Little Point

[MikeOxon]

I was pointed in this direction by Mikkel, after I made a comment about "drifting off into another world" on his blog.  

 

This rates 6.0 for artistic impression, technical merit, and presentation, helped, in no small measure, by excellent photography.  It just needs a sound track from Benjamin Britten

 

Mike

[Neil]

As autumn comes to its close, and winter starts to knock on the door of the east coast, the Little Point Tramway begins it's hibernation. Passenger trains have ceased running with shed doors being shut and bolted against the cutting winds. In previous years much would be repainted when safely indoors for a few months rest, but of late the thought has been that it'll do another season. Repeat something often enough and it becomes the norm. It'll be many years before the term deferred maintenance is the accepted euphemism of choice for penny pinching neglect, but that's what's going on here. However, like it or not, the management do have some necessary maintenance to tackle out of season, and here we see the lines Jung diesel returning through the dunes to Great Tedium after some spot ballasting at a washout just short of Little Point.

 

 

 

 

 

[Neil]

Though cold and often grey, winter on the east coast sometimes brings a clear day. A surprise visitor to take advantage of the low sun at Little Point is this Jung, recently shopped by industrial plant and machinery supplier R.R. Engineering Ltd. Differing from the Little Point Tramway's own Jung in still retaining its original exhaust it also retains more of its paint as it hasn't been exposed to the lash of salt spray or the neglect endemic to the Tramway.

 

 

Hot on the heals of the departing diesel is the departing sun, leaving the sand spit of Little Point to the gulls and the lap of the tide.

 

 

 

 

 

[CourthsVeil]

Neil,

can only quote former posts:

This modelling is great! What a delightful scene and very inspirational! Fantastic entertainment. I can't wait to hear more of this delightful little place of Little Point, so more, more, more please, Neil – it's so lovely.

 Armin

[Neil]

In the bleak midwinter it's pleasantly diverting to leaf through photographs taken in summer, letting the mind and soul drift away to kinder times. Thanks to the utility of modern colour photography I am able to share with you a summertime view of the Little Point Tramway. It is late on an early summer's evening and the last train of the day arrives empty at Little Point to collect those stragglers who have stayed out to enjoy the sun for long as possible or those who wish to delay their return to the boarding houses of Great Tedium till the last possible moment.

 

 

As it will be a thinly patronised service, the open carriages have been unhitched and left behind in the sidings at Great Tedium, a single balcony carriage and the all purpose passenger brake/mobile ticket office sufficing to hold all-comers. The passenger brake is a late addition to Little Point's roster of coaching stock. Constructed in haste from remnants it is believed to incorporate parts from one of the earliest horse drawn tramcars and the single axle left over when an unsuccessful Cleminson carriage was rebuilt into a four wheel van. It has proved popular with the staff, the lively ride being compensated for by the provision of a stove, very welcome when the wind gets up at the ends of the season.

[Captain Kernow]

I must have missed these last few posts a couple of years ago, what an exquisite delight! And the two-wheel coach has quite made my day!

[Neil]

On a warm September's day the early morning mist burns back to reveal Little Point, rising Brigadoon like, from the sandy horizons of the east coast. The air smells of change, raising goose bumps of anticipation that have nothing to do with the eventual departure of the train. Despite the rising temperature it's clear that autumn lies not far over the horizon and that these last days of summer represent a last chance to soak up light and heat. But these days are to be welcomed rather than regretted as they bring calm after raucous high summer.

 

 

 

Edited February 14, 2021 by Neil

[nick_bastable]

On a warm September's morning the early morning mist burns back to reveal Little Point, rising Brigadoon like, from the sandy horizons of the east coast. The air smells of change, raising goose bumps of anticipation that have nothing to do with the eventual departure of the train. Despite the rising temperature it's clear that autumn lies not far over the horizon and that these last days of summer represent a last chance to soak up light and heat. But these days are to be welcomed rather than regretted as they bring calm after raucous high summer.

 

little point 01.jpg

how have I missed this

 

bonkers believable and totally bewitching

 

Nick

[Ramblin Rich]

Lovely atmosphere, Neil. Good to see you posting here after Morfa became defunct. Any progress in house moves....?

[Neil]

Hello Rich, nothing concrete as yet I'm afraid. Though it means that I can't make plans for anything big and permanent it doesn't stop me tinkering with a few projects; at the moment I'm in the planning phase for something portable in nature.

[F-UnitMad]

Just got back here via a reminder posted in a thread by @Nearholmer about seaside/holiday railways.

What a great reminder of a wonderfully cheerful little layout!!   

[steve1]

Have just been reviewing this thread with much enjoyment.

 

Is there any more to be heard from this fine East Coast outpost?

 

steve

[Ramblin Rich]

On 13/02/2021 at 18:46, F-UnitMad said:

Just got back here via a reminder posted in a thread by @Nearholmer about seaside/holiday railways.

What a great reminder of a wonderfully cheerful little layout!!   

Me too, with a realisation that this really preempted Jamie Warner's 'Sandy Shores' by a few years!

[Hesperus]

Absolutely entrancing, makes me want to book a holiday there.

[steve1]

Come on @Neil let's have an update. 

 

steve

[Neil]

It's been a disappointing year for the industry and commerce of Great Tedium on Sea. In fact it's been a funny year, full stop. Tourism is not really back to pre war levels, and while there have been exceptional numbers over a few good days in summer the overall picture is gloomy. Feast or famine, but largely famine. There is talk that the coming thing will be cheap holidays by aeroplane to those European countries not long fought over by our fathers, uncles and older brothers. How's that going to work, I ask you.

