Shell Island

[Neil]

To start at the beginning, Shell Island (EM gauge, Cambrian pre tops) featured in the early incarnations of RMweb, now largely lost. It made outings to four exhibitions before retirement and boxing up. Since 2010 it has been contained in a chipboard box with a tight fitting screw down top. Recently I had cause to take it out and shoot a few photos. I was frankly surprised to see a fine layer of dust over the whole thing. My playroom is dusty, and I'll admit to putting far more effort into making things than housekeeping but I was still surprised at how invasive the dust had been. Fortunately a soft brush and hoover soon had the scenery looking clean.

 

 

 

Further photos on my blog here.

 

It does make me wonder how best to protect individual models and layouts from dust?

 

 

[alastairq]

As a suggestion..............I would think, the only way to reduce the amount of dust is to create a positive pressure environment surrounding the model.

 

In other words, some sort of 'cocoon', with a slightly pressurised atmosphere maintained within.

 

I believe something on a larger scale is available to keep precious old vehicles in?

 

I also believe diesel loco carbodies [uS of A experience only]....were 'pressurised' to reduce ingress of dirt?

[teaky]

Perhaps layouts could be stored upside down?

 

Nice to see Shell Island again.  Beautifully executed and one of my favourite small/micro layouts.

[The Nth Degree]

I've always loved the simplicity of this layout, it's really lovely.

[jonas]

Always inspiring to see this layout, lovely.

[Stubby47]

When I saw the his topic, my first thought was 'Oh no, it's been/being scrapped', then I thought 'It's for sale, but I probably can't afford it'.

 

As others have said, despite being such a simple layout, it is so well executed it inspired me to start proper layout modelling.

 

 

To protect from dust you could try wrapping in a roll of large bubble wrap, or layers of cling film.

[stevescan]

One of my favourite layouts.

[F-UnitMad]

This was inspiration for my small(ish) O Scale layout "Withyn Reach", certainly in terms of track plan, traffic exchange & "big diesels on little layouts", as the scenery is totally different

[NHY 581]

An inspirational layout. A true classic.

 

The feeling of space is something I try to capture with my modest efforts.

 

Rob.

[Captain Kernow]

Lovely to see this aired 'in public' again, Neil!

[NHY 581]

Neil, Can I enquire, how is Shell Island lit?

 

Rob.

[aac]

So good to see. With that kickback siding is it a two-loco operation, or do you propel or pull down the line from "elsewhere" depending on the intended shunt?

 

aac

[Neil]

Thank you all for the kind comments and dust busting suggestions.

 

To answer the last couple of questions, Shell Island is lit by three 12v spotlights (halogen I think) and while not ideal they're a reasonable compromise at giving the look of a warm sunny day.

 

Operation is a two loco affair, BR power propels the train in from an assumed junction with the Cambrian Coast Line, industrial shunters scuttle around exchanging wagons from the explosives stores and RAE Llanbedr. The goods shed on the kick back rarely sees use.

[NHY 581]

Thank you Neil.

 

Whilst I appreciate they have appeared elsewhere, any chance of a few more photos?

 

Rob.

[brgmini]

Thanks for posting Neil. Great little layout and as most people have said , very inspirational .

Any thoughts on a Morfa Mk2 type of thing ? (he asks hopefully)

All the best , Kev

[Bungus the Fogeyman]

Good to see the old girl again Neil......still an iconic micro. Reminds me of holidays at Barmouth in the 70s. Hope you're keeping well and not getting too dusty too!........

 

Disgusting of Market Harborough

[Neil]

Thanks for posting Neil. Great little layout and as most people have said , very inspirational .

Any thoughts on a Morfa Mk2 type of thing ? (he asks hopefully)

All the best , Kev

 

Morfa Mk 2 probably won't happen. At the moment I'm still in limbo with the family seat still on the market. When moved I should be able to sharpen my thoughts about Morfa's successor. All I have worked out for now is that it will be in OO rather than EM and probably will not be another Cambrian themed layout.

[woodenhead]

Why OO, I don't doubt what you will do will look amazing but why compromise?

