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Poynton Sneer sidings


marc smith
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10 hours ago, CME and Bottlewasher said:

Looking forward to seeing a few new photos soon.

Funny how when I still had the layout, I wasn't posting anything..... but I still have some pics that didn't make the Model Rail article....
A "crew" of two arrived via Wickham trolley, at the end of the yard - one of whom was the foreman. Typical! If they'd all been workers, they'd have had to walk....  "Moaning" Dai Morgan was told to "look busy" - but he decided to nip out of sight and have that sarnie he had in his pocket.... then sit a while, to digest it and contemplate......

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Edited by marc smith
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And some more......
I'm never sure whether you should be "pleased" with your own work - or just satisfied?

Oscar Wilde said - “We can forgive a man for making a useful thing as long as he does not admire it. The only excuse for making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely. All art is quite useless.” - which is why I maintain that Railway Modelling is loosely a form of art (well.... sort of, maybe). In any case, I'm pleased that it was well received at shows.

Part of its' "success" is down to the sense of space, despite it's diminutive size - It's just 5 feet, including the fiddle yard - a small space in 4mm scale, let alone 7mm. This sense of spaciousness also relies on not having too much stock on the layout, of course. But one of my pet hates, is seeing the track disappear into the fiddle yard, and there just being bare wood underneath the bridge. I always like to weather the rails beyond the bridge / view-blocker, and add some grass / weeds, and continue any retaining wall - even if just for the first few inches.

On PNS - I was glad that there was enough of the commercially available backscene, to continue it into the fiddle yard. It helped take the eye away from the end of the scenic area. Of course, those who know me are well aware of my penchant for using mirrors, to distract the viewer from the other end of a layout.... This also worked well on this layout, I feel. I had been concerned that it might be too large area, and would be too obvious to onlookers - but plenty of long grass and weeds, with half a tree in the corner, the overhead pipe and careful use of other scenic items did help take the eye away from the baseboard edge, I think.

 

Into Fiddle.jpg

Poynton mirror RMweb.jpg

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Two Class 08's are stabled in the yard, probably because something needs "tweaking" - there's some oil and plenty of tools in the grounded van body at this end of the yard. My long serving 08 (the Bachmann Brass one on the right) is going cheap, if anyone wants an inexpensive introduction to O gauge.....

Two 08s RMwebSized.jpg

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Marc, I don't suppose any modeller worth their salt is truly and utterly satisfied with their efforts, but every so often something falls into place and brings some joy and happiness to its creator. And, as I was just writing elsewhere, becomes more than the sum of it's parts, takes on a life of it's own and is loved, enjoyed and admired by others too. That X factor is often hard to catalogue or quantify though. Our H&BLR for all of it's faults was like that too.

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On 14/05/2012 at 16:27, marc smith said:

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"Poynton Sneer Sidings". Another minimum space layout, by Marc Smith.

 

Following the superb recent rmweb members day in Taunton, I thought I'd better start a thread for this, my most recent layout. These days, I'm always scribbling notes, sketches or designs, and I'm always looking for scenarios or settings in which to place a railway..... even where none existed previously.

 

Poynton Sneer is one such place. Obviously the name is merely the product of my terrible sense of humour.

It is I think my 5th layout since Hendre Lane, some 4 years ago (where has all the time gone?) In fact, I’m lucky to have been able to build it – as some of you may know I’ve re-discovered my old hobby of playing the bass guitar. Another mid-life crisis? Possibly.....

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I hadn’t intended to build this layout. I still have plans for a really small O gauge layout, which I thought something of a novel idea some 4 years or so back. That is STILL on the back-burner, as is my “Cashmores Newport†based scheme, and my Woodmores-inspired Barry scrapyard idea, as is my desire to resurrect John Spencers’ “Ruyton Road†layout (now in my possession). As is every other half-baked idea.....

 

So why did I start it? You may well ask...

