dpaws

This was the original orientation; the loading hoists in use for the sidings so no steps on the outside of the buildings as they'd obstruct the hoists. "The entrance to the railway sidings at Snape Maltings. The ornate arch was built to coincide with the opening of the railway, 1st June 1859. In front of the arch was a wooden wagon turntable which gave access to sidings to the left and right, in front of the maltings. As locomotives were not allowed on the turntable, horses and later tractors were used to shunt wagons through and in front of the archway. Goods traffic was generally malting barley, coke and coal inbound, and sacks of malt for brewing outbound. Prior to the arrival of the railway, barges were used for the traffic."

That is absolutely bonkers gorgeous!

Maybe of interest? A somewhat belated link to the builder of Garner's charming little vans: https://www.steve-banks.org/modelling/317-s-djr-goods-brake-vans

Stumbled across both whilst down the rabbit hole... https://www.lasercutrailwaymodels.co.uk/OO-GAUGERIGHT-HAND-MALTINGS-LOW-PROFILE

Tripped over these whilst likely down the same rabbit hole - although this looks to be after the modifications on the 70s rather than the earlier structure when the site was in full swing. The scale should be reliable.

The more clever you can be off-stage (traversers, sector plates etc) the more simple you can be on-stage where it matters without losing running potential. Keep away from the mainlines where space was often plentiful and migrate to industrial or dock scenes for inspiration where the intensity of trackwork is often disguised under stone setts.

That sounds absolutely perfect - approx HO scale which is very acceptable and will achieve a natural forced perspective, especially if you reinforce the effect with 1/76 figures foreground and 1/87 next to the mill wall. Thank you Stephen (Stephenwolsten) - I'm off down one of your rabbit holes - thanks to your superb collection I've discovered the artwork of Trevor Grimshaw - wonderful stuff!

Wow! Angliacan, thank you so much for sharing all of those photos and for taking the trouble - really appreciated. Next time you have a wonder down there... please, could you take a ball of string and measure all the way around one of the original columns as you would measure a trouser waist. From that we can confirm the column diameter. I'm also curious if, in your opinion, the original's taper - my engineering theory books suggest that they should. To replicate in OO you may find that a street/yard/station platform light column might just come up trumps! The nearest I recall that may be lying in my scrapbox at home would be the Dapol water tank kit main leg supports. https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=20&lat=52.05214&lon=1.15590&layers=168&b=9 Meanwhile I have a made some progress via online sources. Using the digital distance measuring tool against this 25 inch/mile map from 1904 I have 60 metres for a span of 13 columns, a 16ft space between each. This equates to a 66mm spacing (4mm) or 115mm (7mm). The original mill building as Steve has sketched (the two peaked gables plus the rectangular extension) is 32m across the face. This equates to 421mm (4mm) or 736mm (7mm). The rear of the rectangular extension approx 9.2m. I hadn't realised that I enjoy historical research so much!

God bless you for this tip - I must admit I've been reading through the whole thread mouth open in complete awe. Superb research & application - the very best of luck with everything!

I do love the abstract nature of the reflection, great photo! With regards to the fabulous row of cast iron columns, does anyone have their measurements and spacings recorded? By eye I'm estimating 14ft tall spaced 12ft apart and a 15" dia > 12" dia taper top to bottom... Any better offers?

It's my pleasure Rob - sadly not my own media but I couldn't resist a google once you'd mentioned the show. The B&W photos are absolutely beautiful, I wish I'd taken them myself. I started to think about the rear siding as an over-grown head shunt that served a fan of goods sidings beyond stage left, but then the thought of a passing through train with viewers tip-toeing to peep over the wall just tickled me... Thank you so much for inspiring us mere mortals with ideas that are indeed very difficult to get rid of, especially the ones crammed full of your particular brand of 7mm "je ne sais quoi" magic!

Thank you for your wonderful layout thread and sorry to hear that you're in the wars. Just a thought, have you considered a Nelevation thingamajig?

Really really beautiful modelling Rob I saw this gorgeous photo and realised that behind the shed wall there could be a line running parallel serving a private siding (inspired by New Osney) creating scope to fiddle both ends for through running with the rhs stage exit conveniently concealed by the shed. I'm sure passing drivers would stop for a chin wag over the wall...

Many thanks indeed for your input - my instincts seem to be along the same lines. I'll revert if I dig up some more info. Incidentally, my web searches have uncovered many railway sites that I've missed before. In relation to an earlier comment on the thread regarding prototypical workings for Camden, I stumbled across these records of "Ashpit Arrivals" from Annesley MPD in the early 60's which highlights just how busy these depots were: http://annesleyfireman.com/id13.html (Apologies for straying off the topic of Camden but I hope it may be of interest to someone )

Many thanks Iain - you're obviously not alone and believe me, I've googled from every direction but to no avail! I've sent an email to the "Engine Shed society" to see if they can help out. My guess was that "rough" was implying unfinished, so materials for the machine shop that required further work - steel coils, plate, castings; they'd need a gantry crane inside the shed to be unloaded... I'm curious to hear how you'd imagine the stores in use - baffling isn't it! Are there any ex-Camden workers on the forum? Sadly I don't suppose such work environments were particularly conducive to a long and healthy retirement.

