St Just
David Curtis 4mm Scale/EM Gauge Early 1900s
3277 'Isle of Tresco'
When it is not raining, the Isle of Tresco can be seen by looking westwards from St Just. In out romance a glimpse of the Isle of Tresco may also be briefly caught in the east, this time a GWR outside-framed 4-4-0 locomotive emerging from a tunnel through the ridge straddled by Jericho Farm, plus Busvargus and Tregeseal Common. '
An early seventies reference in 'The Cornishman' newspaper's 'Days of Yesteryear' feature, referred to an 1890's proposal for a light railway to St Just (Penwith). After some evenings poring over an OS map and aided and abbetted by the purchase of a K's GWR 44xx loco kit from the model shop in Penzance, the idea for this layout was born. That was around 1974/5.
For modelling purposes the route is envisaged emerging from a tunnel to terminate in the valley now occupied by New Road. When the GWR took over the line, the existing buildings were replaced with brick structures along the lines of those at Longrock and Truro, albeit on a smaller scale. This enabled the use of the 'Prototype Models' card building kits. The layout measures 14'6" x 1'6", the handbuilt track using code 55 Peco rail and copperclad sleepers, the track base is formed from the 2mm polystyrene roll used lining walls prior to wallpapering. While it provides for quiet running, unfortunately it melts at the slightest whiff of a soldering iron, as has been found out when repairs have been made over the intervening years! Vrtually all the stock is kit built and dates from the 1970s. Control is by way of a H&M Safety Mionor and one of their early Walkabout inertia models.
Photos by David Curtis.
An early seventies reference in 'The Cornishman' newspaper's 'Days of Yesteryear' feature, referred to an 1890's proposal for a light railway to St Just (Penwith). After some evenings poring over an OS map and aided and abbetted by the purchase of a K's GWR 44xx loco kit from the model shop in Penzance, the idea for this layout was born. That was around 1974/5.
For modelling purposes the route is envisaged emerging from a tunnel to terminate in the valley now occupied by New Road. When the GWR took over the line, the existing buildings were replaced with brick structures along the lines of those at Longrock and Truro, albeit on a smaller scale. This enabled the use of the 'Prototype Models' card building kits. The layout measures 14'6" x 1'6", the handbuilt track using code 55 Peco rail and copperclad sleepers, the track base is formed from the 2mm polystyrene roll used lining walls prior to wallpapering. While it provides for quiet running, unfortunately it melts at the slightest whiff of a soldering iron, as has been found out when repairs have been made over the intervening years! Vrtually all the stock is kit built and dates from the 1970s. Control is by way of a H&M Safety Mionor and one of their early Walkabout inertia models.
Photos by David Curtis.
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