4mm Beyond Polbrock

[Chris Nevard]

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Back of an envelope sketch of the Mendip Colliery extension to Polbrock​

Last weekend I popped down to Camrail in Bradford on Avon with Polbrock under my arm to show it off for real as an almost finished work in progress. Engaging with the the little audience, discussion went along the lines of extending Polbrock by another 3 feet and incorporating the Mendip Colliery project to the right of the pub. Mendip Colliery having been on and off for a couple of years now.

So, to get the ball rolling, earlier today I had all the colliery buildings laid out on the carpet with Polbrock and came up with the attached sketch. The through line running along the front, the colliery behind it, also with its own fiddle yard exit to suggest something more. Looking at the sketch above, that's Polbrock on the left where you can see the pontificator's favourite tipple house.

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Mendip Colliery buildings already made. All I need to build is the loading screen and maybe a replacement engine winding house.​

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Polbrock simply unscrews and drops out of the display case it's currently in, so extending the total length ex fiddle yard extending to around 6 feet would be simple. I'd have to build (or extend) a bigger display case and the backscene could easily be extended and reprinted, perhaps with more of a North Somerset feel (which is in fact where the original photos for Polbrock were taken).

The name Polbrock would go, and a new North Somerset inspired name would replace it. Something or other 'Gurney' could work. Compton Dando, Compton Gurney, Charlton Gurney & Asham Gurney having been suggested by CK and PMP.

Polbrock station, siding, crossing and pub would stay as is, but the SR colours would become WR brown and cream. The pub and crossing seen below would be in the middle of the layout and make a nice scenic punctuation. Trains would have a good run too.

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The Pedant & Armchair, with the Mendip Colliery extension the pub here will be towards the middle of the layout, the colliery board being to the right. The WW2 pillbox will be replaced with a small signal box and the crossing will most likely get some small gates.​

My carpet mockup felt just about right, the tall chimney just to the right of the Cornish engine would contrast really well with the halt. The halt could be named after the colliery possibly, it mostly serving the miners. Whilst the track layout will be pretty basic, luckily most of the North Somerset coal field mines were very compact indeed, the 3ft x 1ft extension being quite a limit - but it does fit just without looking too silly.

The plan is be to have it ready for Railex end of May '13. It's already invited, I just needed to blag a few more feet which I've succeded in doing successfully.

Polbrock is booked into Model Rail live, so work on opening up the right hand side of the layout will start in the autumn.

What is POLBROCK?

 

[Dog Star]

Nice sketch of the extension, atmosphere by the buckety load.

How would the colliery be worked with just a single siding... empties in (where to?) and fulls out (from?) would have been the norm, as drawn the empties would be pushed beyond the screen then pulled through for loading. I am not sure if such a method of operation would be prototypical given the time taken. Or maybe there is a colliery loco sitting in the headshunt... the train engine places the empties into the screen road and departs... colliery loco pushes empties past screen and then pulls back for loading one at a time. When all wagons are loaded the colliery loco pushes the fulls up the screen road and returns to headshunt, railway loco returns and draws fulls out and departs.

Brake van?

Interesting.

 

[AdamF]

Very nice indeed - I love the crossing and cottage

The names ring bells - I used to live about 10 minutes drive from a lovely village in North Somerset called Barrow Gurney (site of an old asylum, I think) I always liked Clapton in Gordano as well...

Adam

 

[Chris Nevard]

I know it's far from ideal, so I'm imagining the rest of the colliery is off set (more sidings, a loop maybe), the siding disappears through its own exit to the fiddle yard. The colliery will probably have its own engine. It's all a compromise, space is tight, and I'd like to have something more. But as well all know in real life especially industrial places there were all sorts of anomilties luckily with some of the Somerset collieries were very small handling only a few wagons at a time. Either way it creates a good puzzle! I'll probably imagine that empties enter the colliery somewhere off set.

Given the space I'd love to model the bottom of the Kilmersdon incline and the unusual triangular connection with BR at the bottom. 12ft x12ft (by about 6ft high) in 4mm ought to do it, but getting all that in the back of the car could be an interesting one!

 

[Geoff]

Very nice indeed Chris, Whilst doing some research on Mells Road Station and Colliery I came across this website, which might give you a few more ideas for a loading screen and winding house.

http://www.archive-images.co.uk/index.gallery.php?gid=18&ipg=2

Geoff

 

[westernfan]

Like what you have done to the Bachmann winding house, mine got a makeover too .

 

[Steve Cook]

Nice sketch to see how you visualise the extension Chris It'll be interesting to see how you manage to gel the whole thing together.

Are you going to have to modify Polbrock to such an extent that it would not be separable from the colliery extension? I only ask as I'm rather partial to the 'less is more' concept - I thought Polbrock hit all the right buttons as it stands, it seems a bit of a shame in my mind to modify it from its current state (although I understand your reasons for doing so).

Steve

 

[Bob]

It's a nice concept and the addition of a small colliery really puts me in mind of the Limpley Stoke-Camerton branch, the halt being reminiscent of Dunkerton. Lots of potential there!
Must agree with Steve though, Polbrock is great as it stands. Whichever you decide though Chris I look forward to seeing the outcome.

Bob

 

[Chris Nevard]

Thanks guys! Geoff - fab link!

I don't want to lose the feel of Polbrock, so presentation wize it will be identical, just a bit longer, a layout in a coffin rather than current the fishtank.
Today The Middleton Press book of the Frome - Brizzle line arrived and I can see what you mean about Dunkerton!

 

[Simon]

I like that sketch, it looks a lot more "North Somerset" than an earlier mock up I think I saw that you had done some while ago.

As regards the position of running line and colliery (especially pithead) then I think that strictly speaking they are too close, I have just gone through my Somerset Coalfield book and "Through Countryside and Coalfield" and the closest to your sketch is probably Greyfield, with Camerton (which inspired Jerry Clifford's 2mm colliery) following. If your running line is a light railway/freight only (As in the Newbury Railway from Mells in your Frome Brizzle book) then you've more latitude in this area - BUT:

I don't think any of that matters, as I see it you are just artistically moving the background closer to the foreground which gives us (the viewer) the huge benefit of seeing both properly.

I have had similar ideas over the years but never really executed them (ask Tim!) but would really like to see you develop this idea - there are precious few colliery related model railways about.

One slight observation or thought, at the pit that I actually saw (Writhlington) my memory or sense includes vegetation dampness and water, overhanging trees or bushes, stream alongside the loading screens etc. If you explore the remains of Camerton now, I think you get the same sense of railway, industry and brook all in close contact with each other, with several bridges in each location. And of course both with former canal beds interwoven in their history and landscape.

Sorry about all that, I guess all I'm doing is voting for some water!!

I've got a surface plan of Writhlington and detailed plans of the loading hoppers together with a very few colour pictures I took before and during demolition which you'd be welcome to borrow, although the hoppers are the later concrete type, somewhat less picturesque than your style.

I look forward to seeing the idea develop in whatever direction you take it

Simon

 

[Chris Nevard]

You are right Simon, the problem I have is space and being limited by the depth, widening not being an option sadly, and I won't run the through line any closer to the front of the baseboard - a photographic no-no because I hate edge of layouts being in shots. Here is a scale plan, the buildings shoe horned in (already built).

I visited the site of Writhlington (ext-link http://www.flickr.com/photos/nevardmedia/sets/72157626758889773/) last year and had a wander around, even found enough real coal to fill enough toy trains for the rest of my life. Trees will most likely feature heavily, surrounding the whole area, a brook (complete with rust coloured mud) might even appear in the foreground too - early days, but it will happen in time for Railex '13. Then Larkrail? I'd like to see your photos sometime too



Below; here's the bit aleady built (camera resting on the point to the left of the pub), and having just bought the Frome - Brizzle book, I'm quite pleased (shear luck actually) that it does look a little like one of the halts on the line if you excuse the escapee from Templecombe!



<<edited for link>>