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Seaside Miniature Railway at the Stade, Hastings


bertiedog

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Hmm ...I was reminded by the recent Sandshifter's Posting on the Forum about a small Miniature Beach Railway layout design I outlined from about 25 years ago for a model of the Miniature beach Railway at Hastings on the Stade, which runs from the Boating Pool to the end of the Stade fishing boat beach area. The line runs along the beach top, through the fishing huts and net houses, across the small lines from the beach.

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Click picture to show larger image.

 

The old design was dug out, and a new simplified drawing done of the basic outline, with the main features of it would be 000 track in O scale, [9mm track in 7mm to the foot], with a group of the black wooden net houses and two boats, one drawn up to the top between the net houses, and another fishing boat, [not shown], being pulled up the beach by a caterpillar tracked tractor.

 

I already have a suitable small Diesel loco, and it needs a small Steamer loco as well, and two boats made, plus the net houses made from scratch, on a double baseboard to give the depth for the steep shingle beach. Two sets of passenger open trucks will be need, with passengers of course.

 

The track will be all PC sleepered, with Nickel silver track, ballasted over completely, as per Hastings, a loop with passing and entry to the carriage shed being carried on to a hidden loop and storage.

 

The line turns on the board by diving under one of the net houses, not prototypical, but forced by the model constraints! I will have to research the fish keeping shops for a suitable ballast to portray the shingle in 7mm scale.

 

A bit of the Hastings East Cliffs can be portrayed, and a small arcade shop etc., on the end of the structures. Typical Hastings style iron beach fencing will be needed, and fittings like Gas Lamps, and Bollards, Nets, Fishing Gear, and lots of Boxes of Fish, Crabs and Dabs etc., perhaps a lorry loading with the fishing catch parked behind the net houses.... and loads of Seagulls on the roofs, and even flying around!.......and it all falls within 2010 square inches, even in O scale.

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Hastings Stade.

 

Stephen

 

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I like the idea, although you might want to make your version of the railway slightly more interesting than the current operation which is a shuttle service powered by a steam-outline diesel loco. I live just down the road, so if you would like any photos taking let me know.

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I like the idea, although you might want to make your version of the railway slightly more interesting than the current operation which is a shuttle service powered by a steam-outline diesel loco. I live just down the road, so if you would like any photos taking let me know.

 

A lot livelier! and I have known the line since it was built! ... with the original steamers and current diesel. It is designed to catch the flavour, sounds err... the smell? of the line!!!, not to be a scale model. As kids we haunted the pool, and the line, watching the boats coming in, and eating the catch... Dabs fried whole with olive oil.....wonderful days. Many thanks for the offer.

Stephen.

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Oooh... looks like I *might* be to blame for this one :lol: I do like that sketch, very atmospheric and looks quite achieveable - how big do you envisage it being?

 

Good luck with this Stephen, if there is anything I can do in the way of advice etc please do get in touch...

 

Colin

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Might even add the East Cliff Railway, a shortened version of course, it can run from the the corner, and I might turn the corner into the Pub that is there......I will do a track plan and estimate the size available, trying to keep it small.

 

 

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Stephen

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I used to work on this during the long school holidays, back in the 60's.. The Scot & Saint just stood in the shed at that time, & the entire traffic was worked by 'Firefly', an 0-6-0 which had started out as a pannier tank, but ended up looking like a 'Dean goods', painted a sort of mustardy yellow... I can still smell the carbon & hot oil in my mind's eye....

The use of 'dozers for hauling the boats is a recent phenomenon,- in the days of steam operation on the railway, the boats were hauled up the beach by cable, from the various winch houses (huts) on the beach. A couple were still steam powered when I was small, but most used second-hand diesel lorry engines,- the 'boy ashore' running the cable (hawser) out to the waiting boat, which was then dragged up the beach on a succesion of wood baulks.. (Might be possible to make this a working feature?) We local urchins would follow the boats up the beach, as the fishermen would chuck the undersize catch over the side, which we quickly wrapped in old newspaper before the gulls could get it, & took home to mum... Lovely stuff!

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Scale Plan, inch squares for size, gives a better idea of sizes, there is the space for the road behind the fish net houses, and the Chapel at the end to cover the curves to the storage tracks. Minimum curves are 6 inches, which should allow most 000 mechanisms to be used. Actual curves will be marked out and transitions worked in to suit the approach to each curve or point, directly on the baseboard.

