NSW – 0029 - Layout of the Quarter BRIDPORT SOUTH WESTERN – TCH 121

 

A joint LSWR-GWR mixed-gauge, point-to-point shunting layout.  It is built in 4mm scale using EM standards, and incorporates a large number of mechanically-operating devices.  Photos are by the author.

 

Introduction

 

This layout was unashamedly inspired by the, now defunct, 0-gauge layout, “North Yard”, built by members of the North Shore Railway Modellers Association. 

 

I have always liked layouts that incorporated interesting operational features, and North Yard, the layout I had enjoyed operating more than any other, had almost everything.  But, it was a large cumbersome affair that was the very devil to set up and transport, so I set myself the task of building a miniature version of it, but one that would, if anything, incorporate even more working mechanical devices.

 

Planning

 

When planning Bridport South Western, my first consideration was that it had to be small enough to fit inside my own Toyota Echo hatchback for transport purposes.  Apart from anything else, I am now getting old, and cannot manage the back-breaking task of carrying large base boards.

 

This meant that it all had to fit onto two 100cm × 55cm base-boards, plus a small Denny-type fiddle yard.

 

The second consideration was that, like North Yard, it had to include a wagon turn table, loco traverser, wagon tipper and a waterway with a lifting bridge, but space limitations would not allow a rope-worked incline that was a feature of North Yard.  Additionally though, it would include a loco turn table, loco coaling plant with wagon tipper and a working overhead crane for wagon load trans-shipment.  But, then I wanted something else; something that no one in Australia (as far as I know) had tried.  Yes, mixed broad-gauge/ standard-gauge track.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Theme

 

The principal theme for the project was that, like North Yard, it should be a shunting layout with only occasional passenger trains.  The secondary theme was that it should incorporate a small motive power depot, something that I have always wanted to model.

 

Being already committed to EM-gauge, I decided on mixed 28.0mm/ 18.3mm track, with EM-gauge standards extrapolated to encompass the 7ft-gauge prototype.

 

The period to which the layout could conform had to be 1892 or earlier, as all broad-gauge was abandoned in this year.  I decided to make it as late as possible.

 

Given the above requirements, I had no choice but plump for a fictitious location, but, of course, one that could encompass a might-have-been theme.

 

In previous layouts, I had postulated fictitious branches of the LSWR in the Devon or Dorset counties.   So, continue on the same theme, I plumped for a branch line from the LSWR main line at Crewkerne, through Broadwinsor, Neverbury and Charmouth to the historic town of Bridport on the Dorset coast.  Bridport was, in reality, serviced by the GWR, so this would give me an excuse for incorporating mixed-gauge features.

 

Further, to justify such a small station area, yet incorporate sizable loco servicing facilities, I postulated a twig from the main station of Bridport, to a Harbour near the Brit River estuary.  The area could therefore include the running shed for the main LSWR station.  Thus comparatively-large tender locos could be seen on the layout without the need for bringing in long trains.

 

The broad-gauge side of the equation was that the twig should be of mixed gauge, laid for transfer-freight purposes.

 

Locomotives

 

Given the period of 1892, my current commitment to the LSWR would be limited to my using only Adams or Beattie locomotives.  As I already have two Beattie 2-4-0 “Well Tanks”, an Adams O2 class 0-4-4 tank, an Adams 415 class 4-4-2 “Radial Tank”, an Adams X2 class 4-4-0 and an Adams A12 class 0-4-2 “Jubilee”,  I am well served.  All my stud of Drummond locos could not ‘legally’ be used as Drummond did not take office until 1895.  No doubt the Drummond locos will be pressed into service in emergencies though.

 

If I like to dream up that through Somerset and Dorset trains from the north could have used the branch, then I have two S&D locos (a 4-4-0 tender and a 2-4-0 tank) that could ‘legally’ be used on the layout.

 

All my locomotives are scratch built.

 

Of the GWR I had nothing, let alone anything broad-gauge, so I built a Gooch 4-4-0 saddle tank, two wagons and a brake van, which, at the time of writing is all I have to operate with.

 

Figure 1 - Adam’s “Radial Tank” 4-4-2T No.169 takes coal while “Well Tank” No.329 propels wagons up the coaling ramp.

 

 

Rolling Stock

 

For occasional passenger working, I have a set of four 4-wheeled LSWR coaches, although for variety I have a similar number of 6-wheelers.

 

Standard-gauge goods stock is almost limitless with a miscellany of wagons, brake vans, horse boxes and parcels vehicles to choose from.

 

Most of my rolling stock is scratch or kit built with about equal numbers of each.

 

Couplings

 

At one time or another, I have tried almost everything, but for the last 25 years I have standardised on three-link couplings.  I have never been able to come to terms with the disadvantages of automatic couplings, but now, into my seventies, and with my eyesight going, I have had find something that would, at least, couple automatically.

 

Of all the automatic couplings I have seen described, the one that has inspired me most is the “Scot Link” type invented by BRMA member Robert Franks and described in TCH-88 in September 2000.

