The Final Ponder (For Now)

Whilst some people consider that their model railway is never finished, ‘Wheal Ponder’ was always intended to be a finite project. Get a model to a state where it is done, to challenge myself to tackle the techniques that I found daunting and to take the experience gained and learn from it in future projects. Most of all, finally create something that I can enjoy operating and provide a home to run some of my loco and stock builds on.

‘Wheal Ponder’ is now pretty much complete in my eyes and so the time has come to consider what I’ve learnt along the way. Most importantly, to write it down and put it somewhere sensible so I can refer to it in future. The blog being the sensible place and if anyone else finds these ponderings useful then so much the better.

Exhibiting the layout was always a secondary consideration, rather than a primary concern. I have always envisaged the layout to be operated mainly at home for my own enjoyment and will be set up and ready to operate with just a flick of a switch. I have received a couple of invites to take the layout out, but that will rely on them fitting in with family, shift work and other commitments. Plus the availability of a second person willing and able to assist with transporting and operating the layout. 

‘Wheal Ponder’ fits in the car, with room for a second operator, but only just and isn’t really an efficient user of space. I’m impressed with how lightweight the main scenic board has turned out to be. But at 1200 by 600mm plus backscenes attached adding height, it is very bulky. It’s the bulkiness rather than the weight that makes it difficult to carry on my own.  The single board does avoid joints in the scenery and track and was using existing baseboards. But in the future (once my supply of built baseboards has expired) I will look at factoring in using more, smaller baseboards at the design stage to make transportation easier.

I was pleased with how the presentation worked. It is a compromise (a word that I find keeps cropping up in my thoughts on the layout) and I’m finding that compromises are good in that they help make things happen on the layout. It works well for people of different heights and I’ve now settled on a height which seems the best compromise. There were no complaints on Saturday, not even from the mobility impaired senior members of the Association who are usually the most vocal!

Operating from the front worked well and at home, I can sit in front of the layout to operate it. On Saturday I did my best to stay out of the way of viewers and being out front meant I was able to chat more. But for a larger layout, either auto couplings and electrically operated points need to be fitted or I need to operate from the rear of the layout if it goes out anywhere. I’d spent an age trying to automate the couplings, but without success. I remain hopeful that a good looking and reliable chopper coupling that can be automated will be brought to the market and most importantly, remain available. Ideally, Bachmann will do this with their NG7 coupling. 

Whilst using laser cut baseboard kits limits the shape of a layout, their light weight and ease of use with my limited wood working skills makes them a winner for me. 

Track wise, whilst I may yet attempt to make track one day, using RTP Peco has distinct advantages, especially if I’m to bury it in undergrowth. However, I’d steer clear of three way points in future, I’d make the layout longer or omit a siding I think. Also, taking greater care in laying the track to ensure it is more level and test run more fully before going any further would be advantageous. 

Electrics don’t daunt me like they used to. The blue point operators work well, but I think there are more cost effective alternatives for manual point operation to consider. 

Buildings and scenery wise. ‘Wheal Ponder’ saw me try acrylic paints for my buildings. I’m so taken with them that the next stock I build will trial acrylic paints. Returning to enamels for the stock being built to run at Burton was not a pleasant experience and I’m finally ready to make that jump. 

The steepest learning curve for me was in the scenic greenery department and I must admit that it wasn’t as difficult as I feared it would be. By taking the same approach to scenic modelling as I do locos and stock- a mixture of making stuff myself and buying bits in I’m pleased with the outcome. The grass mats I bought were excellent, as were the trees from Primo Models. If I’m being pragmatic, one of my biggest limiting factors is time. I consider the buying of the trees and the grass mats as a reasonable compromise to gaining a finished model railway in a reasonable timescale. If I were modelling a larger area, it might be more cost effective to learn how to lay static grass myself and is one step to consider. But for a smaller area, this worked well. Next time though, if I use the mats I will leave out the cork infill between the tracks. I’d underestimated the thickness of the mats and so I have clearance issues on certain stock. Next time though I won’t lay any cork until I have all the materials to hand!

Overall, I’m pleased with the layout and I’m happy with the choices I made to get this far in terms of which parts I bought in as opposed to building from scratch. That compromise is the biggest thing I learnt. 

My biggest learning point is to keep my projects smaller and to get on with them to make them happen! Rather than having a grand plan large layout, my grand plan is to fill that space with smaller individual layouts which can be completed in a shorter space of time. 

None of the processes daunting me any more. I also have a clearer view that before laying track, I’m better off completing some of the buildings and the stock to run on the layout first so as to get the best fit for everything. This is one of the issues with my stalled ‘Abermelyn’ layout. 

For now, I’m enjoying having a layout where I can enjoy some mindful shunting when I have a free half hour or so. I enjoy just sitting with a brew or a beer and just looking at the layout and running the occasional train. Before returning the layout to the attic I’ve taken it outside to take some photos and will be writing an article for the Association magazine, Narrow Lines. I’ve also cleared up my work space in the study as I get rather blinkered and messy when focused on a project!

So what’s next? I have a couple of invites to take ‘Wheal Ponder’ to shows, which I’m hoping to fulfill. To do that I could do with some more locos and rolling stock to allow for failures at shows. So expect some loco and stock builds to appear on the blog over the summer. It feels strange to have a week with no modelling on the go and I’m keen to take advantage of the mojo being strong and not falling back into any bad habits of procrastination.

Whilst building those, I shall be pondering what to do next. I shall be returning to the Melyn Valley and building myself ‘Abermelyn’ at last. This will be the third attempt!

Shall take a long hard look at what I currently have part built but I expect some modifications. It will be constrained to a 16ft long space and be terminus to fiddle yard formation. No more “well I could just extend it”. I’m envisaging a passenger station, couple of goods sidings, a narrow gauge slate feeder and an ore hopper associated with the nearby granite quarry if possible. But not sure currently how that will fit in! Suspect that the creamery that was on the previous version will be moved off stage. But will see how I get on, first job will be to finish a couple of part built buildings and ore hopper, then work out what will fit where. Whilst ‘Abermelyn’ will almost always be a home operated layout as it will be too big to fit in my car. I have it in mind to design it so that it could be exhibitable should a second car or van be available and the people to help move it too. Maybe without the deadlines this time. 

But for now, I’m off to play trains….