 

I have a die cast Lone Star 3F, which can stand on the sidings, as an out of service member of the fleet. I think it was the Council that stopped the old winch lines, due to the possible danger to children etc., in case the cables snapped. Tractors were tried, but the caterpillar is used now. Ford side valve car engines were common, powering the winches, complete with three speed gearbox and back axle cut in half driving the drum..

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?© 1392 square inches.....so far.

Stephen

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The base board is now cut out, and having a pine frame added before removal of a lot of the mdf board under the top level , which is the running surface, about 5 inches above the bottom baseboard.

 

The beach base will be sheet/block foam, covered with ceiling plaster, the filled type which is flexible, and can be topped with a layer of screened grit, aquarium gravel should provide the scale appearance for 7mm to the foot.

 

It looks like the are some O scale wooden fishing boats that might be a possible candidate for the beach scenes, they are the Chinese/FE made ones, sold in gift shops etc, and two of these could be given a make over to use them.

 

The net houses with be made from strip wood over a Depron box for support whilst being built. The Depron plastic can remain in place inside. Most of the rest can be made in card and depron, coated with flexible plaster etc., or wood veneered. The pool will be perspex, with railings, gas lamps and bollards etc., in cast metal and resin, home made mouldings.

 

There's quite a bit of track to build, all PC, but mostly buried completely in the shingle, with some under concrete, and asphalt road crossings. The rail will be nickel silver.

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post-6750-12585730570077_thumb.jpg

?© wikipedia GNU

 

Shows how difficult research can be, claimed to be a shot of the Hastings East Cliff Funicular Railway in 1925, but the track of the Rock-a-Nore Beach Railway is visble, along with the corrugated iron tunnel, so it's post 1948! and the bus at the top right does not look 1920's!!!! Taken in the 1950's, before the new large sheds were built, adding to the old net houses.

 

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?© wikipedia GNU

 

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?© wikipedia GNU

 

Stephen.

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Those are indeed they B)

 

I think the steamers were out of use by 1958 or so, certainly they stood around more than in steam, I wonder where they were disposed of finally? By the 1980's the line looked abandoned, shingle over entire stretches at times, and the diesel was rarely in action. There was also a petrol maintenance 040 loco at one time, rather like a Simplex. I remember the station was cleared one 80's season, but returned the next, ( a new owner?)

 

Still wondering about the Cliff Railway, could be made at smaller scale to get perspective fit? Is the Cliff Funicular line back in action yet?, it was closed after the bad crash a few years ago, and was due to be re-opened in late 2009 I believe.........

 

Stephen.

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The Holidaymaker passengers for the line are on their way, via Ebay, a pack of Hong Kong's finest plastic figures, the close copies of the well known European makers ones......I think we know where they get theirs made. 1/50 scale, but near enough for O scale.

 

Stephen.

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After studying a lot of photos and the videos from U tube, there will be some small changes to the design, the track run under the far Net House can be altered to the real track run under the lower storage sheds with the roof line in line with the end of the layout rather than the beach .

 

This will completely cover the track turn and not require another special building to be made to cover the track, before it goes behind the back scene..

 

Elements of the far end Rock-a-nore terminal Station will be used for the main one at the East end, a combination of the two. I am trying to find Tomix or Kato chassis for a diesel loco, and a diesel Railcar, I do know the UK suppliers, but they are out of stock at he moment, so may have to import via Ebay.

 

The line being small only needs a few passenger cars, I am investigating casting from a master in resin, or an etched body , with wooden parts. Again I need bogies, and out of stock seems par for the course at the moment, so may have to make some. Standard N gauge couplings will be used, and ooo track 9mm, although it should really be about 6mm, for the 10.5 gauge, but who worries in the land of OO, TT, and N gauge about such niceties as the right gauge?

 

The plan may be extended a bit in length, (1740 sq in), about a foot to give more run on the beach. (69.31 inch would be the max to be within the RM 2010 Challenge Rules).

 

Fishing Huts will be added between the line and beach, and all the fencing made en mass as resin castings, or use OO scale mouldings.

 

more coming,

 

Stephen.

