A month or so on and there is not much to report on the layout, I am afraid. Decorating and other chores have filled much of my spare time.
RobM and his wife Jen paid me a visit to see the layout today. It was very nice to see them. This gave me an excuse to put the layout up in its entirety in the lounge for a few days. This is handy, as I need to trace the old standard gauge trackwork on the other 2 scenic boards, ready to work on the track plan in Templot. It is also quite a morale booster, seeing everything together again. It was nice to hear Rob's constructive opinions on various aspects of the layout. His comments have certainly given me food for thought.
I have been discussing the narrow gauge part of the layout on a Narrow Gauge Forum recently (NGRM). It is interesting that they have made far more comments about accuracy and realism than I have received on here. Not that I am complaining - it was all very constructive. Their main issue was the light construction of the trestle. Far too delicate to have been used by most locomotives, apparently. Several photos of prototype trestles were produced which suggest that a real trestle would have far more supports and bracing. Ideas about the locos I should be running on the narrow gauge have been very helpful too.
The danger is that even if I don't have much modelling time, I still have plenty of time for thinking! Continuing the saga of the signal cabin, I found a drawing of a Tweedy frame which would be appropriate for Ulpha. Tweedy were based in Carlisle. Even with the tightly-spaced Tweedy levers, it would be challenging to fit a 5 lever frame (plus a spare or two?) and all the other equipment into the tiny cabin provided on the layout (see photo in previous post)
.
Ulph071.jpg
The cabin is also in an awkward place from an operating point of view. I am currently pondering whether to build a new signal cabin of better proportions and on a better site - or whether I should keep things as they are for sentimental reasons.
I am also having second (third really
) thoughts about the waggonway bridge. The balsa bridge I was constructing doesn't quite give me the right look. Difficult to explain why. Maybe the bridge is just not tall enough to get the effect I am looking for? Anyway, I accidentally found a photo of another bridge online from the Staffordshire Archives. This is of a former narrow gauge bridge between a quarry and the main line near Tutbury. (mirror image in my version below)
Ulph072.jpg
It is less tall than the timber bridge I was previously basing my model on - more the kind of height I am looking for. I measured the bridge on an old OS map and worked out that it is exactly the right kind of length for the site on Ulpha. It has interesting features, like metal girders over the river and wooden beams at the ends, for example. I think it will make a more characterful model, but I won't know for sure until I build it.
The new back for the final baseboard has now been laminated to shape on my baseboard jig. Here is a photo after most of the clamps had been removed.
Ulph073.jpg
On the loco front, I have bought another narrow gauge loco.
Ulph074.jpg
No, this is not a joke! It is a Bachmann Skarloey loco, which happens to be a scale version of Talyllyn No 1 - except for a few minor details*. Narrow Planet produce a conversion kit to complete the realism. This loco is very slightly smaller than the Baldwins, but still far too heavy for the trestle in real life, despite this photo...
Ulph075.jpg
I am off on holiday again soon and hope to make better progress again on my return. Long, dark nights and cold days ought to help!
EDIT
* The Talyllyn loco was built by Fletcher Jennings at Whitehaven - quite local for Ulpha
Here is a better view of the bridge, on the
Staffordshire Past Track site