# Penzance 1913 - UK T Gauge



## martink (Oct 30, 2015)

My fourth linear-motor-powered T Gauge layout has finally reached an interesting stage, with trains now running over the whole thing, so it was time to make a quick video. It is obviously still a work in progress, so please judge accordingly.

Penzance is a busy holiday terminus in the extreme bottom-left corner of England, the western extremity of the old Great Western Railway. The layout is a 1:480 scale, 6x2 foot depiction of the station and approach viaduct as of 1913. This date was chosen because I wanted to include the cramped loco depot, which was moved a couple of miles up the line in 1914, and the timber trestle bridge that ran along the beach front, which kept getting washed away by Atlantic storms and was replaced by a much less scenic causeway and sea wall in 1921.

The track plan is slightly simplified for practical reasons, but the missing tracks will be included as dummies later on. Operationally, passenger and goods trains both terminate and originate here, so the layout is built to perform hands-off shunting and loco turning. It is mainly designed for fully automatic exhibition running, but will have a control panel for full manual operation as well. It is currently using a limited 12-switch panel which allows basic movements and simple record/playback automation.


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

Very nice! At 1:480 you must have excellent eyesight and very steady hands. The blue pencil really puts the train size in perspective.


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

Amazingly smooth operations. Well done. The size makes my old eyes hurt!


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## Magic (Jan 28, 2014)

You do have your trains running much smoother now. 
Love the horse drawn carriages in the background.
Amazing work.  

Magic


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## martink (Oct 30, 2015)

It has been a while since I last posted, since for a few months not a lot was happening. However, the scenic work has now begun in earnest. All the buildings have been constructed, both railway and other. The platforms and foundation work for the ground, roads and dummy tracks are coming along too. It is almost starting to look like a model railway.

While a lot of the buildings from a century ago are still there, many have vanished or changed. I could only find a handful of photos taken from very limited angles, so there is a lot of educated guesswork here.


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## Magic (Jan 28, 2014)

Some very good "educated guesswork " I'd say.

Maybe I missed it but does that turn table work?
You do some amazing work in T scale.

Magic


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## martink (Oct 30, 2015)

Magic said:


> Some very good "educated guesswork " I'd say.
> 
> Maybe I missed it but does that turn table work?
> You do some amazing work in T scale.
> ...


You just have to fill in the gaps based on what data you have, using standard practices for the railway company in question, and adjust it to fit the actual space and track geometry, then finally say "that's good enough'. For example, for the coal stage, all I have is the following...

And yes, the turntable does work, as seen about 2 minutes into the video at the start of this topic. 

While there are a handful of us doing serious work in T, the difficulty is only about the same as decent modelling in N or HO, just applied a little differently. Two of the best T layouts I am aware of would be "Orbost" and "The Bridge", both visible on YouTube and well worth a look.


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