Scrap but still wanted…
In 1989 Allied Steel and Wire introduced their own air braked wagons for use in the Speedlink network to collect scrap from around the country and bring it to their works in Cardiff…
Paxton Road is 1990. It is Speedlink and it is wonderful place to spend time.
Ringing the changes, digging into my wagon collection and swapping the supporting actors keeps both casual visits and operational bursts fresh and always different. This pair of scrap wagons were actually Shapeways bodies with extra detail, Peco 15ft chassis and replacement wheels and buffers for fidelity. I swore I’d never build N gauge wagon kits yet have a fair few in the collection as I push up against the boundaries of what is available for us from the ready to run manufacturers.
I think it is this distilled focus and ability to keep the scene always fresh that have contributed to the layouts continued success. Other projects come and go, but Paxton Road still feels an important part of my life. Until next time, more soon…
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Looking at that photo I suddenly realised I don't ever remember seeing an 08 hauling freight. I know they did, but in my mind they are station pilots
ReplyDeleteI don’t ever really remember seeing them do anything at all! Whenever I saw them they were sat in the sidings at Chester or Bristol.
DeleteThey only go out after dark. But imagine this. The far reaches of New St Station in the late 70s/early 80s. There is an 08 that sits in a bay, and ventures out to bring in EWS and parcels traffic, the platform is strewn with BRUTES. It can go out in daytime because light never reaches that bit of New St. In between times the odd Cross City DMU visits...
DeleteNow imagine that as as single turnout layout
Now that’s a layout!
DeleteFarish even do the perfect 08 for New Street!, Spectre!
I think that photo shows off, or rather, doesn't show off, the DG couplings
ReplyDeleteThanks, that is definitely a massive benefit of the hassle of changing the couplings.
DeleteHi James
ReplyDeleteThat photo reminded me of a visit back in 1994. I was working for a company in Newmarket and worked out that in my lunch hour I could drive near to then Mayer Parry scrap yard at Snailwell. A walk across the fields, it was July, meant I was able to photograph a Ruston 0-6-0DE shunting scrap in bogie Sheerness Steel wagons, which looked like larger versions of those in your photo. Also at one end of the site the trees and foliage were not unlike Paxton Road.
I will dig out the photos later today and see what you think
Best regards
Alan
Thanks Alan, the photos look great, I’ll share them with the world next week all being well.
DeleteThe photo above made me hanker after an n gauge layout but nothing too challenging (I'm currently dabbling with a Dapol 08 in O gauge). I think a quick fix is in order and have been looking at your Looe branch scheme (quart in a pint pot). You don't give dimensions but would 4ft be an acceptable length for an n gauge version of the plan? I'm always amazed by the photos Alan took of very obscure railway backwaters. Who would think to walk across some fields to photograph a loco in a scrap yard? I'm looking forward to seeing them, thank you both for bringing these more obscure corners of the railway network to our attention. I rarely took any photos back in the 80's and 90's, if I had a time machine I'd go to Lostwithiel station in the summer of 1995. I was 18 , with a packet of cheese sandwiches, a can of coke and the greatest show on earth (37's on clay trains). Thank you as always James for stirring up the memories.
ReplyDeleteTom, yes, although I’d go personally for 100 x 22 ish so it would fit on a LACK shelf. Make you’re viewing window no taller than 20cm for a nice letter box view…
DeleteThanks Tom anf James
DeleteSince I was never a train spotter BR had no interest for me, BUT obscure and not so obscure, railway "backwaters" ( and you can say that of most industrial systems) always have an appeal!!
Best regards
Alan
Tom, something James has made me realise, especially seeing some N layouts in the flesh, is - i'm going to struggle to articulate this - with careful design you can fit a lot into a small space. I'm struggling to fill his original Gerald Rd design because with is thinking in mind it seems a vast space to fill
DeleteIndeed, that’s spot on James.
DeleteTom, I think you’ll be alright because ‘Quart into a Pint Pot’ is basically two layout scenes, so treat each one as discrete (clay works at back with station in front and then station off to the right). This way you only really have two Paxton Roads to build.
Thank you for the advice (both!). I do find a blank baseboard intimidating. I've spent a fair amount of time on the Looe branch , it's always been inspiring. I've always struggled to finish a layout, I really struggle to make good buildings, I've tried most methods but not really satisfied with most of the ones I've made. Will let you know how I get on. I have a sliver of rail about an inch thick that I found at the edge of Liskeard station car park about 18 years ago, so I actually own a very small part of the branch. It's been useful as a weight to keep platforms in place whilst glue dries.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
DeleteBuildings… with this there are not many to do… the ‘dries’, two small platform shelters and a road bridge. I reckon you could use Peco NB16. The peaked roof wooden building facing into the layout, the longer single pitch facing out on the right of the layout, but modify it by chopping off one end so it’s an open fronted shelter with a roof on one end, rather than both ends. I’ve had a trawl and I can’t find anything obviously convertible for the dries, but I’ll keep looking.
NB16 has a lot of potential for improvement/kit bashing. You could build the shelter with just one office, improve the corrugated shed, and mount the goods shed on a timber platform.
Delete