Right - it's 'Challenge Wednesday'. Since the last entry I've had my 'thinking cap' on (the pointy one which involves standing in a corner...). The main train of thought (aargh, PUN ) evolved along the lines of 'how can I get action into the scenarios?' First decision - choose a scenario. Okay Mikkel raised a good point - do the sewage works, drink beer (and provide them with the necessary?) However, the sewage works really didn't have too much operationally going for it. Coal & lime in, bagged fertiliser out... But then I remembered...

Working on an archaeological 'dig' in South London, on the site of an old tannery. The original building had been demolished over 100 years ago and the site redeveloped in the Edwardian period. But as we carried out the dig, the stench from the ground was overpowering, we had to work in full protective gear (anthrax apparently lives for ever in the soil) and it was NOT a fun dig! (It ain't all 'Time Team'!)

For those who are not aware - tell your wife/girlfriend/partner that their favourite designer leather actually started its journey being soaked in urine, covered in faeces, washed in lime and powdered with ground cow-horn and alum. Should save you having to buy a replacement! By the mid-1800's (in the UK) such noisome trades - including abbatoirs, sewage farms etc were being moved to the outskirts of towns. Of course the towns then grew...

And so did the idea for this module!

Take one blank sheet of card... Today was spent building a mock-up of the proposed module. The boards depicted are the 'scenic' area - I've not mocked-up the cassette board at one end.

Simple but pointless! All the points are represented by the cassette-style fiddleyard - including on the viaduct (Yes, there was a point up there, no it's not there now!). I thought the viaduct could serve two purposes - 1) it is an effective backscene, 2) it provides a route to & from the yard to the 'rest of the world', 3) roads & streams disappear under it 4) if everything else stops working an 'auto-train' or DRC can maintain movement!

First building being tried out - only because it was already built. The 'pumping station' for the sewage works (BTW this model is half-size, making it just right for 2mm. Future ideas?? Not 'till 'box' has been built!). It needs a boiler house & chimney, but it gave the idea. Loads? as already stated, coal (for the boiler) lime chippings and coke (for the 'farm') and bagged fertiliser out...

Next building to be 'roughed out' is an abbatoir. Serves two purposes - 1) it hides the only cassette unit at this end of the module. 2) it provides traffic - cows etc in, meat out to 'the world', hides and animal waste to the tannery.

Next, the other main elements of the sewage works -

The boiler-house & chimney. The chimney is a scale 100' tall... Built on the principle that it would add a vertical dimension to an otherwise fairly low (and small) scene.

Last building to go in -

The tannery. Really only a 'rough-out' at the moment - I need to find a prototype that I can 'butcher' to fit. I don't like working from my own ideas. Inevitably the proportions end up 'wrong' - which is why architects are so well paid! (Eh Pete??) Provides loads in - coal, raw hides (in vans) and effluent (probably in tanks - in the 1800's publicans collected their ex-beer in barrels from the urinals and sold it to the tanneries. A real case of 'double your money'!) Outgoing loads - hides (in vans). Effluent would pipe straight to the sewage works.

Last some general shots of the progress so far -

An overview of the track layout (again) but with some other features in place. The road will have the tannery/abbatoir' siding buried in it on the principle it was there before the railway. The tannery is served via the 'wagon turntable' with the wagons being rope-hauled (or possibly a horse with a S&W coupling up its....) The 'noisesome stream' (no Herons or Kingfishers here!) carries the purified output from the treatment beds. Bit of a wasted effort really as it also carries untreated effluent from local industry! (Well this is the 1930's!)

Looking from the 'cassette- deck', tannery on the left, sewage works boilerhouse in front.

From the other end, overlooking the farm land. Sewage Farm land that is... The intention is to have the sprayers 'operational' - except for one which will be depicted being re-filled with the afore-said mix of lime and coke. By hand, with shovels & a wheelbarrow. Only perk of the job? The tomatoes! (My uncle was superintendent at Crossness Treatment works. - His tomatoes won prizes - but he never grew any in his garden and I never ate them if it was salad for tea! )

All in all not a bad days work. Next week, 'proper' baseboards and track construction.

BFN

Ian