My house is full of modelling detritus – I have lots of bits & pieces which I buy, and fully intend to use,

one day..... It started with a couple of second hand points- neither of which had actually been used. One I got cheaply from local shop, Lord & Butler of Cardiff – I think it was marked up as £10, but Peter, ever the salesman, saw me pondering it, and said “You can have it for £8!â€

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I didn’t need it at all, but I again thought “one day.....†The other point came up on ebay, and at a similar price, I put in a cheeky bid, and got it, if unexpectedly! Both points are copperclad, one being Marcway. Both are short radius, and I think the reason no-one else bought them, is that in their original state, the curved rails after the vee were quite long, and rather sharp, and looked rather unrealistic.

 

So I set about “improving†them, cutting much of this curve away, isolating the crossing vees, and adding Peco sleeper chairs. Again in Lord & Butler, they had some second hand Peco O gauge flexi-track, which someone had painted – rather badly, I have to say. So out came the wallet again, and Peter also handed me some similar track, which had once been laid & ballasted – and he gave me this for free!

 

On seeing the Gaugemaster photo backscenes, I was quite taken with their industrial scene. It reminded me strongly of Port Talbot, as seen from the vicinity of the south side of the steelworks, not too far from Margam Knuckle yard – those who have seen my gallery will know I have spent some time there.....

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On looking at my improved points, it struck me that I could build a very small layout, which included a run-round-loop, or at least the scenic half of one. Of all the layouts I’ve built recently, I realised that’s something I hadn’t done in a while! Actually, the smallest of them all “Bracty Bridge†does have a loop – but I seldom used it when operating at the few shows it has been to – it’s just much easier to not use it....

 

The layout was built very quickly, using my now favoured foamboard as a basic landscape. As I did with the last O gauge layout “Clarbeston North†I glued some small battens to the underside, to act as framework. This type of foambaord is new to me, as B&Q no longer seem to stock the “knauff†board I used previously. This foambaord is grey in colour, and is not as dense as the pink-coloured Knauff. It’s easier to cut, but I did initially worry whether it would warp. On top of the board, I glued some white photo-mount board – Hobbycraft were selling it 2 for the price of 1!. The photo-mount board was pre-cut to the shape of the trackbed, and is around the same thickness as a left-over piece of ply I used to make my sliding sector-plate.

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The sector-plate is 2 tracks – each being long enough to hold just an 80 and a wagon. To give the sector-plate a nice smooth sliding action, I used a pair of drawer runners, recovered from an old dismantled kitchen unit, in keeping with my desire to keep costs down.

 

Those with sharp eyesight will see I have again used mirrors – will I ever build a layout without them now? Once again they are plasticard-backed poly mirror material. I bought a stock of this sometime back - I just knew I would need it again.

 

More on the design and construction again – I have already waffled far too much. Suffice to say, it isn’t quite finished yet, there are a few more things to do, before Poynton Sneers’ next outing, and they’ll probably all be done the night before the next show.

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Poynton Sneer is just a tad under 5 feet in length, including fiddle yard, and I think that’s a pretty small layout considering it includes a run-round.

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Any questions or comments, please feel free, but I’d just like to say thanks to the good Captain Kernow, for Poyntons first airing, thanks to Barry Ten for helping me set up & operate that day, and thanks to BCN Pete, for bumping the thread of my last O gauge layout – on that note, if anyone’s interested in “Clarbeston North†I am tempted sell it, to make way for a future build.

 

Good morning Marc, Just saying Hi.some inspirational work on here

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5 hours ago, Jon73202 said:

Good morning Marc, Just saying Hi.some inspirational work on here

Thanks for that @Jon73202,
This thread is from several years back - I resurrected it, as the layout has now been sold on
I'm sure Wayne (the new owner) will keep it going though.

I really should get around to building a new micro O gauge layout - I've an idea niggling away for another space-saving concept...
Alas, time & space are the drawbacks, as ever 

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15 minutes ago, marc smith said:

Thanks for that @Jon73202,
This thread is from several years back - I resurrected it, as the layout has now been sold on
I'm sure Wayne (the new owner) will keep it going though.