Please forgive my complete ignorance - the "rough stores" shown on the track schematic with a siding from the turntable feeding directly into the building itself - what exactly were "rough stores"? What was typical of the items being delivered and what rolling stock would have been used to deliver them? What would the interior of the rough stores building have been like? For once google has failed me completely! Many thanks

If anyone knows... the brickwork for the water tower building - would I be safe with English bond? Also, I noted that the lower floor of this building was designated as the "Repairing Shop" - but to repair what? Many thanks

A 128 idling alongside platform 1B with the depot depicted behind in ultra low-relief. Ex-MR Class 2441 0-6-0 tank 47201 ambles across the water towards the yard's headshunt... yip, a happy day today! It's a while since I lost an evening in a Metcalfe kit; I enjoyed it!

Where I'm up to at the moment, lots of things posed to give an impression of what I'm aiming for, aesthetically at least... I'm liking the density of goods wagons in the yard - it'd never be this busy of course but at least it looks and feels like a yard! The nearest rails leading to "off-stage left" could be for static display only; I imagine the overspill from the adjacent work's department residing there; an old yard hand crane on a rusting Conflat A, even work's loco stabling... Looking the other way across the waterway at the platform ends. A covered footbridge will serve the platforms and provide the stage exit across the 80mm traverser... and speaking of which I've had an idea about using Kato HO, I'll revert if it works out!

Still shuffling stuff around, but it's starting to make sense... slowly... A works yard down the far end and two platforms ends at the other with the yard head shunt in the near corner. Must be a Friday as Mavis looks to be in high spirits...!!

Three steps forward, one back... Followers may recall the idea of using linear slides as a traverser mechanism? Well, there's a problem - stiction - it's not B&O buttery smooth as it needs to be. There's too much of a lurch when the traverser starts to move, enough to derail stock... not good! Plan B? A punt on Aliexpress and back to China... It seems to work nicely... 280mm overall between the outer edges of the black cheek pieces, 80mm long platform.There are of course motorised versions of all these tables but I haven't a clue how the motor would attach to a DCC interface for precision stopping positions. I can't be the first to consider it for sure... 80mm long overall (ie stock wheelbase) offers enough for a wagon or a shunter to move alone; a Locolift can rest on the rails to extend the road length. I'll need something to ensure the Locolift can't pivot and tip from weight on the overhang. Oh, the steam crane is an HO model maybe for the yard - it'll need to weathered up scruffy...

I've had a head like a snow globe these last days with this model! Grrr... finally I reverted to an earlier way of thinking about the layout (after all, that's when I pre-ordered the new buildings) and mental blockage eased... The trackplan doesn't lend itself to the line running through the archway, pretty much everything is wrong; instead this is about the only placement that works. It provides an excellent scenic break, better still once the building has been raised to rail height (for the sunken track). You can see the chunky 08 hiding... It creates the sort of yard that screams for a wagon turntable, unloading cranes etc, maybe an additional rail in the extreme foreground. There's a nice peek-a-boo perspective through the archway, though a raised section will be required over the tracks behind if transport routing is implied, as shown. Now if the double doors are opened out as a maintenance shed you can really have fun with it's interior with inspection pits, maybe that's the ideal place for my incoming W4 to reside... Damn! That slipped out... it's the black of the black one that was the final straw... that or a pair of the Altas Work's ones, cute as kittens... I may allocate it to BR's Loco Department one day...

Steve - I've just been reading through your quayside project and discovered Gordon Gravett's Arun Quay... Oh boy.... what a gem - no wonder it drove you mad! Very inspiring and yet so frustratingly simple. Just in case I'm not the last person in the world to know about this masterpiece please, indulge! Look how that back-scene works... beautiful.

Well I can't really send it back now... "guilt"

While I remember Steve - TMC had them in stock if you're struggling to find them - the last time I looked Hattons were still waiting for the delivery. Meanwhile if you need measurements or photos from different angles just ask... I've been shuffling them around for most of the afternoon but I can't find a way where they blend in aesthetically with the rest of the scene, and I like the scene as is because of the variation of stock that I can run... The big building is quite errr.... big! The two smaller buildings and the canopy have a chance of inclusion so all's not lost as yet - fingers crossed!! All together they'd be perfect for the diorama in front of / hiding the fiddle-yard after a scenic break - wagon turntables, rope shunting, intimate detail, Modelu figures, DCC sound... a smell the morning dew on the rustic cobbles sort of scene with a scruffy ginger cat licking her paws after mousing at dawn... You know, Chris Nevardland!