 

I am using a simplified version of the Scot Link, which briefly consists of a upturned hook on one wagon that will couple automatically with a buffer-height transverse bar on another wagon.

 

The hooks are made from 10-thou piano wire, anchored at the far end of the wagon, a-la Alex Jacksons.  I will continue to uncouple mainly manually, which is as simple as pushing downwards on the hook.  I will install some permanent magnets for uncoupling at suitable locations, but I have no intention of incorporating delayed uncoupling, a system that I have always found to be a nightmare.

 

Trackplan

 

The plan (as shown below) was designed to cram as much as possible into as small a space as possible, within the limitations of points no sharper than 4ft radius.

 

The biggest space-saver is the loco traverser at the platform end that saves the length of two sets of points that would be required for a loco release.  This might be unprototypical, but my experience is that if you searched far enough, you would find such a thing somewhere.  The single slip, of course, saves space, and as it is an outside slip, it saves even more space because a less acute crossing angle can be used.  Outside slips, although uncommon on the mainlines, are quite prototypical in goods and loco yards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 2 - X2 class 4-4-0 No.591 arrives on shed after crossing the lifting bridge.

 

 

Baseboards

 

Baseboards consist of simple box construction made from 9mm plywood on top of which is glued a sheet of 12mm Kanite.

 

Trackwork

 

All track and pointwork is constructed by the now-common method of soldering rail onto sleepers made from printed-circuit board.  This is a method I have used exclusively for the last 40 years.

 

Chucks ballast is used, retained with watered-down PVA glue applied with an eye dropper

 

Point mechanisms

 

All points are operated by mechanical rodding, above the baseboards, but buried under the track in the kanite.  Depending on the distance the rods travel, some of it is in brass tubing.  All rodding is straight, and where it has to turn corners, bell cranks are used.

 

Instead of using points levers to activate the rodding, the rods are connected to Dick Smith slider switches, which, of course, are used to switch the polarity of the live-frog points.

 

Structures

All steel structures such as the lifting bridge, gantry crane, wagon tippers, coaling plant, turntables, foot bridge and traverser are made from printed circuit board (PCB), guillotined up into suitable-sized plates or strips.

 

The big advantage of PCB for structures such as turn tables and moving bridges is that rail can be soldered directly onto the media and, more to the point, the whole structure can be split in polarity.  Thus, sliding or wired pick ups to the structures may be eliminated as the power can be fed directly through the structures anchorage points.

 

Buildings shells and walls are made from a variety of materials such as printed-circuit board, cardboard or paddle pop sticks, onto which is glued a veneer of balsa wood.  Simulated stonework is then burnt into the balsa wood with a soldering iron.

 

Scenery

 

Landscaping is almost non existent, and limited to the few centimetres of space leading into the fiddle yard.  What there is of it though is built up by the now-almost-universal method of expanded polystyrene and plaster.

 

Electrical Wiring

 

As the layout is intended for one-man operation only, wiring is relatively simple.  The trackwork is divided up into suitable sections fed from single-pole on/off switches on two adjacent mimic panels, one for each baseboard.  Thus, connections between baseboards consists of but two wires only.

 

Common return is used on all sections, fed from a grids of bare-copper wire routed underneath each base board.

 

Operation

 

Even though most (if not all) trains are hauled by tank engines, most locos are turned between arrival and departure, simply because the viewing public like to see a turn table operating.

 

Typical operating sequences are as follows.

1: Arrival and departure of a standard-gauge (SG) coal train, which propels its wagons up the coaling ramp and tips the contents into the coal hopper.  The empties are refilled in the fiddle yard.

2: Inward and outward movements of SG light engines, which are turned coaled and serviced on shed.

3: Arrival and departure of a SG passenger train, which will pick up or detach horseboxes or parcels vans.

4: Arrival and departure of a broad-gauge (BG) goods train, which will trans-ship loads between SG wagons using the overhead gantry crane.

5: Arrival and departure of a SG mixed goods train, which will trans-ship some of its load between BG wagons, tip the contents of mineral wagons into a river barge; and, using ropes and poles, shunt wagons into and out of the sidings fed from the wagon turn table.

 

Sound Effects

 

As with my previous layout “Lulworth Cove”, which still exists but which I no longer exhibit, I will feature a recorded commentary and steam-train sound effects.  When my friends and I started this idea more than 20 years ago, we expected everyone else to follow suit, but (to my knowledge) no one has.  It is now 17 years since I have heard sound effects on a layout, which is when I last exhibited “Lulworth Cove”.

 

The Future

 

No doubt more broad-gauge rolling stock will be added, such as another locomotive, some more wagons and maybe a couple of coaches.

 

It is my intention to exhibit Bridport South Western twice a year while my health stays good.  Hopefully the first outing will be at Forestville in March 2009.

 

Figure 3 - Gooch broad-gauge 4-4-0T “Corsair” waits the road at the signal box.  Note the realistic stonework.

 

 

Figure 4 - Adams 02 class 0-4-4T No 185 "Alexandra" and Adams A12 class Jubilee 0-4-2 No 652 wait on shed while the modeller admires his own creations.