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Revised plan with extension to length of the board, a single track in the beach section, and the new building to match the real current layout at the east end to cover up the loop, before the track goes behind the backscene.

 

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Rock-a-nore miniature railway plan

 

This allows the fishing net house buildings to be shuffled around a bit to get a better less cluttered look, and space for some of the fishing huts and winches etc., on the beach, also a bit of the old harbour wall can be added.

 

Some of the extra space can be used for coaches and cars, as I said before this is not exact scale, only to capture the flavour of the miniature pleasure beach line.

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It's not going to affect anything just yet, but tonight I have trawled through the UK model shops & stockist's and suppliers trying to find Tomy or Kato power bogies, and any other makes of both powered and un-powered N gauge bogies, and the result... none in stock, temporary out of stock, not available at present, do these shops want business or offer proper stock and service?

 

We are told that The UK can't make these sort of items so they have to be imported, but to sell them at all you actually have to have supplies in the shops, and for nearly six/seven shops to all be out indicates a very poor importer for these items.

 

A quick check on the net to the US suppliers shows no stock problems at all, it is as usual a UK problem, and we are meant to support the UK model trade. Looks like turning to Ebay or a direct import yet again, when will the UK trade catch up with reality and sell and market goods like they do abroad? The market may be small, but running it on an as an when basis is just not going to help the model railway world grow.

 

It is so disheartening to breakdown at the start of a project, because they don't supply the goods they list or advertise.

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Wellington Models to the rescue, as they have the shorty Bo-Bo chassis from Kato in stock on their Ebay shop.

 

This appears to be the better option, one powered bogie and one un-powered but all wheel pick-up, so can be made to fit a diesel locomotive to be able to test and check the track, many the curves which will be a bit tight at 6 inches, which i am assuming so far will take modern N gauge mechanisms.

 

As the track is PC based the gauge will be widened a bit around the corners as well, so I expect the mechanism will go around them OK.

 

I have started on the bodies of the passenger cars, making a master to cast the others in resin, with wooden set units added to the top. I have to find bogies for these, or make some plain ones to suit, as they are almost completely hidden by the body work. Some made from brass sheet, and folded may do, I will have to source some N gauge wheel sets to go with them. I think Nigel Lawton do these amongst others.

 

The next job is a new bandsaw blade, to be able to cut out the wood strips needed for the buildings, the old blade has snapped at just the wrong time. I have large stocks of oak parquet flooring blocks that can be cut up to provide all the wood needed. The buildings frames will be Depron plastic sheet, made to shape and the wood glued on over the plastic materials. The method works very well, allowing quick assembly with PVA and superglue.

 

With the small size of the line there is no need for DCC control, just plain DC, with electric point motors, home made with RC solenoids.

 

These can be grouped behind the backscene and drive the points by rod in tube, or wire runs, keeping the electric simple and centralised to the main control board. I may add sound, but the cheaper and easy way, with off board sound generator and speaker in the scenery, and perhaps the sound of Seagulls added as well. there might be an importunity for a few animations as well, and full lighting will be fitted to the lamps and buildings etc.

 

A working cliff railway will have to be left for the moment, but may be added in future, there is space available on the expanded plan. One plan may be a couple of boats on the ponds, driven by magnets from below to move them around the pool. A small gearhead motor could drive neodymium magnets to get the motion required.

 

Stephen.

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THE WIRING AND POINT OUTLINE PLAN.

 

post-6750-1258675147136_thumb.jpg

 

Basic ideas for the points and control, simple common return with 11 feeds via switches and indicating LEDs on a control panel, with switched control of the point motors , with indicators for each set direction.

 

All wiring ex-computer scrapped PVC multi core cable. The point motors will be RC servo type. A 12 volt switched power supply with 12 volt Feedback controller, all custom made, operation from back, or from front, via plug in sockets on baseboard edge. Lighting feeds will be 12 volt DC, with droppers for LED lamps, assorted types as needed, in separate wiring harness.

 

This should allow three trains in action, in sequence, more isolating sections can be added if needed. DCC is not needed here, nothing much could move independently. I may add display automation for two trains to stop in the passing loop of the main station, controlled by timers and Opto IR sensors. The couplers will remain the standard Rapido type, with solenoid raised strip if needed on the hidden sections.

 

Stephen.

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