Furnmouth
Fictional West, 1958–1960
Also known as the Furnmouth Project
This layout started as a short little branch between a couple of places I made up: Furmouth and Furnhampton. The idea was to test out a few ideas for the project gwr stock and scenery. The layout grew!
In the days of Rail3D Classic, one of my more noteable layouts as 1967. This layout was a fictional layout built around the time of 1967 and was one of the first layout that I put a major effort in timetabling etc…
This layout again looks at a time period (this time 1958 to 1960). Steam is still strong - but diesels are already making inroads. This gives me a lot of flexibility!
Eventually I’d like to move the layout forward to a modern (ish) setting.
Current News
September 2007
Yeah - its been a while. I’ve finally started to get really stuck into something worthwhile showing off - Timetabling. With the help of an Excel spreadsheet I’m starting to map out a working timetable which I’ll then actually put into the layout itself. I haven’t really added much more track lately, just a few odds and ends that allowed me to collect the timing data for a couple of main trunk routes… See the pdf below for development work.
Attach:Table1.pdf A time in Italics indicates a pass-through rather than a stop
February 2006
The layout is progressing slowly amongst the other project I’m working on at the moment but here’s the map:
Unfortunately you can’t really read the labels very well - I am currently working my way eastwards. The lines shown in green are the “sr” lines to lay, the brown ones the “gwr” lines, and the black lines already laid. This map was actually created a while ago (January) but I use this as a reference when track laying.
Recently I have added the branches from Saltash to Fowey (sr), & Bodmin - Padstow (sr). This line is being timetabled properly - I’m just in the process of figuring out what services will be run.
February 2006 screenshot:
November 2005
Currently the map looks like this (cue large map!):
If you want to look at a version of the map where you can read the labels…go to: http://www.thistle5.plus.com/img/furnmouthlayout.svg (you’ll need either inkscape or an svg enabled browser).
To give an idea of scale, a Paignton to Minehead stopping train takes in the region of an hour, with a 4MT and 7 mk1s. Some local branch services are hauled by Panniers.
Eventually I plan to model a D600 Warship as these first saw service in 1958.
I’m going to move the layout forward by a year or two to 1959/1960. Decided to model a D63XX and these only appeared in 1959
About the fictional area
Population Centres
- Minehead - Holiday Resort
- Cawston - Market Town
- Stockton - Market Town
- Newport - Large Town
- East Norbridge - Market Town
- Teignmouth - Fishing Town
- Dawlish - Holiday Resort
- Paignton - Large Town / Holiday Resort
- Boughton - Small Town
- Dunchurch - Market Town
Every other station is for a Village or smaller!
(Update 20.11.05) The gwr lines from Exeter to Penzance are now in along with a fair few branches. I’m now going to concentrate more on the ‘sr’ line though I have a fair few branches to put in. I estimate the layout to be in the region of 4 to 5 hours across by slow train - I haven’t actually tried it yet but ‘2V10′ will be a Penzance - Exeter slow train so I’ll know eventually!
A non-gwr line is found at East Norbridge - this will also link into the City but via a different route, much as the Southern Railway line ran to Plymouth via Dartmoor, vs the gwr route along the sea wall.
Screenshots
The shingle beach at “Tesmouth”, as a pannier conducts a light engine movement.
Alan
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