Flixton (pits), Suffolk. 4mm NG & SG

[cnw6847]

Most of my hobby stuff has been put into storage for a while our house problems are to be sorted. 

To keep sane or insane, theres a fine line!  I'd  like to keep modelling during this period of upheavel.

The HOn30 layout is at my folks to work on when I pop round there.

 

This new Micro (ish) Layout (still in early stages) is being worked just inside the door way of my railway shed. House stuff fills the rest!

I now have started using reading glasses, this may mean good or bad things modelling wise!!!

 

Its not going to be a 100% serious project, just something to enjoy (hopefully) over the next few months while we get sorted.

 

The backstory:

 

Flixton is located just inside the Suffolk border south of the River Waveney. It is a Fictional short branch line that junctions off the Waveney Valley Railway at Homersfield.

The line was built to serve the quarry that removes sand and aggregates to which it still does in real life (although current one was never rail served). Sand had been quarried at Homersfield and Ditchingham and it was rail served at Ditchingham until the line closed in the 1960s. Due to weight limits from Beccles to Bungay only small locos could be used like class F tanks & J15s & 03 & 05s diesels. From the west end slightly bigger locos could be used class N7s, 13 & 31 diesels.

Towards the end of the lines days repatriated from France 16ton mineral open wagons with two per side opening doors were used.

 

The layout is being made from scraps and odds n ends, deliberately simple and sparse.

The baseboard is an old computer desk base cut slightly off centre, it has a gentle curve at the front. There will be a sector plate/Traverser (I forget which its called) running on drawer runners so a piece of chipboard & insulation board was put on the scenic side to correct the levels. 

The tight for space station site comprises of the single mainline with two yard sidings that are of dual gauge track. BR brings in empty open wagons to be loaded with sand etc, bring in supplies for the quarry and a small platform and station enables workers to get to and from work. The quarries own SG shunter moves the open wagons to and from the loading siding. 

NG uses the dual gauge track to pick up supplies and collect waste material from the upper NG loader that is dumped elsewhere on site.

The raised NG line would have been built by using waste clay and material excavated. Nowadays it’s just dumped into the quarried out pits.

 

The layout could be viewed from the front, right hand end and right side back with the operating area behind the Traverser.

 

Track is Peco for the NG & SG and Tillig for the Dual Gauge (amazing what you find when you're having to clear the modelling room out)

 

The NG quarry line arrives via an elevated track that due to the tight space has to level out and circuit the station to get to the unloading tipper.

 

Here is the very sophisticated hi tech plan

 

 

 

A front on view, Backscenes will be added behind the upper mid section an in front of the traverser.

 

 

The BR loco having brought the train in, the quarries standard gauge Victory shunting loco and the NG using the dual gauge to collect some quarry waste.

 

 

 

I done some test running , heres two videos of the quarry track.

 

 

 

[Andrew D]

This looks really interesting! I've not seen dual gauge in use before. Looks like you've made great progress already. 

[cnw6847]

3 hours ago, Andrew D said:

This looks really interesting! I've not seen dual gauge in use before. Looks like you've made great progress already. 

Thank you Andrew.

 

I'm not sure the dual gauge is very prototypical but i'm not too bothered on this occasion.

 

I've got a deadline to get work on the house done as the new carpets arrive on the 10th Feb so I may not get much more done until after then but will do asap.