Commission: Kenny Hill in H0…

I do love the variety of work that crosses my bench, I’m really lucky not to have become pigeon holed as just this or that. Today we’re heading across the world to Australia, and an interesting project in HO scale…

You will have heard me talking about the construction of this project already, on Friday updates but I had not realised that I hadn’t shared the design work. Making up for this now, let me quote a little from the history I collated from various online sources for the Layout Design Proposal…

“The Camden railway line is a closed railway line between Campbelltown and Camden in the southwestern outskirts of Sydney, Australia. It was built as a light railway opening on 10 March 1882.

Initially operated with Baldwin Steam Tram Motors, these proved unsatisfactory. The NSWGR purchased two small 0-6-0 saddle tank locomotives from Manning Wardle, which were a standard K Class design. The line carried freight and passengers but was rarely busy. From 1901, the line was upgraded to railway standard and typically operated larger locomotives.

Due to the steepness of the ruling gradient of 1 in 19 (reported to be the steepest grade used by adhesion locomotives in Australia) between Campbelltown and Kenny Hill, there were often multiple attempts made at ascending the grade. Passengers would sometimes have to disembark from the train and walk alongside it, leaving their bags on board. When trains could not successfully ascend the hill, the train would be divided and the second half of train (invariably the part where the passengers were carried) would be left standing on the line until the first half of the train had been stowed at Campbelltown. The main source of income for the line was the coal loader at Narellan and the Dairy Farmers Milk Co-operative depot at Camden. The line closed on 1 January 1963”.

My customer supplied many photographs of the line - the challenge wasn’t to come up with complex or even simple operating layout, but to compose a scene that told a little of the drama of that gradient. We discussed several ideas and options but settled upon a cameo for the layout was to be displayed in a study and would become a 3D painting when a train isn’t moving. Even at this design stage decisions on material choice and small adjustments to my typical cameo box were planned, due to the 6ft length. This, whilst unwieldy, is still light enough to be moved by one person - equally, is the longest practical length for single person handling.

The success (now construction has started) of the cameo box in this footprint has given me ideas for the Scottish ‘Lochdubh’ branch station I have in mind - perhaps a little extra length over the typical IKEA Lack 110cm I usually work with may allow you to adapt your favourite place to fit in the letterbox window. If you would like to work with me to design your own dream layout, any scale, gauge or prototype get in touch to discuss via the form on the Commissions page. My layout design process costs £210 and customers often comment on both how the results are so much more than they hoped, but also, that the process was deeply enjoyable. Until next time, more soon…

Support my work

I love writing and creating material for the blog. If you enjoy what you read and engage with I would be appreciative of any donation, large or small, to help me keep it advert and restriction free. Alternatively, feel free to buy me a coffee.