Beyond Paxton Road…

Rather than ‘beyond’ I should perhaps have titled this ‘alongside’ Paxton Road; it is this layouts great and somewhat unexpected success that has encouraged more day dreaming of another small cameo project…

Two tracks, two sidings - and pointless, as I mused in the first issue of Ribbons. Contrasting to ‘Paxton Road’s late 1980s Speedlink setting, a corner of a larger railway yard, these latest scribblings are private sidings, part of a rail connected distribution company perhaps? 

Two ways to cast the same basic scene, but with a thought to having a section where the shunter would run alone, alongside industrial buildings, the scheme on the right curiously arranges the warehouse on the back track as part of the scenic block. To get to the yard beyond you have to shunt through the building, or at least the lean to addition. 

However, it was on a dog walk that I realised a downside to that approach. Sadly, this would hamper the same sort of free flow operation that is a key part of the success of ‘Paxton Road!. Instead, it would seem unrealistic to pull a wagon from the front track, park it in the warehouse (!) and then return to drop off the new wagon before collecting the original… (see upper sketch above).

The more traditional arrangement (lower above) uses the same structures but puts the railway under a dual carriage way concrete bridge. This would be easier to operate, but is visually less exciting, at least for me… both of these schemes have a slight flavour of ‘Modern Goods’ to them, as well - but the actual intention was for a setting that could work for the time ‘after’ Speedlink. Think early to mid 1990s… I’m thinking steel traffic, distribution traffic - and my green 03 and 09013 being prime operating stock.

But…

It’s all a bit of a distraction. I should be laying out the trackbed on MDF to cut, and make progress on Cwmbach. That still is the intention, a project that continues to fire my imagination and a lot of progress has been made already. A larger N project, with photography and story telling equal to operation once more - so for now, these sketches were a great opportunity to flex that muscle again, and can be filed under ‘promising’. 

Many moons ago I wrote about model railways being accessible, and more recently, well in my first book, described how we should make sure we have a home for a project before starting it. These are both good mantra to maintain a healthy balance of new ideas and current projects. 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.