Fenot: Ideas on presentation…

I was rather taken with Oly’s ‘The Victory’. It reminded me not only of some idea I’d had on presentation, but too, of the joy of exhibiting a model railway…

In recent months, and even more recent weeks I’ve pondered a home for my small Irish collection. I’ve gone around in circles with ideas for shelf cameos and larger, exhibition sized layouts… but they were always a compromise in some way - either not enough space for the scene, too big to store at home or too complicated to operate on my own. Result? Nothing. No progress.

A notification to pay for my pre-ordered Bulleid H vans from Irish Railway Models was a nudge to get it all out again - and I had a Lack shelf out for something else so it made sense to place them on that… and then Oly’s layout, fond memories of my own Creech Bottom and day dreaming of Irish scenes all over again. Hours spent in books, very pleasant, led me back to Fenit - and later to Valencia. 

Stored in the same box was my Bachmann 24 and it struck me how similar these were in size…

A chance encounter with Neil’s Shell Island again and I was struck by the possibility of a blank enough canvas that it could be the Cambrian coast or the west coast of Ireland. Fenot was born.

What followed were some mock ups and ideas about a basic kick back single turnout scenic masterpiece. A bleak and windswept place, as far from buckets and spades as you can imagine. Cold and wintry echoing the death throws of the railway itself. Conversation with Steve and ideas from older exchanges with Paul and George and I explored a few presentational ideas too. The IKEA website proved an exciting and interesting place to explore with alternate ideas in presentation in mind. I’ve tried to sketch all of this above but whether you can made head nor tail of it I don’t know.

 

So with the H wagons due imminently, a set of Accurascale 16t minerals here already and a new Bachmann 25 on the way have I made a decision? 

No.

Track plan and concept yes, floating free-formed scenic section with a shadow gap on a plain, dark, rectangular base… the stumbling block is where it could be stored here, when not in use. Not an easy problem to solve unfortunately. 

Perhaps you have room, perhaps these ideas give you some food for thought, perhaps you’ve just enjoyed another rambling Saturday morning blog post. Until next time, more soon…

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