I really should get around to building a new micro O gauge layout - I've an idea niggling away for another space-saving concept...
Alas, time & space are the drawbacks, as ever 

Please do Marc and keep us informed via a thread and photos when you do. More strength to your elbow!

Edited by CME and Bottlewasher
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Hiya everyone.

 

As Marc has said I'm the new owner of Poynton Sneer. After owning the layout for over a week, I only just had chance before work yesterday to get it out for a couple of photos. They're only point and shoot phone shots so not the best quality but I'll try and post some better quality ones in future updates.

 

I always like to include a little story with my photos so I hope those will be welcome.

 

The first picture shows an ex works Intercity liveried 08795 resting between duties for the bank holiday weekend. Unusually there's no engineering work in the area this weekend, so no RDW for the lads in the yard.

 

The second shot shows one of two Parkside Grampus wagons under construction, once the second one is up to this stage I'll get them ready for painting.

 

The final photo shows one of two TUA tank wagons I'm building and painting for @naturol of this parish. This is the ECC China clay slurry version but the other will be for ICI in Caustic Soda traffic. These are excellent kits which are available from Impressionist Models.

 

 

Well, that's my first post as new owner of Poynton Sneer. Thanks again to Marc for allowing me to own it, and to keep this thread going.

 

I'll be back soon.

 

Wayne

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Edited by Wayne 37901
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1 hour ago, CME and Bottlewasher said:

Weathering them too - it'll all look great and, just as importantly, work great as well.

I don't think weathering the tanks was on the list, I believe they're just going to be 'display quality' to show how the kit looks when finished. I now have the transfers to put on, once that's done they'll look a lot better so I'll post a photo when that's done.

 

Cheers,

 

Wayne

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23 hours ago, naturol said:

Decals will transform the TUA.

It'll bite hard this 7mm lark.

Watch out Wayne.

@naturol- 7mm will indeed bite hard. It leaves a great impression too. Oooh, tell me what you have planned for those wagons :)

EDIT: PS Wayne - the Grampus is a bit of a fave wagon of mine. I have one that always looked at home on Poynton. Good to see one sat there again.... Now you'll have to finish painting it

Edited by marc smith
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  • 4 months later...

Crikey! No posts on here since June, shows just how busy I've been recently with little time for modelling. The cold dark evenings are starting to settle in now though so hopefully a lot more projects will get finished as there's plenty of new ones waiting to be started.

 

This morning I popped along to the only accessible bit of Poynton yard to see if any wagons were lurking around and I was surprised to find a BNX coil wagon sat there. It had obviously been 'carded' with handbrake issues as the rear set of handwheels have been removed (in reality they've fallen off).

 

A good find of a wagon not really seen in this end of the yard.

 

After a sarnie and some tea out of the flask, it was time to head home but I'll pay another visit soon.

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Edited by Wayne 37901
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  • 1 year later...
On 01/11/2021 at 11:23, Wayne 37901 said:

Crikey! No posts on here since June, shows just how busy I've been recently with little time for modelling. The cold dark evenings are starting to settle in now though so hopefully a lot more projects will get finished as there's plenty of new ones waiting to be started.

 

This morning I popped along to the only accessible bit of Poynton yard to see if any wagons were lurking around and I was surprised to find a BNX coil wagon sat there. It had obviously been 'carded' with handbrake issues as the rear set of handwheels have been removed (in reality they've fallen off).

 

A good find of a wagon not really seen in this end of the yard.

 

After a sarnie and some tea out of the flask, it was time to head home but I'll pay another visit soon.

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Hi Wayne. It was good to see Poynton Sneer again yesterday in Cardiff, I enjoyed the chat - and it was a good day out

 

cheers

Edited by Rivercider
tidying up.
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On 22/10/2023 at 08:06, Rivercider said:

Hi Wayne. It was good to see Poynton Sneer again yesterday in Cardiff, I enjoyed the chat - and it was a good day out

 

cheers

Hi Kevin,

 

Yes likewise, good to see and chat to you again as well. I hope you weren't too bored watching the odd wagon being kicked about.

 

Cheers

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