Plessey Underground Factory Microlayout

[Dunalastair]

I am getting towards the end of my 'diorama-a-day' series, so time for an early model which was something of an experiment.

 

In WW2 the Plessey Company (for which I used to work) built a factory to make aeroplane components in an uncompleted tube tunnel in East London away from the attentions of the Luftwaffe.

 

 

Transport was provided by narrow gauge railway using battery electric locos. As this was wartime, the drivers were often women.

 

 

https://www.mylondon.news/news/nostalgia/astonishing-london-underground-factory-2000-23954277

 

My model was a circular pizza, representing one of the production tunnels. The pizza was made to revolve, and the locos were not motorised but instead had a magnet to keep them in place as the scene moved past them. This was not entirely successful as the motion was very jerky - the Roco NG wagon chassis was perhaps just too small.

 

The budget was minimal, so ebay was scoured for cheap Chinese components which could be used to represent factory work stations - this was well before I did any 3D printing. Dolls house and charm bracelets were unlikely sources, as were electronic components. In this image, the microscopes were charm ornaments and the shelving and chairs were I think intended for a (very small) dolls house. The very basic figures put the scale at about 7mm = 1 foot.

 

 

Lathes came from combining hiliter pen tops with micromotors.

 

 

All facilities were provided for the work force ...

 

 

While it was fun to build, it was all very crude. Insetting the track using white blutak and card to try to represent the concrete floor was not one of the better decisions. Photographing the result was also a challenge for focus. I would approach it very differently today.

 

Somewhere I have a video, but it might take a while to find.

Edited July 25, 2023 by Dunalastair

[Dunalastair]

And here is a video showing the jerky motion. The video camera also got confused by the focus as the 'tunnel hoops' swept by.

 

 

If I was to revisit this, I would be able to use printed components, as in this scene featuring a CML electric loco.

 

 

[LimboBrit]

An interesting bit of Plessey history I was not aware of. I started my career in 1983 at Plessey Research which was moved to Caswell from Ilford in 1940 to avoid the bombing.

[Dunalastair]

On 25/07/2023 at 08:56, LimboBrit said:

An interesting bit of Plessey history I was not aware of. I started my career in 1983 at Plessey Research which was moved to Caswell from Ilford in 1940 to avoid the bombing.

 

I also worked at Caswell - message sent. Indeed, that is where I learned my 3D design skills, such as they are.

 

There is more on the tube tunnel factory here: