4mm Helland Wharf
- Thread starter Mike Walker
- Start date
Mike Walker
Member
Thanks for those Ade and the kind comments.
As can be seen, both cottages have received modifications over the years, particularly Cobblers Cottage but they are both instantly recognisable. Note too, how the rails are still in position across the road as mentioned earlier.
As can be seen, both cottages have received modifications over the years, particularly Cobblers Cottage but they are both instantly recognisable. Note too, how the rails are still in position across the road as mentioned earlier.
Mike Walker
Member
The area where I have modelled the siding is now a small car park for those who want to explore the Camel Trail.
It is interesting at shows to see how many visitors instantly recognise the location having hiked or cycled the Trail.
It is interesting at shows to see how many visitors instantly recognise the location having hiked or cycled the Trail.
Mike Walker
Member
Mike Walker
Member
LOCOMOTIVES & ROLLING STOCK
Modelling Helland or any other part of the Wenford branch would have been pointless were it not for Kernow producing their exquisite Beattie Well Tank models; unless one is a keen scratchbuilder, which I’m not. I have all three, 30585 with early crest and 30586 and 30587 both with the late crest and all are superb runners provided they are kept clean. I also have 1368 which is the Heljan model which also needs to be kept very clean for good running and has given much trouble through ‘droopy’ couplings which seems to be a regular Heljan issue but which has now beenbodged resolved. (Living as I do on the edge of the Chilterns I do take exception to the term 'bodging' being used in connection with poor quality work - 'bodgers' were highly skilled craftsmen who lived in the woods across the Chilterns making components on foot powered pole lathes which they took to the furniture factories in High Wycombe.) Completing the line up for now is a Bachmann 03 which represents the type used from 1964 to replace the Panniers. It has been renumbered D2183 with the excellent Railtec transfers and therefore represents one of the three allocated to Cornwall which worked the branch, the others were D2127 and D2129, the former remained in all-green but I’m not sure if D2129 received ‘wasp’ stripes like D2183 or not. ’27 was used most frequently on the branch but as Bachmann haven’t produced an all-green 03 with ‘flower pot’ exhaust that remains to be added unless I repaint one.
It would also be nice to add an 08 to the fleet as these ultimately replaced the 03s after a couple of years. Hornby’s model of D3509 would be perfect as it was a St. Blazey loco but they appear to be rarer than hen’s teeth or rocking-horse droppings! Perhaps Bachmann will oblige with a suitable ‘basis’ in their new 08 range.
Brake vans were also a distinctive feature of the branch given its restrictive nature. Both the LSWR Diagram 1543 van (Hornby) and Diagram 1541 road van (Kernow) were used and are represented. Both have appropriate numbers, S55012 and S54663 respectively – the latter with additional branding supplied by Cambridge Custom Transfers. When these became too decrepit for service they were replaced by former LNER Toads and these are represented by E153583 which is another Hornby offering suitably renumbered – the correct number for a Wenford example, being spotted whilst watching a video of the branch. Finally there’s a BR standard 20 ton van that appears with the 03. Yes, it is long wheelbase and therefore theoretically banned but I’ve seen pictures of them in use in the later days so… Come to that I’ve seen photos and film of enthusiasts’ brake van specials which include not only those but the (G)WR long wheelbase Toads and even a SR ‘Queen Mary’ bogie brake van! So much for ‘restrictions’.
There’s the usual mix of general merchandise wagons and vans which are a combination of RTR and kits. China clay wagons form a large part of the collection and these are either Parkside GWR O13s or Ratio and Bachmann BR 1/051s, the latter now running on Parkside chassis and with additional body details. To add some variety there are a few former PO examples built from Cambrian and Slaters kits or, in one case, scratchbuilt; all are based on actual vehicles for which I have photos and which survived until the late 1950s. They run in two rakes, one sheeted over for the loads down to Boscarne and the other open for the empties going up to Wenford. I must add folded sheets in them.
30585 passing through Helland with clay empties. The first wagon is P387438, a rather decrepit looking 10 tonner with a curved fixed end and grease axle boxes which remained in service until 1959 and is scratchbuilt. I have a photo of it being tipped at Fowey and it just cried out to be modelled.
For coal traffic there’s the usual RCH 12 ton 7 plankers and BR 16 ton steel minerals. A recent off-beat addition is one of the 7000 ‘cupboard door’ mineral wagons built for the SNCF at the end of the war which were repatriated to the UK in the early fifties. What, you might be thinking, were the chances of one of them appearing on the branch? I would have thought it unlikely until I saw a Henry Casserley photo of one behind 30585 crossing the main road at Dunmere. That was it, I just had to have one! Sadly, it’s not possible to determine the number in the photo so it’s just got one from the batch.
