believe the bare minimum number of operators required would be 2, so for a show four operators in two teams (at a push maybe three operators working in rotation). The split would be something like;

• One on the Wadebridge cassette board and running trains through the layout
• The second at the Bodmin end looking after both cassette boards.

The Jubilee Challenge has made me think in more detail about the cost to exhibition managers of inviting layouts. So instead of hiring a van which would still require a car for the additional operators, could a new design allow four operators along with the layout to be transported to shows in two cars?

Those are the criteria and the start of some meandering thoughts while I progress Rospeath Lane.

A Temporary work area and SolRail 23

I'm still waiting for power to be installed in the Log Cabin. The house rewiring took longer than expected, and we decided to postpone connecting the log cabin until other outside work is completed in order to finally get the interior signed off.

In the meantime, I've recently negotiated a small area in the snug at which I can work on a few projects. I'll have to see if the better half will allow me to solder, but for the moment I've been working on the 1/8th scale model of my proposed Boscarne Junction.

I'd planned to make this scale model mainly to help with thoughts on baseboard construction and to see how it will look visually. As I've been cajoled into setting up a table titled 'Planning a new layout, Boscarne Junction' at Scalefour Cumberland 23, it will come in very handy. Unfortunately, as I've been distracted by entering the Scalefour Jubilee Challenge, I'll still be building the model.

There will be another 1/8th scale model of my Jubilee Challenge project on the table to discuss with those that might be interested.

Calculating possible weight for the baseboards

I wanted to calculate the weight of my baseboards using insulation and plywood. This was after reading about the weight of another modeller's baseboards made totalling from plywood.

Googling the weight of different thicknesses of plywood, I came up with the following rough calculations for one of the 5ft x 2 ft boards.

• The top of 3mm plywood & insulation - 2.1kg
• The 2 ends of 9mm play (1kg each) -2kg
• The front Facia - 0.3kg
• Back screen (inc. insulation at bottom) - 1.6kg
• Internal sections of insulation - 0.5kg
• Track approximately - 0.5kg

So my best guess at the weight of one of the 5ft x 2ft baseboards without scenery, track etc. will be approximately 7kg (15.5lbs). I've tried to make an allowance in the figures for glue and baseboard dowels. So the 5ft x 2ft baseboards might only weigh the equivalent of 7 bags of sugar or a little more. Size wise still too cumbersome for one person to carry but two people should easily be able to manhandle them. 

One problem rearing its head is the size or rather shape of the final scenic baseboard at the Bodmin, Wenford bridge end of the layout. Question being will it go through a standard door width in the configuration I'm planning? The creation of an 8th scale model of the layout should help me answer this question.

Thoughts on Baseboard Construction

I have mumbled a little, on a couple of blogs, about my thoughts for baseboard construction. The baseboards for Boscarne Junction are going to be relatively large. If I used the plywood and softwood sandwich technique they’d require two people to move them. The basic idea is to build baseboards that I’ll be able to lift and move around when I’m in my 7^th decade.

When visiting York Model Railway show in 2019 I became intrigued with Gordon Gravett’s baseboards for Arran Quay and way he’d sandwiched insulation board between thin plywood. I was not sure about using the same insulation board for the baseboard tops but he had made it work. This method of construction must have created a very light baseboard easy to lift and move/transport.

Many years ago I purchased a number of 2ft x 4ft x 1 inch sheets of insulation board for creating hex terrain for wargaming. There are still eleven sheets left from that project which are taking up space in my shed. My intention is to rather than dispose of these sheets is to make good use of them for Boscarne Junction’s baseboards.

As my insulation board is only 1 inch thick I’ll not be follow Gordon’s methods fully but to borrow his general idea. Hopefully the drawings below will help to explain my intentions better than words.

My version of Boscarne Junction

Blimey it was way back in 2008 when I was first contemplating building a layout of Boscarne Junction. That one was going to be a fictional take on the junction using some what might have beens. Why fictional? Well it was going to be my first foray into P4 and I wasn't confident about building a model of a real location to an acceptable standard. Tredethy Wharf has given me some confidence that I could achieve a reasonable model of Boscarne and if I don't give it a go I'll never know.

So after much thought and a few plans drawn I think the plan below is the best I can do to represent Boscarne Junction in my new 'Man Cave'.

I've used an old OS map of the junction for scale. A few compromises have been made so it fits in the room and be functional. These are:

1. Shortened Siding 1 (the exchange siding) by approximately a scale 152 feet
2. The curve of the line to Bodmin General has been increased
3. The river and therefore the bridge over the river on the line to Bodmin General has been moved closer to the junction.

There are a few quirks with the track plan that I only noticed when looking through photographs of the junction.

