Ynyslas remix…
The internet can be a wonderful friend sometimes and I was lucky enough that fellow blogger James Wells tagged Neil Rushby about my previous Shell Island / Ynyslas meanderings at the weekend…
Neil mentioned that Ynyslas had been a muse of his too, post Shell Island before settling on Morfa (his more recent larger EM layout). He mentioned by scheming of a siding at Ynyslas wasn’t far off the mark, and in Cambrian Railway days there had even been a siding facing south that headed north towards the old ferry to Aberdovey.
This pearl of wisdom was born out by deeper research on the National Library of Scotland’s map archive and what follows (above) is a remix of the scheme thinking about how a ‘practice’ piece could be formed to allow me to play with some new techniques (to create mud, water, sea, sand and dunes) as well as being an interesting muse for a few weeks. Being drawn to both the ideas of the beach and dunes and the tidal river wharf, placing them back to back makes geographical sense as well as working in a small composition. This could well be another Christmas project, and the next chapter in the N scale adventure as I don’t quite feel ready to start on the N scale layout proper just yet. I suppose that, and some of the messages within my book may help you consider your own projects and armchair ideas in a fresh more tangible and achievable light, a set of stepping stones to a larger more long term goal? Until next time, more soon…
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I really like these concepts in terms of viewing angle. Have you read any of Barry Norman's books? He's also presented layout designs with similar viewing angles allowed, albeit on the scale of a full station track plan. A lot of them make use of objects in the foreground to constrain the view from a given angle, although I suspect that the subject matter here makes that a bit difficult. Having said that, I wouldn't be surprised if the odd dune and tuft are more effective in this regard than might be imagined. And from what I've seen of simple ovals with a single structure in the middle, that halt might have a part to play as well.
ReplyDeleteTim
I suppose I’m thinking this is a diorama, a test piece for my own amusement rather than anything more… we shall see what happens.
DeleteThis reminds me of Jamie Warne's excellent 'Sandy Shores' and his more recent explorations of the Hampshire coastline at https://jamsmodelrailways.blogspot.com/. It has the same ambience and the same unconventional use of backscenes and viewing points.
ReplyDeleteIndeed Colin, nothing new here, this is more my meandering design process for my own project than a new prototype or new idea so I’ve been a little more lazy. What I’m after is a nice composition that allows me to play with some new methods and techniques… we’ll see!
DeleteI do like the concept presented in the plan where the line runs vertically, underneath sketch A. It's an idea that I've been working with for the longest time. How, on a model railway, do you recreate that common lineside experience of being stood on a road overbridge and having the train appear from underneath you and head into the distance. Making the principal activity on the layout moving back and forth and not side to side.
ReplyDeleteIncluding a model road bridge on the layout would not be out of place for the Cambrian coast, If memory serves me right, there are a few of those delightful short platformed halts that have a road bridge just past the platform end.
I think this idea might work best in 0 scale with that larger size needing extra depth for the train to head into the distance.
I think viewing layouts end on is problematic, although I agree with your thoughts and emotional connection to this view of the prototype Ian, I'm not sure we can make it work in smaller scales - because ideally we'd then compress the distances and make everything shorter than it needs to be, to get it into a realistic space BUT of course our trains themselves aren't compressed! Food for thought though, thanks for stopping by!
DeleteNice to see how this is coming together, James, and nail on the head in the last bit - it was reading your book that finally broke me away from the mentality of needing to build one all-conquering layout to the possibility of creating a series of micro layouts with differing themes/prototypes/stories, perhaps even employing (gasp) different scales. The overwhelming assumption within the model railway community seems to be that you pick a scale, outline and era, and stick to it. Evidently I'm just not sufficiently decisive...
ReplyDeleteJoin the club! Smaller projects, even better closely cropped realistic cameos are a wonderful way to learn technique, explore prototypes and play with composition. They can stand alone or be part of a series, they can live as long as required or wanted. We’ve a wonderful hobby, avoid being pigeonholed by the ‘mainstream’.
DeleteI’ve been reading the Ynyslas articles with great interest, being a big fan of these small insignificant corners of our railways. What’s been going round in my mind is the idea of building a something like the Ynyslas concept but with a longer scenic run. This, I feel, would add a lot to the visuals of the layout. You’d have a good view of the loco and handful of wagons making their slow progress across a slice of landscape.
ReplyDeleteIt’s funny you mention that Mark, as that is what George and I are now contemplating. Something like 6-8ft in N, in around 12-18” deep presented as a ‘cameo’ and modelled to a high standard… current thoughts are nothing to give a time period to the model so we can get away with steam, diesel or even Transport For Wales 158s in time…
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