OPERATIONS
On the face of it there’s not much of an opportunity for operating the layout but this is deceptive. For exhibitions I’ve created a sequence that starts with a mixed goods passing through bound for Wenford which returns as a loaded clay train heading towards Boscarne on its way to Fowey. Next, a train of empty clay wagons heads for Wenford and finally there’s the return mixed goods which calls to exchange a wagon or two in the siding at Helland. The passing trains all halt at the crossing to simulate the flagman walking to and from the van to the crossing.
This sequence is repeated with each of the locomotives in turn with an appropriate brake van and vehicles in the trains to represent the era which extends from the mid-1950s to mid-1960s. Beattie 30586, the one with the square splashers, is a regular performer even though it was somewhat rare on the actual branch and spent 90% of its time as station pilot at Wadebridge. This is because its tank filler was in a different position from that on its sisters and filling it at the tank at Pencarrow, the only source of water on the branch, was difficult unless the tank was brim full. The tank had to be modified before the Panniers started running for the same reason.
So that’s Helland Wharf. It’s been to four exhibitions in 2024 with one already booked for 2025 with several enquiries for 2026. If you’d be interested in having it at your show, please get in touch.
I'll post some further photographs of the layout in operation due course.
Finally, I’m often asked why it’s Helland Wharf when there isn’t a wharf on the layout. The River Camel flows some distance from the railway – somewhere where the audience is standing – and in any case is not navigable. The term ‘Wharf’ was used from the earliest days of the B&W whose promotors were involved in the wharves at Wadebridge and therefore probably used the term Wharf rather than Siding, the name sticking throughout the line’s life.
Modelling Helland or any other part of the Wenford branch would have been pointless were it not for Kernow producing their exquisite Beattie Well Tank models; unless one is a keen scratchbuilder, which I’m not. I have all three, 30585 with early crest and 30586 and 30587 both with the late crest and all are superb runners provided they are kept clean. I also have 1368 which is the Heljan model which also needs to be kept very clean for good running and has given much trouble through ‘droopy’ couplings which seems to be a regular Heljan issue but which has now been
It would also be nice to add an 08 to the fleet as these ultimately replaced the 03s after a couple of years. Hornby’s model of D3509 would be perfect as it was a St. Blazey loco but they appear to be rarer than hen’s teeth or rocking-horse droppings! Perhaps Bachmann will oblige with a suitable ‘basis’ in their new 08 range.
Brake vans were also a distinctive feature of the branch given its restrictive nature. Both the LSWR Diagram 1543 van (Hornby) and Diagram 1541 road van (Kernow) were used and are represented. Both have appropriate numbers, S55012 and S54663 respectively – the latter with additional branding supplied by Cambridge Custom Transfers. When these became too decrepit for service they were replaced by former LNER Toads and these are represented by E153583 which is another Hornby offering suitably renumbered – the correct number for a Wenford example, being spotted whilst watching a video of the branch. Finally there’s a BR standard 20 ton van that appears with the 03. Yes, it is long wheelbase and therefore theoretically banned but I’ve seen pictures of them in use in the later days so… Come to that I’ve seen photos and film of enthusiasts’ brake van specials which include not only those but the (G)WR long wheelbase Toads and even a SR ‘Queen Mary’ bogie brake van! So much for ‘restrictions’.
There’s the usual mix of general merchandise wagons and vans which are a combination of RTR and kits. China clay wagons form a large part of the collection and these are either Parkside GWR O13s or Ratio and Bachmann BR 1/051s, the latter now running on Parkside chassis and with additional body details. To add some variety there are a few former PO examples built from Cambrian and Slaters kits or, in one case, scratchbuilt; all are based on actual vehicles for which I have photos and which survived until the late 1950s. They run in two rakes, one sheeted over for the loads down to Boscarne and the other open for the empties going up to Wenford. I must add folded sheets in them.
30585 passing through Helland with clay empties. The first wagon is P387438, a rather decrepit looking 10 tonner with a curved fixed end and grease axle boxes which remained in service until 1959 and is scratchbuilt. I have a photo of it being tipped at Fowey and it just cried out to be modelled.
For coal traffic there’s the usual RCH 12 ton 7 plankers and BR 16 ton steel minerals. A recent off-beat addition is one of the 7000 ‘cupboard door’ mineral wagons built for the SNCF at the end of the war which were repatriated to the UK in the early fifties. What, you might be thinking, were the chances of one of them appearing on the branch? I would have thought it unlikely until I saw a Henry Casserley photo of one behind 30585 crossing the main road at Dunmere. That was it, I just had to have one! Sadly, it’s not possible to determine the number in the photo so it’s just got one from the batch.