1. There is a very slight curved running through the first turnout just after the level crossing.
2. The first turnout from Bodmin General is curved towards the GWR line but straight towards Siding 1.
3. It looks like the catch point at the Bodmin end of Siding 1 is part of the turnout. I'll try and post a photo to confirm this in a follow up blog.

There are a few niceties that I need to think about:

• How to transfer clay wagons between the hidden sidings a little more securely than on Tredethy Wharf.
• Will it be DC or DCC or even have the ability to to run both.
• How to build very lightweight baseboards so that in 10 years time, when I'm a little frailer, I'll still be able to exhibit the layout.
• What support structure should I build for the layout? The supports for Tredethy Wharf are now more stable but they take a lot of time to erect and dismantle.
• Should there two control panels, one for Boscarne Signal Box the second for the Ground Frame, or just one control panel.
• Where and how to install the Control panels.
• The cassettes on Tredethy Wharf need improving so need to look for better designs.

More thoughts and problems to solve will no doubt come to light as this project progresses.

It's a shame that I couldn't include the SR bridge over the river Camel but even so I'm hoping the layout still captures the feel of the junction. 

Photos of Bridges at Boscarne Junction (part 2)

These are further photos I took in 2012 of the bridges at Boscarne Junction. This are of the Southern Railway bridge over the river Camel.

Looking from the direction of the GWR bridge

Closer view from same direction as above photo

View along footpath bridge from Dumere end

Looking across at railway bridge from footpath bridge

Looking towards Dunmere from footpath bridge

Looking down from Railway bridge up stream

 

Looking towards Boscarne along trackbed

Looking towards Dunmere along trackbed showing footpath

Looking towards Dunmere along trackbed

Photos of Bridges at Boscarne Junction (part 1)

Boscarne Junction is now probably not a first choice for a future model. However, when I was in Cornwall it was still a serious option that was on the table. The two bridges over the river Camel at Boscarne would be an important part of any layout of this junction (fictitious or accurate) and to record these was one objective while I was there. So for anyone that might be interested, a few photos follow showing the bridge that carries the old GWR line to Bodmin General over the river Camel:

Photo looking back up the line to Bodmin General from Boscarne Junction

Looking down stream on the south bank.

Looking across stream from the previous photo



Looking back up stream on the south bank.

As a guide for scale, my trusty stead is 10.5 hands tall to top of saddle (107cms or 42 inches in old money). I'll publish photos of the bridge on the SR line to Bodmin North in a future post.

Wenford DVD

I recently purchased a DVD produced by Branch Line Video titled 'Memories of the Bodmin & Wadebridge Railway'. I had mulled over the purchase for a while but as the front cover had a picture of a Beattie Well Tank at Dumere Crossing I thought it might contain something of interest on the Wenford Bridge line. Being not sure what to expect I was, after viewing, extremely please with the purchase. I would highly recommend this DVD to anyone interested in this area and the workings of the Wenford Bridge line.

It comes with two DVDs, the first covers the history of the line starting with brief footage of the North Cornwall Line then moving onto the main subject highlighted with many stills and brief cine film. Of more interest to me is the second DVD. It has cine film footage of two trips down the Wenford Bridge branch. One starting with footage of workings at Wadebridge and progressing to an empty clay train working hauled by a Beattie 30585. The second of a Brake Van special hauled by 1369. Both have anecdotal commentary from men who worked the line. Footage is not surprisingly showing its age but still fantastic to see.

A little progress (not a lot)

For those of you trying to follow my meanderings with this project I must apologise for the lack of postings recently. It has not been intentional. A situation has arisen that means any spare time has to be spent stripping ................. wall paper, from six rooms plus hall stairs and landing of a three bedroomed house. Then all I've got to do is redecorate, all in evenings and weekends plus any days holiday I can take at short notice. Oh well I didn't have much else to do in my spare time !!! If anybody wants to buy a house by the sea with a 22' x 13' garage (suitable for a model railway room), give me a shout!

With all that said I've been able to find a few moments here and there to work on the quarter scale model.

It's starting to come together but I still have a little bit to do.

I was hoping to be able to hide all entries/exits by well placed trees but the exit to the Bodmin North line is being difficult to mask. Looking through the trees, up river, it is easy to mask both exits at this end of the layout. As you progress further towards the signal box and level crossing it gets more difficult to mask the Bodmin North exit.

Looking up river.

Looking towards Bodmin North exit from opposite the wharf siding.

Also I have been thinking about adding a provender store on the wharf siding not typical on this stretch of line but thought it might add a little more interest. At the moment I think it unbalances this end of the layout so I am undecided about whether to include it. If I do include the store, the siding will have to move slightly closer to the running line to give a little more room around the store.

With provender store

Without provender store

After trying the cottage in a couple of positions I've decided that it looks best in the position shown on the photograph above, which is roughly its actual location. It seems to balance the signal box in this position and stops the signal box looking like an orphan on that side of the track.

