jonte
Western Thunderer
Title of layout: 'Seacombe' - A glimpse.
Apologies that this one is on its side but iPad playing up again. Posted because resolution is better on this one than the next.
Period: 1960 Just prior to cessation of passenger traffic. Disused Stations: Seacombe Station
Scale: 7mm ('O' scale - 32mm gauge)
Size:
To be determined, but as near as I can get to five feet in length (hopefully less), by no more than the minimum width of the load area of my car (1 metre). Height of viewing window: less than 18"; between 12" and 15" probably.
Plan:
To follow.
Baseboards:
The scenic section will be contained within a single composite unit, mainly to avoid the joins in the back scene. Barry Norman sandwich type construction will be employed together with metal carpenters dowels and catches to attach fiddleyard board.
Track:
Turnouts are handbuilt over Templot printouts, from C&L parts on ply timbers. Outside track centre radius = 3253.85mm; inside track centre radius=3163.85mm; minimum track centre radius on crossover = 72 inches. Plain track is Peco r-t-r code 124 bullhead rail.
Control:
DC analogue. Would somebody kindly recommend a handy walkabout type providing excellent slow speed?
Turnout operation:
Tortoise and Cobalt powered by DPDT via separate 12v supply.
Fiddleyard:
Of traverser type or cassette as short trains only, on separate adjoining board.
Locomotives: (steam) The mainstay of the line in this period was the B.R. 3MT class. Currently unavailable (as far as I am aware) in either r-t-r or kit form, although Lionheart trains have expressed their intention to release a r-t-r version after the release of their Prairie tank due any time now. A long shot would be to employ the services of a 57xx which worked the New Brighton / Seacombe junction branch from Wrexham Central, apparently because it was the only loco small enough to be accommodated on the engine release at New Brighton station, which by then had become electrified for Mersey/Wirral rail services. If so, an opportunity could arise for me to attempt my first loco kit, possibly the JLTRT kit as recently completed by Heather, but this all depends on the time available.
Currently, I have a San Cheng 4MT, a rarity in the north west I believe, although one or two were transferred to WR of BR towards the end of steam, so with trains travelling to Seacombe from a Welsh destination, it could plausibly be employed, I suppose.
Stock:
(Passenger) Please forgive my ignorance, but I would endeavour to seek the advice of more knowledgable forum members as I'm not sure what was suitable, just that the shorter, the better.
(Goods) Interesting one this, because according to my contemporary ordnance survey map I bought for the purpose, the main goods facility was located further west, and mention is made of the types of facilities they serviced. However, no mention is made of the type of goods being handled at the terminus itself, although the presence of at least one siding suggests the handling of goods.
So which and what type? Again, due to time constraints, I would probably exploit what is available r-t-r, however, as this is supposed to be a challenge, I should like to cut my teeth on a goods vehicle kit of some sort; probably more of a realistic option than starting off with a loco kit (walking, running and learning etc.).
Couplings:
Looking at adopting Jackson couplings although the curve of the rails is a concern.
Buildings/scenic:
A start has been made on the replacement station building but U'm not satisfied with the choice of materials ((4mm scale Wills corrugated iron is still too thick even in 7mm scale). Might even replace embossed brick plasticard with DAS modelling clay so ply will probably replace inner foam board shell, but not certain of that as ply is notoriously hard to cut.
As for the scenics, I've never attempted it before so will carry out some trials with hanging basket liner, static grass products and woodland scenics.
Lighting:
LEDs as recommended by Iain in his book, particularly this type ahttps://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B017R57CTW/ref=pe_2409431_208555541_em_1p_0_tis recommended by fellow WT-er (apologiesfor forgetting your i.d., my friend).
Design aspects:
As one who can barely think more than one step ahead, I shaln't try and kid anyone that I spent hours on CAD or building a scale model to test ideas. However, a signature, for wont of a better expression, of the prototype was the curvature of the lines as they left the station confines before disappearing from sight beneath the steel road bridge. With the greatest respect to any Seacombe dwellers, I could imagine the eager anticipation of the few fare paying passengers, as their suburban conveyances squealed to and fro around those curved iron roads, away from the smog and urban gloom of the station and its environs, to await the heady sights and smells of the open Welsh countryside that lay before them. I just had to include this feature. 'But how to portray them in 7mm scale on postage stamp sized measurements?' was a question that niggled. The answer lay in making the track curve along its scenic length, including the points which in reality were straight along the main road. This provided an aesthetic benefit: have the front baseboard fascia follow the line of the track to get away from the fish tank look. Additionally, by shaping the top of the fascia in the form of a convex curve, it would overlap the lower concave curve of the fascia, helping to illuminate the front of the scenic area, an issue that Iain alludes to in his book. Admittedly, these were just fortunate consequences of curving the track, more by accident than design.
Going back to the track, whilst I have built the odd item of track with the aid of a certain book on the subject (and with varying degrees of success), but having never built in this scale before, the thought of building turnouts on a curve filled me with dread; I'd still be building them ten years from now. So, discretion being the better part of valour, I commissioned somebody who knows what they're doing. My sincerest thanks to Mr. Freeman of Borg rail for an excellent service (usual disclaimer, of course).
Comments:
It was a rather grainy black and white photograph on page 51 of the Merseyside Railway History's group publication: The Railways of Wirral, that first piqued my interest in this rather unremarkable branch line. I hope you can see why.
Ideally, I would have preferred to portray the terminus in its entirety up to and including the road overbridge (a natural although rather cliched scenic break) which would have allowed the inclusion of some signalling for added operational interest, but this would have proved impossible within the confinements of the rules, serving merely to overcrowd the scene, which a failed recent attempt to include the signal box served to prove. So, it was back to the original source of my inspiration as the subject of this competition entry. On a positive note, at least modelling a smaller area of the station makes completion of the project more achievable within the time frame laid down, especially for the keen but not particularly skilled model maker.
A further attempt to avoid an overcrowded look was to omit a second engine release along the far side of the platform from the viewer in accordance with the track plan shown on the 1911 O.S. map. In such a small area, two sets of release points would have been overkill without adding to the operational value IMHO, of course.
One issue which is of concern, is the inevitable loss of the signalling. On the prototype, a set of levers was provided for the train crew to change the points of the engine release road. Without the provision of small shunting signal, I assume that either a token was handed to the crew by the signalman or, perhaps in later years, a phone was provided in the vicinity of the levers for the crew to seek the signalman' permission. I'm not entirely sure. So, in the interests of passenger safety and to add a little signalling interest, I'm going to exercise modeller's licence and locate one between the tracks adjacent to the entry of the scenic boards.
Another omission will be the original 'out-of-use' platform and original station building which would not have provided anything of benefit in operational terms and would only have served to mask the engine release from view; in any case, this part of the station is barely evident in the photograph from which I'm working, and you've gotta start and finish somewhere.
Well, that's it for now, apart from mentioning as I've already found, the proscription of rules and regs and the time lines a competition such as this provides, really helps focus the mind and provide the impetus to get things done. For somebody who was once described as the 'great unfinished symphony', I find the notion rather alluring. And for a change, I might actually finish something.
I hope you will like it, and follow its sporadic progress.
Please feel free to ask any questions; I'll do my best to answer them.
Best wishes,
jonte
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