Thinking Inside the Box

Firstly, Happy New Year to you all. I hope the Christmas period was good to you and that 2017 is a happy and productive one.

Now 2017 is here I can now reveal that the 2017 MRL Forum Challenge is 'In a Box.' As always with me, I'm thinking micro. Therefore, after a shopping trip to Ikea I am now the proud owner of a Knagglig box. 

Made of pine, the Knagglig has dimensions of 23 cm deep, 31 cm wide and 15 cm high. I'm yet to build it up - it's from Ikea, of course it's a flat pack - but when I do so I need to leave one side open, as well as cutting an exit hole on one side.  I might hinge the side, meaning I can then close it to aid dust avoidance, but I'm unsure as yet.

But that's the box. What about inside it? Well, since I've moved to Shropshire I've taken quite an interest in the railways of the area. Although you don't perhaps think of Shropshire as a major railway player, the county has lots of railway history. Therefore, I've decided to use a bit of it as the basis for my challenge entry. Coalbrookdale and it's surrounding area, to be precise.

My entry is going to be a pointless fork based around the tile industry found in the Jackfield area. The plan is a low relief factory (I've got a Dapol shed that will be just the ticket) down the back of the layout, with a door leading to a loading area (un-modelled) on one line, with the other just being a siding. As much as I hate working with Wills sheet, I'm thinking that the back siding (along the factory) will be inset in the cobbles. 

That's the plan, anyway. I best go and put this box together! 

A bit of maths for you...

I've been pondering over this maths sum this morning.

Take this...

Add these to it...

And what do you get...?

A tiny servicing (water and coal) point for a small preserved/industrial railway.

Thoughts?

Chetwynd Aston: Micro Layout

Today saw quite a bit of progress on my new micro-layout, Chetwynd Aston. Having previously come up with the track plan and back story, I took advantage of it being the last day of my summer holidays and set to it.

The main focus of today was landscaping. On the far side I built it up using off cuts of foam board cut to shape, whilst on the near side I used papier mache (the Hattons catalogue comes in handy again!). It's a messy business but was more suitable for the viewing side due to what was required. I then cut a channel under the Moody Mallard - which now has it's roof finished! - for the wiring. The wiring is attached to the track and is nice and simple, just one feed. Even better was the fact that, when tested, it worked!

I then treated myself to a little 'play' session of photography. I can't actually run the full layout yet as I am missing a Y point, which I will pick up tomorrow. However, I placed a few bits and pieces - including a suspicious character, his pretty assistant and an odd blue box - to get a feel for how things might look.

You might notice that both photos include a Sentinel shunter. This arrived this morning and I wasted no time getting it on the layout. I've had emails saying my other 3 wagons are out for delivery too, so soon I'll have all stock too.

It's been an enjoyable day!

Beating "Modeller's Block"

Although I've been working on - and thoroughly enjoying - the Lima 47 to keep the modelling going, it's been several years since I last had a layout that I could run something on. In the intervening period I've started to build a few but they've all been abandoned and forgotten.

Recently, you'll remember that I recently blogged about a visit to the Telford Steam Railway. Well, when looking through a few pictures of it again recently, a combination of a few pictures led me to come up with a little idea. The two pictures in particular are below.

Why so inspirational? Well, with only a little space available for a model, a single line terminus (which was my last completed model too) seems to be the right idea. Horsehay and Dawley (above right) is an example of this, as to is Lawley Village at the other end of the line... although I didn't take any pictures of that for some reason. Indeed, Lawley Village - or rather it's Pagoda shelter - is the basis for the station. The picture above left is of the Telford Steam Railway's shop. I loved this, so thought that I'd add that to the model as something a little different. Yes, it will take up some space, but the other idea is that the line is preserved but is only very small and operates brake van rides, nothing more.

So, with all that in mind, I ended up with the following...

I've ordered a few Dapol (formerly Airfix) kits for a brake van and a meat van to act as the passenger service and the shop. I've enjoyed working on the Lima 47 so much I decided I'd rather kit build my stock, rather than just buy ready to roll off the shelf. I knocked a quick foam core base board up the other day. It's tiny (even by my standards) but will suffice. The trusty Wills Pagoda shelter is perfect for the station whilst, finally, my revamped 08, Clara, will do just the job for the motive power.

So far today I've primed the parts to the meat van, and painted the components of the under frame black too. They are just drying now.

Beating modeller's block? Maybe not, but it's a start!

A trip on the Telford Steam Railway

Amy (SWMBO) lives in Shropshire and I've long fancied a trip on the TSR. So, with me moving in over the summer we decided - finally - to go and pay it a visit last Sunday (19th). It's not a huge heritage line by any stretch (but they do have big plans of expansion down to Coalbrookdale in the Ironbridge Gorge) but it was a most friendly and enjoyable trip. We were pulled by 'Rocket,' the mainstay of the fleet, and housed in one half of a DMU. 

I thought I'd include a few snaps of the visit.

Not a big railway by any stretch, but well worth a visit! I shall certainly be back over the summer!