There is a lot more undergrowth to be added. In all the photographs I have seen the bank at the back looks heavily covered with trees and bushes. The level crossing also needs to be represented in some form along with the gates at the entrance to the Wharf siding. I am also going to play around with adding more trees and bushes at the front of the layout as again this edge seemed overgrown in the 1960s. At the front the trick will be adding enough to indicate this overgrown vegetation but still allow good viewing angles between and through the trees.

I could really do with another site visit to get a true feeling for the place and take a few shots of the cottage and road area around the level crossing.

Getting side tracked (again)

With all this talk about pink foam on '4mm scale agonies' blog and using it for baseboard construction, it got me thinking about my proposed quarter scale model of Boscarne. I purchased some foamboard weeks ago just for this purpose but it has been languishing beneath my bench waiting for me to pluck up the courage to make a start ever since. I say courage but the will is probably more to the point. I've never really seen the need to build a scale model of a proposed project before. I know Mr. Rice and Mr. Norman advocate it as good practice but I've always thought I held a good picture in my head of what I wanted to achieve. With my Boscarne Junction layout I am/was having problems with deciding how to make a start on the baseboards, especially the Y shaped board at the junction end. This started to convince me that building a quarter scale model might be a good idea.

After wangling a day off in lieu, for some weekend work I did a few weeks ago, I decided to make a start. Should I have finished off the A7 point kit? That might be a good question and yes ought to be my answer but I felt in the right mood to attempt something new today. Also I have to build baseboards before I can install and use any points I construct. I also have to decide on how to construct the baseboards. So the point can wait a few more days.

This model is nowhere near finished but it is being a very useful exercise. It has already given me a better idea how to tackle the Y shape baseboard. It has also highlighting that I had not thought enough about the ground contours in Y of the junction. As you can see it is this area that I am still working on. It's very easy to draw contours on paper but to see them in 3D brings them to life.

I am not sure how far I will detail this model over the next few weeks. Adding trees of some description should help me decide how to break up the layout into frames to create views that the trains can pass though. Adding the few buildings is also a must just to check sizing and position. I am still not sure about adding the cottage/house that is behind the signal box at the real location. Need to give this some thought, but to be honest I've never been that confident about scratch-building buildings.

It's a shame there is not a building on the same side of the railway as the wharf side but on the opposite side of the road to act as a scenic break for the fiddle yard. If I do build the cottage/house it might fall foul of my fictitious history and be moved to this position ..... would probably balance this end of the layout better by being moved.

Sorry about the quality of the photos but I had to use my phone to take them as my camera is playing up.

Fiddle Yard idea

I have only just found time to read the latest Scalefour News and found the article by Bryan Johnson on his Thurstaston project very interesting. He has already spent many years collecting and building locos and stock while continuing with researching the site. Something that I wish I had been able to do. What I did find really interesting was his thoughts on fiddle yards. Like myself he is proposing the cassette style fiddle yard and like myself he has freight trains that travel in one direction though the layout that need to be returned to their starting point behind the scenes.

My decision for a cassette style fiddle yard was made for two main reasons:

1) saving space,

2) the need to swap full/empty clay stock between fiddle yards behind the scenes.

Though I am worried about walking stock between the fiddle yards I could not think of another way to move the stock from one end of the layout to the other. But Bryan is suggesting installing a hidden track behind the back screen. What a thought.... Could still use cassettes but then slide the cassette across the board to align with the track that runs behind the layout. This would help avoid the catastrophe of a dropped cassette, containing eight or more precious hard to replace Ian Kirk clay wagons, while moving them between fiddle yards. Need to look at how this can be incorporated into my baseboards but I do like it.

Nice one.

Boscarne Junction + Wharf (4)

I've been thinking for a while about building a quarter scale model of the layout. Seems a little over the top for a test bed but then nether have I built a quarter scale model of a layout before. A test model of a test model, I'll be making Russian dolls next!

Whether I build this quarter scale model or not, I need some idea, as a starting point, of the external contours of the layout. So I've spent a couple of hours this evening looking into the scenic contours around Boscarne Junction. I have eventually decided that the height of the trackbed above river will be in the region of 26 feet (104 mm on the layout). This is not as high as I was expecting but the decision has been made after many measurements on Google Earth and also looking at all the photos I can find. I've marked other heights on the track plan below (trackbed being zero). These are all best guesstimates with an eye on trying to create a good impression of the real location.

The trackbed to Bodmin North looks as if it rises slightly. At the moment I am unsure of the gradient but thinking it might be around a 1:120/150. Thing is, I doubt that this would be that obvious on the layout. So may not recreate this gradient. I do like the idea that the Wharf siding should be slightly lower than the branch so have added a 1 foot drop (4 mm) from siding turnout to just past the gate. This will be approximately 1:100 gradient and should leave about 2 feet of level siding to play with.