OPERATIONS
On the face of it there’s not much of an opportunity for operating the layout but this is deceptive. For exhibitions I’ve created a sequence that starts with a mixed goods passing through bound for Wenford which returns as a loaded clay train heading towards Boscarne on its way to Fowey. Next, a train of empty clay wagons heads for Wenford and finally there’s the return mixed goods which calls to exchange a wagon or two in the siding at Helland. The passing trains all halt at the crossing to simulate the flagman walking to and from the van to the crossing.
This sequence is repeated with each of the locomotives in turn with an appropriate brake van and vehicles in the trains to represent the era which extends from the mid-1950s to mid-1960s. Beattie 30586, the one with the square splashers, is a regular performer even though it was somewhat rare on the actual branch and spent 90% of its time as station pilot at Wadebridge. This is because its tank filler was in a different position from that on its sisters and filling it at the tank at Pencarrow, the only source of water on the branch, was difficult unless the tank was brim full. The tank had to be modified before the Panniers started running for the same reason.
So that’s Helland Wharf. It’s been to four exhibitions in 2024 with one already booked for 2025 with several enquiries for 2026. If you’d be interested in having it at your show, please get in touch.
I'll post some further photographs of the layout in operation due course.
Finally, I’m often asked why it’s Helland Wharf when there isn’t a wharf on the layout. The River Camel flows some distance from the railway – somewhere where the audience is standing – and in any case is not navigable. The term ‘Wharf’ was used from the earliest days of the B&W whose promotors were involved in the wharves at Wadebridge and therefore probably used the term Wharf rather than Siding, the name sticking throughout the line’s life.
Mike Walker
Member
Having been fretting upthread about the apparent lack of a 4mm Velocette LE I had a thought over the holiday.
Studying the photographs Peter Gray took that day, 13th July 1961, he took them at several locations along the branch which leads me to conclude he probably travelled on the train -'unofficial' passengers were not unknown. There would haver been plenty of time for him to jump off at each location, take the shot and reboard, particularly at points such as Helland where the crossing had to be flagged. Therefore I don't need the motor bike, just Peter himself. I shall be perusing the ModelU catalogue for a suitable figure.
Happy New Year to one and all.
Studying the photographs Peter Gray took that day, 13th July 1961, he took them at several locations along the branch which leads me to conclude he probably travelled on the train -'unofficial' passengers were not unknown. There would haver been plenty of time for him to jump off at each location, take the shot and reboard, particularly at points such as Helland where the crossing had to be flagged. Therefore I don't need the motor bike, just Peter himself. I shall be perusing the ModelU catalogue for a suitable figure.
Happy New Year to one and all.
Wonderful layout and superb modelling. How kind of Mr. Eric Coster to gift you the figures for the front of the cottage? If he is reading this, I really need half-a-dozen Modelu figures, 1950s/1960s please! In the Met, the Velocettes were known as 'Noddy bikes'. I had a colleague in the Force who told me that he was riding his Noddy bike somewhere in West London (I can't remember where exactly). He was just finishing the night shift before 6am and it was daylight. He approached a road junction with a rather grand Victorian or Edwardian house opposite. As he drove across the junction he saw a man stood in the road looking towards the house. Strangely, he was clad in Edwardian clothes with a short top hat and was leaning on his cane. My colleague rode past the man, checked his mirror and saw that the man was still stood there. He decided to have words and swung the Velocette around. Nobody there! Spooky or what?
Terry
Terry
Mike Walker
Member
30585 in charge of the daily mixed goods heading for Wenford.
Today's train comprises: S59262, a SR Diagram 1458 12 ton van (Ratio); B765483, BR Diagram 1/213 12 ton van with plywood sides (Parkside); ....
.... P391288, a 12 ton 7 plank end door RCH 1923 mineral in well weathered Stephenson Clarke livery (Cambrian); W118937, a GWR Diagram O29 13 ton 5 plank open (Ratio) and S55012, a LSWR Diagram 1543 brake van (Hornby).
Approaching the crossing watched by the family at Hollyhock Cottage.
And crossing the road.
Today's train comprises: S59262, a SR Diagram 1458 12 ton van (Ratio); B765483, BR Diagram 1/213 12 ton van with plywood sides (Parkside); ....
.... P391288, a 12 ton 7 plank end door RCH 1923 mineral in well weathered Stephenson Clarke livery (Cambrian); W118937, a GWR Diagram O29 13 ton 5 plank open (Ratio) and S55012, a LSWR Diagram 1543 brake van (Hornby).
Approaching the crossing watched by the family at Hollyhock Cottage.
And crossing the road.
