Jump to content
 

Pixash Lane - now owned by Bentley Model Railway Group


Gilbert
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • RMweb Gold

Following the excellent show at Yate Marc Smith suggested I might post some photos so I've had a quick look in my archives and here's a quick taster. The layout is a based on but not a model of areas around the Bristol to Bath mainline in Keynsham. The photo I've attached shows the extremely small goods yard and a bit of the Squaregrip Reinforcement warehouse and siding. It was a photo of the actual siding being shunted by a Class 14 on a trip working from Bristol that set me off on this project rather than my normal New England projects. The photo is quite old and other bits of scenery have been added since this was done.

Chris

 

.post-1107-0-51625700-1359384470.jpg

Edited by Gilbert
  • Like 12
Link to post
Share on other sites

Glad you posted the pic Chris :)
Please post some more soon though
I honestly liked this layout a lot

It has a nice feel to it, and I particularly liked the way you separated it, almost into 2 layouts
I've had similar thoughts to this design for a while now
although I wasn't convinced I could design something which successfully hid the fiddle yard entrance....

You have certainly achieved this, and I was very taken by the "tuning fork" end of the layout
The buildings are well proportioned throughout the scene,
and it has a nice muted appearance.....

Although the siding in front of the warehouse / factory in the picture is relatively short...
Somehow it doesn't look it - even with a long wagon parked there....

Great stuff Chris :)

Cheers again

Edited by marc smith
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

OK Chaps I'm on the case - and thanks for the kind comments

 

This photo shows the layout during construction and happily shows part of the track plan for Marc!

All the visible tracks on the right converge in the main fiddle yard and the track on the left feeds the cement terminal at Twigg Street. I'm actually working on a small extension of the fiddle yard to help at shows and make operating from the front at home a possibility. There's another "staging" track (as our colonial chums) would say beyond the stone bridge.

 

Chris

post-1107-0-77702300-1359403262_thumb.jpg

  • Like 15
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Chris,

Thanks for posting those pics, but as others have said, please post more, when you have time
Hope I'm not nagging too much? - but this is a nice layout, and a design which is a bit different,
and I think folk would like to see it..... it deserves an airing!! :)

I too liked the colour and tone of the whole scene, as I said
There's a nice muted, dry, dusty look to it - and that suits the cement works and whole industrial look

The the large factory above - I much prefer your silos in that corner
I feel they are more "in proportion" with the layout, and give it a better balance

I'm really glad I saw this layout at Yate, but wish I'd had more time to stop & look
Let us know other upcoming exhbitiions it will be attending

ATB

Marc

EDIT: An early scheme I tried to design, along these lines,
consisted of a narrow "tuning-fork" shunting plank in front of the main fiddle...
... I dreamed that I could make such a unit detachable -
so it could be exhibited as a stand-alone module....

Did you build that end of the layout in this way?

Edited by marc smith
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Chris

 

I saw "Pixash Lane" a couple of years back at the small show in Compton Dundon, when I was exhibiting "Southall Lane" and was very struck by it then. I havn't been lucky enough to see it since though. It's a really interesting and unusual plan (As Marc observed above), that captures not only that elusive atmosphere (which in itself can be difficult), but it also has an air of spaciousness about it. It was also refreshing to see green diesels!!

 

Great stuff & I hope to see it again soon

 

All the best

exmoordave

Link to post
Share on other sites

Yes, the design has a sense of spaciousness, as you say
I also like the touch of the headshunt/ part of a siding, at the back of the layout.....
When this works, it really does help suggest that there is more railway,
and more activity beyond the bridge / scenic break

Mudmagnet used this to great effect on Orchard Road
The technique can work very well, even if there's never any traffic sat there.....

I grew up in the blue diesel era, but I've always liked the green diesel days too
There's something about the livery that looks good when slightly dusty, to my eye....
Chris has captured that look, and it is consistent throughout.....

Marc

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

For those who are interested here's a shot of the construction phase with the fascia etc being mocked up. These are all quite old photos and I've yet to deal with my current photos - something for the weekend maybe?

Chris

post-1107-0-15274400-1359533179.jpg

Edited by Gilbert
  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Hi Chris,

 

.............

An early scheme I tried to design, along these lines,

consisted of a narrow "tuning-fork" shunting plank in front of the main fiddle...

... I dreamed that I could make such a unit detachable -

so it could be exhibited as a stand-alone module....

 

Did you build that end of the layout in this way?

Marc - the Twig is dependent on the main layout for access and is an integral part of the Fiddle Yard board - it was very much an add-on during the construction period.

Chris

Edited by Gilbert
Link to post
Share on other sites

Marc - the Twig is dependent on the main layout for access and is an integral part of the Fiddle Yard board - it was very much an add-on during the construction period.

Chris

 

It certainly doesn't look like it was "added on"

Just an observation really, but it does look good in its' own right :)

 

Lately, I'm more drawn to designs with "multiple track entrances / exits"

I think this technique helps for a more varied operation

It can be difficult to get right, and even for a relatively small layout,

it often requires several operators, or at least one at each end of the layout..

 

The design of Pixash lane certainly allows for varied operation,

and it is rather different in its' concept....

 

I was wondering Chris, at the station end of the layout,

do you have a sector-plate, and if so, how many roads?

Also, how long is this sector-plate / fiddle yard?

 

Cheers again

Edited by marc smith
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Just a single track about 2' long - I use loco lifts if needed - I've got one of the DCC Concepts longer versions  - but most of the time we just move stock by hand.

I have far more stock than I need (by a factor of about 3 I reckon) so it tends to get changed throughout the day.

We use 3 of us for the layout most of the time with one out front, one operating and one "fiddling". So we do have a large team for a small layout. We had 4 and sometimes 5 at Yate and no one was sat twiddling their thumbs and I certainly didn't get around the other layouts as much as I'd have liked - having said that my guys would say it's rare that I actually get hands on a thottle so I'm not actually sure what I was doing!

Chris

Edited by Gilbert
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...