Captain Kernow's layouts

[Pencarrow]

I do like Hymeks.

Sound like sewing machines...

 

[Alan]

Tut, tut tut.

 

[Captain Kernow]

Fast forward to the mid-1970s, just before closure:

 

[Captain Kernow]

Further work has taken place on the fiddle yard of late, with the focus being now on the main turntable board (both boards made for me by Tim Horn, the turning part of the turntable is three feet in length):


There will be a minimum of three roads on the turntable, more if I can get the geometry to fit. Here is some track loosely laid to give an impression of what it will be like:


First piece of straight track (centre road) being glued in place:


The alignment is based on the two 'turnbuckles' keeping the turntable surface level with that of the adjacent 'dry land' and then two brass bolts in brass tube, soldered onto copper-clad paxolin. The brass bolts are a snug fit in the tubes and also provide electrical continuity:


First powered movement onto the turntable:

First turning of a complete train:

In normal use, maximum train length will be at least one wagon less than that shown in the video!

Next job is to lay the other two roads on the fiddle yard.

 

[Alan]

Lovely and a Hymek to boot. What more could one want.

 

[Nick Rogers]

Nice to see movement, Tim!

I meant to ask you this the other day, will you ballast the fiddle yard run off track? Obviously not the whole length, but a few inches? I noted the Exactoscale chairs!

All the best,

 

[Captain Kernow]

Nice to see movement, Tim!

I meant to ask you this the other day, will you ballast the fiddle yard run off track? Obviously not the whole length, but a few inches? I noted the Exactoscale chairs!

All the best,

Won't be ballasted, because of nature of connection - there's a removable bit of double line, but the intention is to effect some sort of disguise...

 

[Phil O]

Tim,

Will you be adding a siding or two to the intermediate board accessed from the turntable? Shame to waste all that space.

 

[Captain Kernow]

Tim,

Will you be adding a siding or two to the intermediate board accessed from the turntable? Shame to waste all that space.

There is a separate fiddle yard for the private siding line, Phil and that currently consists of just the one road. In due course, I will put an A5 point in, to create a second siding, but this may not be until after the S4 Derby Members Weekend, for which I just need to get the whole layout operational in a basic sense, tidying up the electrics, presentation etc.

 

[Phil O]

I can't make that do, I'm exhibiting at Abingdon that weekend.

 

[Captain Kernow]

The LNER in Mid-Wales, or ex-LNER to be accurate. J72 'Bethesda' has passed from main line service to the hands of the light railway:

 

[Captain Kernow]

 

[Captain Kernow]

Ancient and modern on the South Polden Light Railway:

 

[Captain Kernow]

In the last few days I have been doing a bit on presentation.

This is the left-hand front of the layout before, displaying a hotch-potch of different woodwork, brackets, old notices and various bits of papier-mache scenery:



I decided that I would cut some maroon Daler board to cover up the front of the layout and try to present a 'unified' appearance.

Given that the layout covers I made a few years ago are quite a tight fit, I could not attach the Daler board permanently, which is where the bits of Velcro in the above photo come in.

This is the same view, with the finished Daler board attached:


The idea is that the Daler board segments will be removed prior to the covers being put on and fixed in place at a show, once most of the layout has been put up.

Here are some whole layout 'before and after' photos:




Why maroon - well, Callow Lane is ex-Midland/LMS!

 

[Captain Kernow]

The view looking south along Westerleigh Road:

 

[Captain Kernow]

The clearances into the goods shed are extremely tight for the DPU, so the local Sectional Appendix instructions, which authorise such movements, state that it should be done at extreme caution...

 

[Willl]

Ancient and modern on the South Polden Light Railway:
View attachment 256470

Lovely. Is that a black hawthorn in the back? A high level kit?

 

[Jordan or Plymouth Mad]

Here are some whole layout 'before and after' photos:

I think that's the first time I've seen an overall view of the layout!

 

[Captain Kernow]

Lovely. Is that a black hawthorn in the back? A high level kit?

It is indeed. I commissioned it from Mark Clark back in 1998, I think and it's been a feature of the various improbable light railways I operate ever since. Here is another photo, which I call 'Dignity and Impudence' (with apologies to Ivo Peters):

 

[Pencarrow]

Some excellent work there CK the layout has really come together. Looking lovely.