'Rails to the Sands' - the Sequel

Today saw my first trip to the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway for several months, in fact the last time I was there I was the first person to remove and exhibit from the old 'Rails to the Sands' exhibition in the craft units when 'Shifting Sands' returned home. I was intrigued to see what the re-use of much of the display material in Griffin Hall at Lakeside station would look like.  I had many personal connections to the original exhibition having painted sections of the structures and other smaller tasks....

'Mighty Atom', Bassett-Lowke no. 11 of 1908 is a display centrepiece.  This loco ran at Southport and Great Yarmouth so has genuine seaside links, alongside it's place in the Sutton Coldfield collection.

The ticket office transported from over the road, I'm told a TV is due to go in the opening very soon. The lifering that was cosmetically back-dated using 'mod-roc' on our old kitchen table looks a little tired, I do have the paint somewhere if anyone wants to touch in the chips....

'Blacolvesley' (L), Bassett-Lowke, 1909, veteran of Saltburn and Seaburn as well as Blakesley Hall, and currently out of traffic 'Sutton Belle' (R). 

SMR no.4, the canopy over the doorway has recycled from the old display in the craft units with some adjustment. 

The Triang-Minic locomotive.  When the original display was set up my modelling skills were put to use cleaning up and spray painting the reproduction arrows it carries.

Whilst there is no doubt more to do to enhance the exhibition, the inclusion of the 'Rails to the Sands' material has enhanced the offer in Griffin Hall no end.  In fact, the only thing missing appear to be my sandcastles...

Of course the longest-term resident in Griffin Hall is the SMR 'Loco Coal' wagon, inspiration for one of my recent models.  I now have a good, clear picture of it (I should have moved the bin...):

My model is definately an 'inspired by' one, having now seen several details in close-up a lot has become clearer, for example the how the end door hinges actually form the door retaining system:

Outside 'Mountaineer' and the GCR 'ROD' O4 were in operation, however I was keen to see the latest arrival at the CCLR, the rather interesting remains of the Les Anderson (of Minirail fame) RapidoRail articulated railcar set, a long-term restoration job no doubt!

RapidoRail railcar ex-Flamingoland, Dudley Zoo, Rhyl and long-term storage.

The Test of Time

'Shifting Sands', my O9 representation of a seaside miniature railway, has not operated in over 18 months, in fact I can't think when it was last operated before it went to Cleethorpes for display in 'Rails to the Sands' during 2010.  Although the layout has been home for the best part of two months, I have not had the opportunity to carry out any test running due to other commitments.  However, on Christmas Eve time came into my hands and I was able to remove the layout's cover and see what was what.  Barring a couple of loose scenic items, quickly fixed, there was no damage to the layout and a visual check of the wiring confirmed all was OK.  Out came the stockbox and after an initial quick 'one loco in steam' check, other items emerged to be "tested"...

Operating 'Shifting Sands' perched on it's box-cover on the future  nursery floor.

The layout itself performed faultlessly, I didn't even have to clean the track as 'Shifting Sands' rails have been coated in graphite (from an artists pencil), a trick well known to members of the Gnatterbox Gn15 forum to improve electrical conductivity and reduce the need for cleaning rails and wheels.  There are some cons to this method but nothing that affects a small, level layout such as this.  Some of the loco fleet did require a drop of 'Electrolube' in places to improve their performance, but after a while all was running well.  Sadly the light wasn't too good that close to floor level in the evening and the resultant photos aren't shareable here.

However, a second running session today in daylight has allowed a few more shots to be attempted, and also allowed a different selection of stock to be operated, including some from my 'O9 Heritage Collection' that aren't always seen in operation.

'Intrepid' with coaches built by Clive Mortimer for his 'Great Ouse Valley' project.

What have always been known as the "Romney's" on 'Shifting Sands' are in fact coaches started by prolific scratchbuilder Clive Mortimer for a project called the 'Great Ouse Valley Railway', which Clive started but decided not to pursue several years ago.  I was gifted his half started coaches and finished three of them off, with a lot of rebuilding, as the initial enclosed stock for the layout.  Later replaced in service by my own scratchbuilt stock, these coaches are now showing a few signs of ageing such as warping roofs and a few knocks and chips in the paint.  I am in two minds whether to repair them or conserve them as heritage items!

'Thunderbolt', my first conventional O9 steam loco, with Owen Ryder/Avalon Line coach.

My Owen Ryder/Avalon Line 'Ratty' coach is perhaps a little on the big side for 'Shifting Sands' as it is wider and longer than the home-brewed open coaches, but it is of importance to me in terms of O9 history as it represents the early commercial period and a prototype vehicle as well.  It isn't as smooth on it's bogies as the  stock running on MicroTrains trucks, and has therefore not seen as much service as other coaches.  'Thunderbolt' had become overshadowed by my Pacific 'King George VI' in recent layout appearances, but this simple Bachmann conversion should not be overlooked as a source of scale-outline miniature railway motive power.

And finally....

'Pandora' in the dunes.

I could not resist this shot of 'Pandora' in the headshunt by the dunes.  Happy days....

Home

An apt title in more ways than one.  Much focus in the last month has been on home decorating, the recently split-into-two bedroom and nursery are now painted after a couple of marathon sessions and several days of follow-up.  At present I am painting interior doors in what will be the nursery (I get in trouble for calling it my "temporary paintshop"!).

But the other reason it is an apt title currently sits in the corner of that same room....

