A SMALLER Challenge

Entry posted by scanman September 4, 2017

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Okay, what CAN you do in a space only 600mm by 240mm?? When the idea was first mooted as a 'Challenge' for the 2mm Associations 'Diamond Jubilee' in 202, my first thought was 'Not much' - even in 2mm, and I made my thoughts plain on the 2mm 'Virtual Area Group'....

However, I am also a member of a local photographic club - who for one of IT'S challenges this year, the subject is 'Transport'. Thinking of THAT I remembered a painting by a member of the 'Guild of Railway Artists' entitled 'Saints & Sinners'. The scene depicted a double-track line bounded on one side by a picturesque village and on the other by a canal with a lock... No indication of the location EXCEPT in the lock was a barge named 'Unity' and the builder 'Robbins' 'Honeystreet' visible on the transom. Now I know a little about that barge - in fact I helped measure its sister in the 'Purton graveyard' in Gloucestershire! (http://www.friendsofpurton.org.uk/Vessels/Harriett.htm) The 'Unity' plied between Reading and Bristol via the 'Kennet & Avon Canal' - so my powers of deduction led me to use 'Google Earth' to find the location -

(at this point, if it sounds familiar to some RM Web readers - it is - it was the subject in the '2011 Challenge'! Unfortunately due to an 'Annus Horriblis' I never got to complete what would have been a '3D' interpretation of the scene a la Jack Nelson...)

However, as a location for a 'Transport' image it has great merit -

- I just need a better subject (this image was taken within two minutes of arriving at the location on Bank Holiday Monday) and that was the only barge seen the whole afternoon!

HOWEVER all was not lost... What a location for a model with a very limited footprint!

As shown in the GoogleEarth' image, the subject has its own boundaries - the road, the canal and the two bridges. Even then, to squeeze it in will require some selective compression between the two bridges... The one thing that cannot be shortened is the lock itself. It has to be 200mm long (100').

The other requirements of the Challenge are - it must be to 2mm finescale standards (obviously) and include ONE working point...

Another problem - there is no pointwork at this location.. However, neither is there a station - so now it will gain one. 'Little Bedwyn' halt, complete with a siding on the 'up' line for local farm traffic etc. The 'halt will limit the length of the platform - '48xx' loco + autotrailer, (providing an 'all stations' service') or (in later years) a 2-car DMU service for the same. Interspersed will be 'Halls' & Saints' on secondary mainlime services (updated to HST) and 28xx and heavy deisels on their respective period frieghts. FORTUNATELY the off-scene are is NOT limited in length!

Meanwhile the lock will feature barge 'Unity' (of course), or modern-day house-boats dependent on the period depicted.

So all this in about 21/2 years. Wish me luck!

Regards

Ian

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