More 19th Century Thoughts
Most of my entries in this blog, so far, have related to locomotives and rolling stock. For most of us , these are the key elements of a model railway and involve a lot of scratch or kit building, since very few pre-grouping (and especially pre-WW1) models are available as RTR.
Now, I am starting to think about scenery aspects and have realised that there is something of a paradox when 'turning back the clock'. We tend to think of 'older' as meaning 'quainter' and more 'weathered' whereas, in fact, the opposite is true!
A new railway line in the mid 19th century had more in common with a newly-laid stretch of motorway than our current mental image of an overgrown and characterful branch line. Embankments, cuttings, and the track itself would all have a 'new' look, with none of the tangled vegetation and overgrown fencing that we see today.
I think that, in a model, some compromises have to be made if we are trying to create an appealing layout but I will take account of these thoughts as I turn back the clock.
After this bit of philosophising, a few pictures. I recently visited the Oxford Bus Museum at Long Hanborough (recommended if your interests extend to other modes of transport). One of the exhibits was a Governess Cart and I knew immediately that I wanted one for my layout.
Dart Castings do a simple white metal kit (complete with pony), The few parts are nicely cast, with only a little flash that is easily removed (I use a finger-nail).
Assembly looked simple enough but, although the instructions look good, they fail to describe exactly how the parts fit together and the illustration of the finished vehicle is not very clear. As a result, I assembled the upper sides the wrong way up, which was easy. I then realised that the upper rails were supposed to be raised above the side panels but fitting them this way up was by no means easy! There is very little contact area and no alignment tabs, to assist in holding the parts together. The final result, however, is an attractive little vehicle, perhaps for taking the children to the station for the train to school.
Bear in mind that it is very small - the 'Mini' of the day - and needs a fair bit of dexterity to assemble. (No problem for the 2mm FS people, of course, but quite fiddly in 4mm terms
Mike
Edited by MikeOxon
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