On the trail of the Lone Pine Club

[06/24]

New beginnings

 

A hiatus from railway modelling has caused me to take a long hard look at what I am trying to achieve. It's clear that standard gauge features too many impulse buys and wide choices to enable my easily distracted mind to focus. In 4mm scale too much real estate would also be required to do something satisfying. I have toyed with N gauge, but found the precision necessary to model convincingly in the smaller scale difficult to achieve, and, I fear, would ultimately lead to frustration.

 

While Hartley has proved I can build a successful, working, exhibitable layout in 009, and, although there is still much to finish, it made me realise that a small roundy-round layout, while fun to watch, didn't satisfy my urge to operate, and in particular to shunt.

 

Chapel Lane Yard has been through a number of iterations but I have concluded that the baseboards, designed to fit in a cupboard, were overly narrow. Not that I have a lot of room, but with this size of layout even an extra inch of scenic depth is significant in percentage terms.  Meanwhile, I have grown frustrated/bored/overly familiar with the Eden Valley Light Railway setting. I do think it has merit, and may return to it some day, but for now have decided to set aside that fiction in favour of another.

 

Enter the Clun Valley Railway. Hardly an original concept, but with the geographical setting more likely for a narrow gauge common carrier, and with the opportunity to model a line absorbed by the Great Western, still one of my favourite of the big four.

 

Even better, my Fourdees loco fleet, at least the two Pecketts, and the GVT loco, should still be usable, and in Brunswick Green the Pecketts are close enough to GWR loco green as makes no difference. Fourdees lovely Peco coaches are chocolate and cream, so they will fit the bill, as will my home brewed chocolate parcels van. Freight stock could be a mixture of Peco and the new Bachmann WD wagons, all of which are available in shades of grey suitable for GWR-isation. The (as yet unbuilt) cattle wagon fleet could also be reused.

 

I've made a start by constructing some new baseboards. While I love the convenience and consistency of Tim Horn baseboards, I wanted to try making my own. I've never been satisfied in the past but hopefully this time I can build something I'm content with.

 

The boards are essentially conventional 18x44mm battens glued and screwed, at 12" centres, with a 1/4" ply top. On top of this, is a layer of 1" blue styrofoam, reinforced at the ends by strips of 18x28mm timber, so that the mating surfaces between boards are solid, and the height differential conveniently matches cork tiles for roadbed. The foam top surface allows for some vertical relief, without compromising the stability of the boards.

New beginnings by jongwinnett, on Flickr

 

New beginnings by jongwinnett, on Flickr

 

New beginnings by jongwinnett, on Flickr

 

Untitled by jongwinnett, on Flickr

 

Why Lone Pine? I'm sure some of you will remember with affection, as I do, the series of children's novels by Malcolm Saville, many of which were set in Shropshire. One, The Secret of Grey Walls, even features Clun closely, while another features the quarries around Snailbeach. Although its not a part of the world I'm overly familiar with, I did get a the chance of a flying visit to Snailbeach last year, and the drive through Shropshire reminded me what a lovely part of the world it is.

Finally, a nod of appreciation to @wkennerleywho asked a question about Chapel Lane, re-igniting my enthusiasm - thank you!

 

 

[Tony C]

If you'll excuse the pun, I'll come along for the ride!

 

Not had a 'train set' since I was a boy but keep pondering over building a lay out, to the extent of wondering how it would be possible to involve both RAF and rail services in the same lay-out!

[Army_Air_Force]

It's been 11 years since my last layout for myself. I'll sit in on this.

 

21 minutes ago, Tony C said:

......wondering how it would be possible to involve both RAF and rail services......

All my layouts have had aircraft on them somewhere, from a single aircraft as part of a war memorial, to the huge scrap yard at Kingman Arizona! Even a 009 layout set in World War 1 with a Royal Flying Corps airfield.

 

Edited March 14, 2018 by Army_Air_Force

[06/24]

Thanks chaps, I imagine progress will be sporadic but hopefully entertaining

[wkennerley]

Fantastic, glad I could help re-ignite the enthusiasm - I have recently returned to model railways myself - Quick question where did you get the blue foam from? I cannot seem to find it - I did find some foam at Glasplies and ordered a .5" sheet, seems to be the right sort of foam but of course I do not have anything to compare with - 

 

Thanks Wayne

[06/24]

I got mine off eBay, brand name is styrofoam but searching for one inch blue foam seems to work. 

[06/24]

Also available on Amazon:

 

Styrofoam Sheet - 25 x 600 x 1219mm https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008MYR6IU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_wJN0AbBP4MC77

[wkennerley]

Superb thanks