Limhamn Stenbrott diorama

[Dunalastair]

Today's 'diorama a day' represents a scene at a chalk quarry in Sweden. An electric narrow gauge railway with distinctive wagons had been used to transport the stone to the cement works. This had originally been steam worked, and indeed had offered a limited passenger service. 

 

https://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/18/Letters_18.htm

 

When the railway closed, a steam locomotive, and electric loco, one of the tip wagons and the tram-style coach were preserved in a lineup in the former quarry. The rolling stock was subsequently moved to a preservation railway, I believe. I have a selection of jpgson file  which I think I found on a website, but Google no longer finds the files, so it may have been taken down since.

 

The rolling stock was modelled at 9mm  gauge (so about 1:100) using 3D printing. To add a little Swedish atmosphere, a Volvo Amazon design from Thingiverse was scaled to match. First the steam loco and tram coach: 

 

 

Then the electric loco and one of the quarry wagons. The loco rather reminded me of the early Tri-ang steeplecab electric.

 

 

And here is the completed diorama. The background belongs to my Oakbank microlayout sitting behind. The 'chalk face' was suitably carved and painted insulation foam. In reality, the lineup was further from the quarry face, but artistic licence was used to put them nearer together. 

 

 

I will have to look further to see what information is still available on the web about this railway system.

Edited July 12, 2023 by Dunalastair

[Dunalastair]

There is a little on the quarry at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limhamns_kalkbrott

"The quarry is one of the largest open-pit mines in Northern Europe, measuring 1300 by 800 meters, with a depth of 65 meters. A railway line connected the quarry to a cement factory in the port of Limhamn. In 1968 about two kilometers of the railway was placed in a tunnel to reduce air pollution."

 

 

There is a short Swedish language article at https://www.historiskt.nu/normalsp/mlj/mlj_snabbf_02.html which Google will translate to English.  This includes an image of one of the earlier steam locos in the quarry  and also a map

 

 

 

The description confirms that the gauge was 891mm.

 

Edited July 12, 2023 by Dunalastair

[Dunalastair]

And here is the rolling stock lineup as it was after the railway closed, the scene I based my diorama on.

 

 

Having failed to find the on-line version, I have re-hosted the jpg on Imgur - I will take it down if there are any copyright concerns.