A Mid-Suffolk two pointer…
One lazy afternoon my finger ran along the familiar spines of my railway books in the library, and paused on the Wild Swan line history for the Mid Suffolk Light Railway…
I remember purchasing this book during lock down and feeling that the prototype held such charm that it must fuel some light railway project or scheme but it wasn’t until this particular afternoon that I determined to use that inspiration to create a small layout concept.
I often find myself penning layouts that would fit in the space currently occupied by Pont-y-Dulais and Kinross, the practice of starting with a space and finding a prototype that will fit is one that is a combination of enjoyable and calming, and as the pages turned in the book the mind started to pull together some disparate inspiration to create a flavour rather than an exact replica.
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| Illustration by James Hilton, photos and diagram from Mid Suffolk Light Railway book. |
So this is another of my two point plans, two turnouts giving half a run round loop and a goods siding, a cliché yet one that works so well in this envelope. A balance of the railway we know with the compromise of compression. The name, Debenfield sounds plausible but of course is a folly, and is a carefully choreographed mix of elements from locations along the line.
I’ve pictured setting this towards the end of the railway’s life in the 1950s, imagine, as you find yourself stood on the lonely platform, taking shelter from the wind in the old building no longer any more than a glorified bus shelter. The crossing gates are still in place but beyond the un-used track is rusty and overgrown and your mind wanders to other railways you’ve come to know and see follow the same sad decline. A clanking noise as the train drifts down a gentle gradient comes to your senses and you turn to see the J15 arriving under the road bridge, it’s single carriage train with crew of three meaning you’re outnumbered 3/1 on your journey.
The station is inspired by Mendlesham with the bridge a widened example of the A140. The track is Peco bullhead, the stock ready to run, the layout is quick to realise but relaxing to finish in my usual cameo presentation. Trains arrive from stage left, passenger trains running into the platform on arrival. Before departure the coach is shoved back and the train runs round off stage, before reversing its train back into the platform. Goods traffic is sparse, but coal and the odd van could arrive in the small yard as the railway was still mandated to be a common carrier in this period.
As with other schemes of a similar nature (Llandinam and Somewhere on a Summer’s Day) it is unlikely this will ever be built, but the exercise was good fun. What it shows, again, is that anyone has space for a shelf layout, and perhaps provides fuel and energy for your own project? Until next time more soon…
Hi James
ReplyDeleteLike you I have often thought of the East Anglian branch lines and they are maybe closest to some of the midwest shortline railroads in the US. However for me most have only limited, albeit laid back, operations. However an exception would be some of the branches associated with the sugar beet industry. Obviously the Wissington Light Railway, eventually owned by British Sugar, is perhaps the best prototype but there were others. Maybe in your plan the freight dock siding could actually be the branch into the factory and the track under the bridge could lead to the exchange yard.
However as always you get us to think about how possible prototypes can be modelled
Best regards
Alan
Alan good to hear from you again. As you say there would be different waits of casting the MSLR, my penchant for run down track and less focus on operation suits this caricature. I think your idea of a more industrial version sounds equally exciting.
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