Wheal Ponder - A Cornish Cameo.

Having failed in my attempts to think of a suitable cameo style layout from the Melyn Valley idea without things running away from me, thoughts turned to another layout idea that has been in the back of my mind for a decade now. The intention being that choosing something different will help reign in my mind to concentrate on a smaller space. 

Ten years ago, I picked up the latest issue of Model Railway Journal, inside was an article on a Cornish china clay layout called ‘Trerice’ by the now late Iain Rice and I was introduced to the cameo layout concept. Immediately I was struck by how suitable the plan was for a narrow gauge layout using the range of Chivers plastic wagon kits and small 0-4-0 locos with the Pentewan Railway, who’s wagons the Chivers kits weren’t dissimilar to, as further inspiration. 

At the time, my knowledge of Cornish railways was minimal. I’d helped operate Chris Russell’s ‘Hensbarrow’ layout several times, but I’d only been to Cornwall once on a weekend of riding the Branchlines of Devon and Eastern Cornwall that included consuming far too much Cornish Rattler cider! However, later that year we enjoyed a holiday near St Austell during which I visited the Wheal Martyn China clay museum and learnt more about the china  clay industry. 

Fast forward a decade and the Trerice plan seemed an ideal fit for a self contained cameo layout that would be entertaining for both my daughter and myself. Wheal Ponder seemed a suitable name considering how much pondering has been done to reach this stage. Wheal Ponder should provide a good home for my trio of Fletcher Jennings tanks and I have sufficient Chivers wagon kits either built or as kits to run the layout. 

There’s nothing fancy about this layout, it’s straight and square Grainge and Hodder laser cut kit baseboards (saviours to my limited carpentry) with Peco track on top. The track I’ve had since an aborted layout as a teenager so will be good to use it up. Also, the emphasis is about getting something running quickly, which this achieves so that I can experiment with scenic techniques. In time backscenes and a fascia will be added to complete the presentation. 

The track is laid as shown above. Just the two cross board tracks to finish off with the cassette dock ends to line up. Then it’s on to the electrickery.

For the fiddle yards I will be using cassettes from Intentio Models. These are modified Intentio oo gauge cassettes designed to take Peco track so will line up with the rest of the track easily. Phil was very helpful in increasing the width of them so that O-16.5 models would fit, I expect in time that they’ll end up on his website for other 7mm narrow gauge modellers to benefit from too. (They’re wide enough to take L&B stock, not just my smaller stock). Wheal Ponder will take trains five wagons long, which annoyingly is between two of the standard lengths that Intentio produces. Have requested some special length cassettes which should make the fiddle yard shuffling a doddle. 

And finally…. My wife and I have agreed that my challenge is to bring the layout to our Trent Valley Group Modelling Day at the end of January, electronically complete and with a start made on the buildings. 94 days to go according to the countdown clock on the blog. Best get on with it!