 

Recent developments abroad do not bode well for the towns major industry either. Since the founding of an obscure treaty, the bloater paste factory has lost  it's biggest continental customer, West Germany. Now that  Belgian, French and Dutch fish can be sold there without duties, British bloater paste has been priced out of that market. Local businessman Nigel Frottage, the chairman of the Association of British Tripe Purveyors has launched a 'Buy British' campaign, but it's an uphill battle to sell to a British market awash with sandwich spreads.

 

So with the fishing fleet largely laid up, the flying flotsam, the express goods service of the Little Point Tramway, only runs on alternate Wednesdays. "Things won't be what they used to be" the line's general manager was heard to say in the Shunter's Arms last week. "There's almost no freight to speak of, no passengers and I dread to think of the palaver in getting hold of spares for those Deutz diesels if they conk out". "The only salvation would be if one of those daft pillocks that runs one of those little railways in Wales was to take it on". 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 10, 2021 by Neil

[Mikkel]

Excellent. Small place, big story.

 

3 hours ago, Neil said:

West Germany

 

Funny how that's already beginning to sound odd.

 

[46444]

Brilliant snaps Neil and always lovely to visit Little Point.. 

 

A real tranquil backwater which sounds to be at the beck and call of a right bunch... 

 

Let's hope a more left field approach delivers a market for the infamous bloater paste...

 

Cheers, 

 

Mark 

Edited March 11, 2021 by 46444
Spelling..

[marc smith]

Glad to hear that Great Tedium On Sea still has its' railway.

Still looking fab @Neil - as ever  

[Neil]

In Great Tedium on Sea, all the talk is of promises made and promises broken. The culprit, it seems, is one Norris Boston, leader of the town council, elected on a platform of extra support for the cottage hospital. At the time, advertising space was taken out on the flanks of a double decker belonging to the East of England Road Car Company heralding that vision. Turns out that the money has instead been spent on four thousand War Department gas masks left over from the great war, sourced by a masonic contact, and an inept door to door survey of whooping cough sufferers conducted by the wife of one of his chums. "Unprecedented times" we're told by way of excuse. If there's any good to come of this I can't see the citizens being so easily fooled in the future.

 

On the tramway, winter means maintenance and maintenance usually means shifting drifting sand from the line and tipping it back from whence it came. With little money to spend little else can be done, rotting sleepers may have to hold for another year and as fewer trains are running at least the rails are experiencing less wear. Our general manager is left wondering if the receipts might be bolstered by an offer to quietly get rid of the glut of perished gas masks; there's some waste ground behind the loco shed which might suit.

 

[Nearholmer]

Melancholy tales these;let’s hope that Great Tedium somehow achieves renewed prosperity. It looks like the sort of place that has a lot of wind that might be farmed.

[Neil]

Wind power, whatever next?

 

A group of gentlemen with anemometers and clipboards have been spied at various points along the coast. Taking readings and looking earnestly out to sea they were quickly spotted as something out of the ordinary. Talk in the harbourside pubs is that there's some sort of hair brained scheme to put windmills out at sea, at least that's the claim of   bosun Maddocks of the MV Ferret, a sludge dredger chartered by the boffins for a half days trip round the local sandbanks and shallows. Local opinion is that windmills are old hat, the last one closing down some twenty years ago and that if you wanted to power something by wind then the town council chamber is the biggest source of hot air in these parts.

 

 

Turns out it's not only the boffins who seem hell bent on harnessing the power of the wind. Norris Boston, former columnist for the East Coast Bugle, council leader and one of the few local politicians that can be recognised by his first name only, has decreed that flags are what the town needs to overcome all that ails it. Henceforth all council buildings have been instructed to fly the union jack and local businesses exhorted to do likewise. As part of this effort a special train was hired to take counsellors and local bigwigs all the way out to Little Point stopping at suitable points to invite locals to fly the flag. Whilst running round the train at the outer terminus Driver Flemming was heard grumbling about "all this pointless stopping and starting" followed by "I'll invite him to shove his bloody flags up his ar..." the remainder of the phrase fortunately being carried away on the breeze.

Edited March 31, 2021 by Neil

[hespertalbahn]

Neil,

 

just 'discovered' your thread.

How entertaining !

Thank you for sharing.

 

Best wishes

Dirk 

[Neil]

Oh dear, it's been a turbulent few weeks in the borough of Great Tedium. Betty Truscott, only recently appointed leader of the town council has had to step down following a hole being found in the council's finances. Initially the treasurer was persuaded to take the blame, though it's unclear whether he fell on his sword or was pushed. It has later transpired that he was only doing Betty's bidding. The deficit appears to have been caused by a planned reduction in business rates, the idea being that increased profits would be good for all, though how the rest would share in this good fortune remains uncertain. All this would pass as just the usual nonsense were it not for this missing income having to be found elsewhere. An abortive attempt to borrow funds was greeted with 'of course, but do you realise what the repayments will be?' Apparently she didn't and with no other convenient scapegoat in sight, has decided to go.

 

Confidence in the council is at an all time low. The townspeople, already finding it hard to make ends meet, worry where the missing money will come from? Will the rates go up, will the library or swimming pool have to close and how will the cottage hospital fare, particularly as it's only just come through the tribulations of a whooping cough epidemic. It's not as if there's good news elsewhere, the Great Tedium Gas Light & Coke Company have more than doubled their rates over the last year and prices in the shops seem to get higher each week.  It looks like the strikes held by the staff of the Little Point Tramway in a bid to increase wages in line with increased prices will continue through the winter and they aren't the only group feeling restive.

 

It's tempting to speculate that only a fool would seek a position of power and responsibility in such circumstances, but odds on there'll be no shortage of aspirants.

 

 

 

[MrWolf]

It's the same everywhere, but the locals plod on regardless because there's nobody else worth voting for either, they seem resigned to their fate of ever being governed by charlatans and egomaniacs.... 🙄