Popular Post kirtleypete Posted July 30, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted July 30, 2014 John Smith and I have just completed our new metre gauge layout 'Mers les Bains' in time to exhibit for the first time at Southwold this weekend. It is unusual because it is 1/32nd scale, the same as Gauge 1, and as far as I know is the only narow gauge layout in this scale in the UK. Despite the large scale it is only 20' long. I won't go into great detail here, but I thought you might enjoy some pictures. We'll be at North Shields and Eurotrack later in the year - see www.smithslayouts.com for a full diary. The archway was inspired by Brantome and masks the exit into the fiddle yard. All the loco's and stock are scratchbuilt, but very conveniently metre gauge is pretty much 32mm in this scale so we could use lots of 0 scale components, including C&L track parts. Peter. 29 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Gwinnett Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Chapeau! Looks good, hopefully I can get down to North Shields (some hours south of here!) in a couple of weeks and see it for real. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirtleypete Posted July 30, 2014 Author Share Posted July 30, 2014 Do say hello if you do get there, Jon, Peter 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Now ISN'T that nice - very nice indeed! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePurplePrimer Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Superb Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium petethemole Posted July 30, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 30, 2014 I should get to Eurotrack and look forward to seeing this. Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Focalplane Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Very atmospheric, lots of interest along the way. I love the track and the turntable, while the rolling stock look perfect. I don't expect I will be around to see the exhibit, but it is good to see a French layout on RMWeb! Thank you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Andy Hayter Posted July 31, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 31, 2014 Very, very nice. Well done chaps Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirtleypete Posted September 23, 2014 Author Share Posted September 23, 2014 (edited) We took 'Mers les Bains' to Eurotrack in Southampton at the weekend and also there was Martin Petch with his 1/32nd scale Belgian trams. By the end of Saturday the Ostend tramways had bene extended along the coast, through Dunkirk, Calais and Boulogne to terminate in Mers les Bains! We couldn't run them because Martin uses a different wheel profile on his garden line, but they looked very much at home posed in the station to have their pictures taken. Peter Edited September 23, 2014 by kirtleypete 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Class 74 Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 Looks superb! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium petethemole Posted September 23, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 23, 2014 I saw this on Saturday and was impressed, with the scenic and figure modelling as well as the railway. Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim CC6558 Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 (edited) Saw this at Eurotrack - inspirational stuff - beaucoup d'ambience Français! Edited September 26, 2014 by Tim CC6558 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pacific231G Posted September 26, 2014 Share Posted September 26, 2014 Congratulations on this. I too saw it at Eurotrack and it's great to to see it complete. I showed a couple of my photos of it to a friend with no interest in railways and she got immediately from the buildings whereabouts in France it was. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffayolle Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 Very nice layout!!! I like it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 Really nicely done, that oozes atmosphere! I particularly like the boules or pétanque players, any French layout needs those! Cheers, John. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted October 6, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 6, 2014 Certainly not the only 1:32 narrow gauge as there are modellers using the Scalelink WW1 series of models. But they represent 60cm gauge rather than metrique. It's a very practical scale for modelling French prototype as there are lots of building kits (plaster) intended for military modellers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rue_d_etropal Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Hi, I am looking forward to seeing this layout next year, possibly York, partly because it's French, but mainly to compare notes on modelling metre gauge in 1/32 scale. Yes it has been done before, but not to the same standards. I have been dabbling in various scales/gauges over the years and have used 32mm gauge to represent both 3ft and 1metre gauge. Its just a pity that it is caught between Gauge 1 which has upped to nearer 1/30th scale, and the military modelling scale 1/35th , which happens to be better than 1/32 for modelling 60cm gauge, unless you want to up the gauge. I intend to also model 50cm gauge but in 1/32 so will nicely fit in with my proposed 1metre gauge. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted December 10, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 10, 2014 Hi, I am looking forward to seeing this layout next year, possibly York, partly because it's French, but mainly to compare notes on modelling metre gauge in 1/32 scale. Yes it has been done before, but not to the same standards. I have been dabbling in various scales/gauges over the years and have used 32mm gauge to represent both 3ft and 1metre gauge. Its just a pity that it is caught between Gauge 1 which has upped to nearer 1/30th scale, and the military modelling scale 1/35th , which happens to be better than 1/32 for modelling 60cm gauge, unless you want to up the gauge. I intend to also model 50cm gauge but in 1/32 so will nicely fit in with my proposed 1metre gauge. If you are interested in 50cm gauge, I take it that you have visited the preserved line at Lavaur. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rue_d_etropal Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 (edited) Lavaur Assume you mean the Cf de Tarn. Unfortunately I have always been too busy doing up house on the short stays I am down there, but one of the locos I want to design for 3D printing is the Crochat loco. Hopefully next year I will be able to stay down there longer so might get up to the line. Another reason I want to see 'Mers les Bains', is to check out the 'non working' wagon turntable, as I have been designing some working wagon turntables for 3d printing. I wasn't sure on diameter for metre gauge, but as many of the 2 axle wagons have a wheel base between 2.5m and 3m, I thought 3.5m sounded about right. On looking at one of the photos above in windows paint, I estimate diameter is about 11cm, which is close to 3.5m scale. That's something else to design before York next year, so no hurry(probably be ready by the weekend!) Scrub that initial estmate, as 12ft is so close, I wonder if that was used as standard wagon turntable diameter. That works out at 11.4cm in 1/32. Standardisation is the important thing, and companies would not deliberately do something different , as it would probably lose them trade. Looking at the photos above, I don't think I would want to walk on the stones. Many of the photos(pre 1945) in books either show tarmac(or something similar), packed earth, or something a bit heavier. Edited December 10, 2014 by rue_d_etropal Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted December 10, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 10, 2014 Are you booked for any exhibitions in 2015? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted December 11, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 11, 2014 (edited) Assume you mean the Cf de Tarn. Unfortunately I have always been too busy doing up house on the short stays I am down there, but one of the locos I want to design for 3D printing is the Crochat loco. Hopefully next year I will be able to stay down there longer so might get up to the line. Another reason I want to see 'Mers les Bains', is to check out the 'non working' wagon turntable, as I have been designing some working wagon turntables for 3d printing. I wasn't sure on diameter for metre gauge, but as many of the 2 axle wagons have a wheel base between 2.5m and 3m, I thought 3.5m sounded about right. On looking at one of the photos above in windows paint, I estimate diameter is about 11cm, which is close to 3.5m scale. That's something else to design before York next year, so no hurry(probably be ready by the weekend!) Scrub that initial estmate, as 12ft is so close, I wonder if that was used as standard wagon turntable diameter. That works out at 11.4cm in 1/32. Standardisation is the important thing, and companies would not deliberately do something different , as it would probably lose them trade. Looking at the photos above, I don't think I would want to walk on the stones. Many of the photos(pre 1945) in books either show tarmac(or something similar), packed earth, or something a bit heavier. France was some way behind Britain in the matter of metalled roads. For instance, photos of the Tramway de l'Aude at Lezignan-Corbieres show the N113, the major trunk route across Southern France, as still being unmetalled in the late 1920's, early 1930's. So roadside tramways would be running in compacted earth. Edited December 11, 2014 by Joseph_Pestell Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rue_d_etropal Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 By the 1950s many roads were being tarmaced, A quick look at photos and film from the period is best way to check. I have been surprised by what I have seen on occasions, and it is not uncommon to have found local councils attempting to make their towns looking old and traditional getting it wrong now. Most of the metre gauge lines around Carcassonne did not survice the 1930s, not too many steep hills to hinder local buses even on dirt roads. My house is not far to the north, over the Departmental border. The surface on our local bike route on old railway line is probably very similar to what many roads were like, packed earth with a few loose stones, and you have to be careful cycling on it. Quite a contrast to local roads now, which have some of the best maintenance and money spent on them in France. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluedepot Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 wow great layout and fantastic looking tram models! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Alister_G Posted June 9, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 9, 2015 I saw this in the flesh at Bakewell at the weekend. What a wonderful little layout, with real atmosphere, and some lovely little vignettes. Great! Al. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirtleypete Posted June 9, 2015 Author Share Posted June 9, 2015 Thanks Al - I'm pleased you liked it. Peter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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