With the completion of the fiddle yard, Welsh Pony has been able to run around a train for the first time. Fixed magnets have been strategically placed to uncouple vehicles. It has been possible to complete a full shunt of a slate train with brake van completely hands free. It's unlikely that a lot will be done in the next few weeks as it is the report season for anyone who works in education!
Time has been a bit short over the last few weeks, but some progress has been made. The track has been laid into the fiddle yard area and the first road on the sector plate laid. The fiddle yard area uses Peco 12mm gauge track. The sector plate is only short due to the restrictions of space in the room but will have a larger alternative for exhibitions which will include points to allow locos to run round. The sector plate will also link up with the line that will be laid within the road at the rear of the layout. Looking at the options of how a line might have been built round the headland towards Cricieth it would seem that a line that followed the road and footpath to the beaches would have been an option. Perhaps this line would have been an electrified tramway as was proposed for the original PBSS railway. The track will be very unobtrusive but will give a lot more operating options by its inclusion. Because the scene has been condensed and levels played around with, the gradient is steeper than in real life, but I can imagine a Bruce Peebles style electric loco hauling a train on this upper branch.
Great to see some progress again.
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean you might be tempted to make a Bruce Peebles loco? I thought about it myself as I have already made one in 7mm!
I think a Bruce Peebles Loco would be a great little diversion! I'd be interested to see your 7mm version. I'm having a week in Porthmadog later this summer which will give me chance to do a lot more research in to buildings and associated landscape in Borthygest. I think a simple pole route to suggested an electrified branch running up the road would be quite subtle and not detract from the main focus of the station in the car park area. It would give lots more options to keep viewers entertained. I went to the York show at Easter and the entertainment value on a lot of models was pretty dire. Whilst I can be a bit of a rivet counter in some areas I have to remember that the model has to entertain your average member of the public. I will put a final call for the carriage etch shortly as I want to get this ordered soon.
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