Though I knew of the footpath that crossed the line I was unsure of its exact position and had purposely missed it off the plans. While looking though some photos on the web I discovered a photo of this path crossing the river over a bridge adjacent to the rail bridge on the Bodmin North line. This looks an interesting feature so I've started to draw this in on the plan but cannot decide how to squeeze it into the rest of the layout. A little more investigation is required over the next few evenings before I finish adding this footpath.

The other scenic item that I'm questioning is the Mill Race. I am beginning to think that in my alternative history in the early 1960s, as possibly in reality, it would have been disused. So an overgrown, if not completely hidden by undergrowth, Mill Race will be probably modelled.

I am beginning to get a good feel for the layout now. Starting to see a 3D image and I'm surprised at how low the contours are. Still have ideas about changing the track plan slightly to increase operational potential but not convinced myself yet. Have only got a couple of weeks left to decide, as once baseboards are being built the track plan will be set. I will have to revisit my proposed timetable to see if my thoughts can be justified.

Boscarne Junction + Wenford Junction

Just toying with an idea to extend the Bodmin North line to include the junction for Wenford Bridge. This would possibly change the viewing side to the top, looking down into the valley at Boscarne, rather than up out of the valley if I leave the plan as it is in my "Boscarne Junction + Wharf (3)" posting.

I'm not convinced at the moment. Think I have enough on my plate with the original plan of just Boscarne. May make an allowance for this to be added in the future. Ideally it would be two extra boards so that the road over bridge across the Bodmin North line and the ungated crossing across the Wenford line could be included. Ah, now then, that would also bring the Dunmere Wharf into play. This is starting to get out of hand and becoming a small layout in its own right. It is dragging me further away from Grogley as well. This layout is only a test build to try out my skills, or lack of them, before building Grogley Junction.

Enough.

Boscarne Junction + Wenford Junction

Just toying with an idea to extend the Bodmin North line to include the junction for Wenford Bridge. This would possibly change the viewing side to the top, looking down into the valley at Boscarne, rather than up out of the valley if I leave the plan as it is in my "Boscarne Junction + Wharf (3)" posting.

I'm not convinced at the moment. Think I have enough on my plate with the original plan of just Boscarne. May make an allowance for this to be added in the future. Ideally it would be two extra boards so that the road over bridge across the Bodmin North line and the ungated crossing across the Wenford line could be included. Ah, now then, that would also bring the Dunmere Wharf into play. This is starting to get out of hand and becoming a small layout in its own right. It is dragging me further away from Grogley as well. This layout is only a test build to try out my skills, or lack of them, before building Grogley Junction.

Enough.

Boscarne Junction + Wharf (2)

 

First attempt at adding some scenic detail to the Boscarne track plan. I need to further investigate the level crossing area of Boscarne, especially the Mill and cottage south of the level crossing. There was a mill race running off from a weir on the river Camel further up the valley so I could presume that the mill was water driven.

After looking at baseboard joints and where they may fall to miss point work, I think this will be built with four 4 x 2 foot baseboards. This may mean I could extend the left hand exit/entry point (Grogley end) by 1 foot to give a 10 foot scenic frontage. This extra foot might give me enough space to suggest a halt platform but not sure how to disguise the exit point f I do. I am at working on the assumption that I will be using a cassette style fiddle yard with maximum train lengths of just under 3 foot. (Engine and 2 coaches or engine and approximately nine wagons).

If this track plan is going to be used as a test piece there shouldn't be anything stopping me from starting to build the baseboard framework. Open framework construction was how I used to build baseboards. These boards may be similar to be able to have a level base framework onto which the different levels can be constructed. The last boards I build used the plywood sandwich beam method which did end up to be very stable. I am also pretty sure how each end baseboard end piece contour should look.

Oh dear, this means I should now start to prise myself out of that armchair.

Boscarne Junction + Wharf (1)

 

Well is this it? Boscarne Junction as it might have been if Grogley Junction was built as my scenario. A much reduced track plan from the original as the exchange of clay traffic will be taking place at the new Grogley Junction. At last having found some time I've had a play with Templot and produced this track plan. Simple plan but please don't mock as I've mastered a few little quirks of this software and feel a little more confident in it use.

Grogley is to the left, Bodmin North and Wenford bridge are off top right and Bodmin General bottom right. For extra interest I have added a Wharf siding which would also serve the Mill at Boscarne. This siding would be gated like the one at Nanstallon. As the original Boscarne Junction I have not included any platform but it is very tempting to duplicate Nanstallon's or Dumere's style of halt at the left entry/exit just before a level crossing.

Overall length is 9 feet of scenic frontage so this could be a first foray into P4. With only four points and on straight baseboards if would be very simple to build and get something working. I will be trying to take this plan into a drawing package to add scenic bits and bats and will post later if reasonably successful.