Clay Cross mini-diorama

[Dunalastair]

Not all of my dioramas are large, but today's in my 'diorama a day' series must be the smallest by far. Clay Cross was well known for the narrow gauge Ashover Light Railway, using exWDLR equipment to link the works to a quarry, but there were also railways within the works site. When I designed and printed this model, my interest was primarily in narrow gauge electric railways, and particularly industrial lines. The number of such lines in the UK was limited, not least because of safety concerns. From what little I know about this (again very obscure) prototype, used for moving pipes on bogies around the plant, it used a central pickup conduit, presumably safer than a rail. My build file has various photographs which I cannot see on the web - they probably came from a discussion on the IRS forum. They show that although the machine could be used in 'ride-on' mode, the operator often walked alongside the 'loco'. Rather a contrast to LMS 4-6-0s and BR Peaks on the nearby main line.

 

 

This rather minimal approach to a diorama, where the unusual track is part of the interest, reminds me of some dioramas built by military (and civil) vehicle models. It at least makes for easier storage than the larger designs.

 

Edit : I wonder if this was actually the S&L Prothero tubeworks in Wednesbury? The filenames of two of the images I have suggest that is possible ...

Edited July 5, 2023 by Dunalastair