New Challenges

Despite the visititudes of Outrageous Fortune (see: previous post), I was able to salvage the Littledene baseboard framework (my carpentry skills are much better than I originally thought ... see Mr. Scott, I was paying attention during Woodwork class) as well as the points, and I have had ample time to reconsider the Inglenook concept within a New Zealand context.

Layout #2 is to be representative of a section of the Hornby Industrial Line (ex-Southbridge Branch). The timeframe has yet to be determined, but could be any time between 1951-1989, based solely upon the only motive power I currently own, a De loco (a recabbed 2001 Minitrix). Furthermore, a lot will depend upon the availablity of photos of the area c.1950s-60s, and the later date (1981-9) is looking more likely as:
(a) De's came to the Mainland in 1981 and
(b) all the photographic research I currently have is dated 2005 (and can be somewhat redacted backwards 20 years).

The area to be modelled is between 1 Mile 30 Chains and 1 Mile 50 Chains south of Hornby Junction and serviced several industries, notably: Crown Crystal & Glass Co. and the United Empire Box Co.

The branchline offers several unique modelling possibilities: it is a narrow rail corridor between low but somewhat imposing concrete and corrugated tin warehouses, with the occassional, overgrown, rubbish-strewn vacant lot, so the sense of confined space will be obvious; and it is industrial grunge at its best (not your bucolic rolling countryside or West Coast bushscape for me, thank you), something that is not too frequently modelled in NZ.

The layout will be another Inglenook (offers endless hours of shunting pleasure for this modeller but might not be everyone's cup o' Earl Grey) employing the traditional mainline and two "siding" layout. However ...

... In the past I had been too literal in my attempt to model NZ Railways. A loop was supposed to be a "loop" and appear (in its entirety) on the baseboard, at least to my way of thinking. A recent article in Carl Arendt's Small Layout Scrapebook disabused me of this notion when Prof Klyzlr's latest 0 Gauge 3-2-2 Inglenook layout was recently unveiled. Prof uses a simple arrangement of three tracks (an industrial siding, mainline and loop) running the length of a 1.2m baseboard. There is only one point (the mainline can be "switched" to the loop) and the whole layout uses an off-stage sector plate to perform the necessary switching operations.

This startling idea (running the mainline and loop off-stage left) had just never occured to me before. The concept was further reinforced whilst reading through the Layout Ideas on Mr. Druff's most excellent blog. There, in the Outram layout discussion, the author suggests removing two points and letting the mainline and loop run off-stage (to a sector plate).

So, after entering stage-left (travelling south from Hornby Junction), the mainline switches to service the United Empire Box Co. on a 5 wagon siding, and then switches to the loop. Both the mainline and the loop can accommodate 3 wagons each by using the simple expediency of the mainline and loop crossing a main suburban road (extreme stage-right) with closed rail gates to prevent any fouling of the road traffic. These gates are still in place today (cnr Halswell Junction Rd.). The impression of a much greater whole is maintained, and all this on a 1.2m baseboard.

Mockups certainly look very promising and there is more than ample scope for scenic detailing.