It's 'Shifting Sands', back from 'Rails to the Sands' at Cleethorpes, bringing along with it a little souvenir of the exhibition in the form of it's interpretation card!  Changes are afoot for the exhibition at Cleethorpes and there may be developments to report in the new year.  For the layout I will be carrying out an electrical testing session soon to ensure all is well (some may call it playing trains...)

Today was the last regular operating day of the 2011 season at Cleethorpes and despite a damp start, the day turned out sunny and not too cold, warm enough to enjoy a ride in a Sutton Miniature Railway open coach behind 'Sutton Belle'.

Elsewhere on the railway work is underway on locos and rolling stock ready for the santa specials in December and the 2012 season, which will mark the 21st year of operation by Chris Shaw and the present company.

Further Deformation or Diluted Essence?

Last weekend I outlined how several months ago I had considered rebuilding Shifting Sands to fit into the railway room I then had planned, essentially elongating the layout into something that ran along two of the walls.  The drastic cutting of the baseboard was also given some thought in a second version which really would have put a new perspective on things.  Back to those 'lines of indecision':

White lines - existing edges and centre; blue line - existing backscene base; red and orange lines - proposed new baseboard edges.

Yet again the back of the layout and the ice cream parlour would be lost, but the twist would have been that the baseboard would be turned through 180 degrees to make the shaped edge the front of the layout.  A new backscene along the present front would have depicted a holiday park, and the sea would have been visible beyond the dunes, which would be to the left of the revised layout.  Again the running line would have been straightened out into the longer run.  Sadly there isn't a composite sketch to show you this time as I didn't have the right view to make one from and couldn't take one as the layout is on display at 'Rails to the Sands' in Cleethorpes.  I thought I had made a trackplan sketch but can't seem to locate one...

My main concern with this scene was that the layout was built to be viewed from one direction, turning it around would destroy this. Although I was open to the possibilities created there would need to be some work to change things, I was especially concerned about the platform fence blocking the view of trains in the station, however realistic this might be!

Eventually this image did make another idea form in my mind.  My new workbench looks set to be located in an alcove just over 3' wide by 1' deep.  The area over the workbench will be ripe for shelving that could possibly hold a micro layout.  Now 3' isn't that long a run for a miniature railway, even in O9, but what if I added a fiddle yard around the corner when in use?  Could the head shunt be on a similar bolt-on board?

Essence of 'Shifting Sands'?

The kick-back from the fiddle yard (on the right) would be to allow handling free operation and exchange of locos, something I wish I had incorporated on the original 'Shifting Sands'.  Well it worked on paper, admittedly a scale-less sketch, but would it really work.... as with the development of 'Shifting Sands', I turned to my test track to mock-up what might be possible:

White lines - fixed baseboard edges; yellow lines - bolt-on boards

It is certainly feasible, but there would be issues with uncoupling on a 10" radius curve using MicroTrains couplers and the same issues I have on 'Shifting Sands' coupling back up after running around.  It was also rather too close to the original layout in many ways, and risked moving from diluted essence to poor pastiche. As any over-the-workbench scheme would essentially be a home-use test track, I asked myself could I get away with even less?  Is a loop a real necessity if a loco-swap was an alternative?  I doodled again:

Simplified over-workbench test track.

I have cunningly disguised the lack of a full loop by making it look like there is one, but as it crosses a road or pathway there is a gate across the far end.  It is a busy day and rather than run around, locos are simply swapped over.  Something similar used to exist at Lakeside station on the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway and sometimes was operated in that way:

The Cleethorpes Gate in 1995, with 'Little Giant' and 'King George V'.

The eagle eyed will notice that the ice cream van makes yet another appearance in the triangle of land between the station and fiddle yard kick-back on the plan.  I have no objection on this test track scheme to the kick-back being at least partially visible in the scenic area

This set-up, if built, could easily represent the other end of the Somerthorpe Miniature Railway, the much fabled 'Somerthorpe Promenade'.  Alternatively, I could really shake things up and set it in a town park, farm park, stately home or abandoned standard gauge trackbed.  OK, perhaps not that last one in that space....

O9 at 'Rails to the Sands', Cleethorpes

In July 2010 the Miniature Railway Museum Trust launched the exhibition 'Rails through the Sands' in conjunction with the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway, in a modern exhibition space alongside the railway's Lakeside Station.

The exterior of the 'Rails to the Sands' exhibition - Colin Peake

Inside is a diverse range of miniature railway equipment and a hoard of photos and ephemera.  Of great interest to students of 15" gauge railways is 'Blacolvesley', Bassett-Lowke's steam outline 4-4-4 from 1909.  I would like to think that one day someone will get hold of a Dapol M7 chassis and manage to create this in O9....

'Blacolvesley' (L) is dwarfed by 10 1/4" gauge 'Edmund Hannay (R) - Colin Peake

Of even greater interest to O9 modellers is my own 'Shifting Sands' on display in the station room.  When I offered the layout as a potential exhibit, exhibition curator Tim Dunn jumped at the chance, although it perhaps takes his "anyone can build a miniature railway" theme to an interesting conclusion!

Shifting Sands on display at 'Rails to the Sands' - Colin Peake

The exhibition is open on all CCLR running days and on selected non-running days.  The exhibition is located in the Meridian Point Craft Centre and accessed through the Meridian Line Models shop, which is well stocked with Hornby, Bachmann and Graham Farish ready to run model railways and scenic items.

Of course the downside with the layout being in Cleethorpes is that I don't get to play trains!