[Neil]

Why OO, I don't doubt what you will do will look amazing but why compromise?

 

In some ways EM could be seen as the compromise, a pragmatic half way house between the quick and easy OO and the more demanding but greater fidelity of P4. However there's a better argument that whatever standard we choose comes with compromise, that we should accept this and plump for whatever one best fits our needs at the time. In my case OO is the standard adopted by my neighbourhood friends, it's therefore a more sociable choice and I'm looking forward to using bomb proof Peco track which will take far less time to construct and lay. It also means I'll be saved the faff of converting stock to run on a different gauge, not a huge problem with some stuff but an absolute with others. Bit of a no brainer really.

 

I've also been developing the theory that track gauge/standards are immaterial to the overall attractiveness of a layout. To illustrate this argument I'll submit my most recent layout Little Point, built to 009 standards which commonly represents narrow gauges from about 18" to 3'.

[woodenhead]

All a perfectly good argument with the emphasis on sociality.

[rockershovel]

Love the detail on both layouts.. didn't the Pentewan beach line boast a diesel locked in its shed, long after the demise of the rest of the line?

Edited June 11, 2016 by rockershovel

[F-UnitMad]

In some ways EM could be seen as the compromise, a pragmatic half way house between the quick and easy OO and the more demanding but greater fidelity of P4. However there's a better argument that whatever standard we choose comes with compromise, that we should accept this and plump for whatever one best fits our needs at the time. In my case OO is the standard adopted by my neighbourhood friends, it's therefore a more sociable choice and I'm looking forward to using bomb proof Peco track which will take far less time to construct and lay. It also means I'll be saved the faff of converting stock to run on a different gauge, not a huge problem with some stuff but an absolute ###### with others. Bit of a no brainer really.

 

I've also been developing the theory that track gauge/standards are immaterial to the overall attractiveness of a layout. To illustrate this argument I'll submit my most recent layout Little Point, built to 009 standards which commonly represents narrow gauges from about 18" to 3'.

Sound arguments there. If the gauge on Shell Island was 16.5mm I'd be cheeky & volunteer to look after it to keep it dust free ;D even if it "crossed The Pond" in the process (I still have a few US HO locos) ....but as it is, I've never owned any EM stuff

 

Re the "why compromise" aspect, I've come across this in US O Scale. I'm hand laying my track; a long & sometimes tedious business, & seen the comment "why hand build to the wrong gauge??" (32mm as opposed to the correct, narrower, Proto48gauge of 31.-something or other) My reply was that I would do so if that was all that was involved; but it also needs new wheelsets and narrowing of trucks - extra expense as well as time. Sometimes, we just HAVE to compromise, & to be honest, gauge is the easiest thing to compromise on, yet with care in track laying, painting & detailing, one of the best compromises to disguise.

Edited June 11, 2016 by F-UnitMad

[westhighlandline]

I've - for a long time now - been looking at the picture of (what I've only for an hour now known as) Shell Island on the cover of Paul Lunn's book and been trying to find more info on it. And only by sheer coincidence did I stumble across your blog today. I am totally in love with SI, and I wonder if recreating and working it in N gauge could be done in a minimum space. I guess I'll have to find out myself, now that I've seen pics of the trackplan, too. Thanks so much for inspiring me with this minimalist masterpiece!

[kevo]

hi neil . i havent done any posts on this site . but all ways been inspired by your shell lsland layout . ever since i 1st came across it in the railway modeller and it was only the other day when going through some of my own pictures  i found some of my attemp hope you doint mind as its a bit of a copy track and idea wise , shame was i sold it on and regretted it i didnt save many pics but thought you might like a look . i built it to run BR stock and IRISH stock and it dus not show much of the slip way  and 2 of the pics are pre grass etc   cheers kevin

[kevo]

o yes I should say that . I added a small way side hault   for some think like a small  rail car . 121 class or Heljan  park royal . just for summer traffic to the beaches near by . my idear was that the branch line was owned by the MOD ,and the goods shed was a transfer point for the near by fire ing ranges used a few times a year,