7mm Pencarrow - Cornish BR(S)

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Pencarrow

Pencarrow

Western Thunderer
Yorkshire Dave said:
Looking at the early B&W photo in post #3,072 and if you wanted to retain a degree of authenticity of the relationship of the to the cottages to the track you could always lower their foundations slightly so the bottom window sill is at track level - cannot tell if this is already the case from the photo angles.

Having looked at the NLS 25 inch 1892-1914 series it appears the cottages follow the railway line boundary as is also evident in the photos. My guess is the cottages were built either at the same time or just after the railway built.

I also didn't realise the LSWR carried out some hefty earthworks and track realignment around Dunmere Junction.

View attachment 230691
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Hi Dave,

The pink line in your map snip was the original alignment of the line to Bodmin Wharf when it was a freight only line. The LSWR acquired the line and after a while closed it so that the worst of the bends could be taken out so that larger locos and stock could run. They also completely redeveloped Bodmin Wharf to become a proper passenger terminus station - Bodmin North.

As you say, there were some pretty heavy earthworks involved, plus a financial hit as the line was closed whilst the works were undertaken. Can't imagine they got a huge return for this expenditure, more a strategic move to block GWR expansion...
 
M

Mike Walker

Member
They certainly did and in addition to the Dunmere area there were major realignments around Grogley and between Dunmere and Bodmin. The original B&WR was built very early (1834) and had light rail, sharp curves and steep gradients. When proper passenger services were introduced, the line between Wadebridge and Bodmin was upgraded in the 1890s to take care of the first two issues although the gradients remained. The Wenford branch was never upgraded hence its reliance on the Beattie Well Tanks etc.

As far as I'm aware, the cottages, certainly the ones at Helland, pre-dated the railway.
 
Pencarrow

Pencarrow

Western Thunderer
Mike Walker said:
They certainly did and in addition to the Dunmere area there were major realignments around Grogley and between Dunmere and Bodmin. The original B&WR was built very early (1834) and had light rail, sharp curves and steep gradients. When proper passenger services were introduced, the line between Wadebridge and Bodmin was upgraded in the 1890s to take care of the first two issues although the gradients remained. The Wenford branch was never upgraded hence its reliance on the Beattie Well Tanks etc.

As far as I'm aware, the cottages, certainly the ones at Helland, pre-dated the railway.
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Hi Mike, thanks for the comments. I was fairly convinced that the cottages predated the railway.

I'm quite pleased they never did much work on the curves up to Wenford... We'd never have seen the Beattie Well Tanks last so long and into preservation had they done so.
 
Pencarrow

Pencarrow

Western Thunderer
As a round up of the loco roster, I have...

SR
- BWT in flat-pack kit form
- T9 in flat pack kit form
- N Class in flat pack kit form
- O2 nearing completion by me
- 34066 Spitfire built by Mick

WR
- 1368 group effort build/rescue, me to finish off (thanks Simon D)
- 4666 RTR Minerva devil's pannier
- 4569 RTR prairie (needs renumbering)

MR
- Ivatt tank bought built

Smelly Diesel
- AC Railbus RTR
- 03 RTR
- Class 22 bought built

Currently contemplating
- BR Std 3MT RTR

In reality that's a few more than ran to the real Bodmin North but I've bent history, so nurrrrr.

Very noticeable how RTR favours WR and BR smelly diesels in terms of locos than ran in the Wadebridge and Bodmin areas....
 
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