Bezzy Oppo

Er, I don't think so. If we shut up shop they would lose X 1000s of pounds in revenue because of the loss in parking capacity. We're also a landlord of the railway. Plus they a) support us and our endeavours, and secondly do not offer to customers what we have planned. (I did a b) but got the smiley inserted!!)

Oh it gets better!

The Environment Agency as a statutory consultee is asking for a detailed drainage scheme to be drawn up to be submitted with the new application (as opposed to being a condition ascribed to any permission). The issue? Oil and such-like leaking from cars and leaching into the ground with the potential for contaminating drinking water. We either drain to fuel receptors and separators or look to installing/ implementing a Sustainable Urban Drainage Scheme. That's swales and reed beds and the like of which you see around new out- of- town developments.

I've pointed out to the EA's planners that our immediate neighbour is the NYMR's wagon and coach works and diesel yard. Not forgetting the kettles running round their trains or taking on water. Along the length of the site the main running lines run replete with trains onboard loos working in the 'contemporary way'! And that modern cars don't really haemorrhage oil like they used to. To no avail.

Having gone out to tender the median quote is of the order of £10,000. Just to design the scheme. Apparently the EA will charge £80/hr for one of their officers to meet and advise on the acceptability of any suggested design. 

Nothing like writing your own cheques eh? The better half is starting to wonder why we're bothering at all...

Update:

We're having to withdraw and resubmit our application. The planners want a consultant's report on every point of issue raised by neighbours. Traffic survey, heritage statement, et al incoming. I don't think we'll be getting a decision until June. Though the sounds are encouraging I do think the planners believe us to be in ownership of a money tree!

We have the room and having seen one in operation and the way kids run around it we decided to try and keep it as original as possible. I forgot to mention we added tunnel portals and a smattering of RTP trees from the Skaledale range too. We achieved consensus that 100 seconds for your 50 pence was about right. A new coin op mech was around £40 IIRC. I have it set up sans cover in my kitchen at present and every visitor goes straight to it and wants to see it running. They're a small part of model rail heritage and I think worth hanging on to and looking after. A small piece of nostalgic wonder that still has the ability to beguile even the most tech savvy six year old.

A big thanks to all me chums at East Riding Finescale who helped turn this around so promptly!

I must admit I was all for bringing it into the 21st century regarding scenic treatment but to all intents and purposes it's two sheets of ply glued to bark walling. I was finally convinced that rescattering was the most appropriate way forward by fellow colleagues in crime. It's come out ok, reliability has been proved by my 4 & 5 year old with a fistful of 50 pence pieces and the keys to the cash drawer! Available to view this summer season in Pickering, if anyone fancies fish 'n chips in Whitby....Right, packing for the SECC; onwards and upwards and back to 7mm!

We've just refurbished one of these using a mixture of buildings contemporaneous with the layout itself (early seventies) and skaledale RTP ware. We replaced the coin mech, transformer, timer and speed controller with modern equivalents and 're scattered' and ballasted. The track was relaid and fake points installed. A new cover has been fitted (the most expensive aspect of the refurb) and the carcass repainted. As it's going in a shop aimed at younger visitors it's been 'Sodorfied'.

Sorry to hear about the old job front matey. I'll see you at Donny; where are you lodging me old fella?

Well everybody, the planning application is in. If anyone's interested it can be viewed/commented on by visiting Ryedale District Council's web-site:

http://planningregister.ryedale.gov.uk/caonline-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=NGGNO3NO1J000

Sure.

The main building it is anticipated will comprise model shop, modelling area and layouts and a cafeteria to watch the trains go by; the lean-to aspect houses public loos, servery to outside, notice boards, boiler room and showers for campers. Also a self-contained 2 or 3 bedroomed flat to the north end (ground and first floor).

Cheers!

Would it not be a good idea for the NYMR to step in and take it over, as a model shop with the odd working layout thrown in? I know the shop has a wide range of stock and items and that this could be skewed more towards a railway interested audience....

 

Just a thought...

I think they might want to concentrate on getting their own layout to work reliably before tackling anything as complicated as DCC.....besides, they haven't got any money; just a rather large overdraft.

If it has a current boiler ticket then perhaps NYMR could make use of it at the moment? 

Oh the joys of local authority planning departments!

We're desperately trying to get a pre-application planning meeting with our local planning authority. It's only a sleepy backwater district council and things move soooo slowly. RMWebbers may or may not be aware but you get charged for pre-application advice now - another stealth tax. Anyway before we can arrange said meeting we've some hoops to jump through before the LPA will considering proffering advice. 

I've so far commissioned a Habitat Appraisal, a full topographical survey and a Flood Risk Assessment (FRA). After waiting three weeks I gave the FRA consultants a ring this  morning to prod them along. They've nearly completed their report - they're just waiting for some information to be provided by, yes you guessed it, the planners!!

I despair, I really do...

Yes John,

We're planning on installing something for the serious modeller too. It's all a question of space and how much we have to play with; the first meeting with the planners should give us an indication of how big we can go with the main building.

Cheers

I've already got a nice line in checked wallpaper eyed up. And I've just found some nice carpet too.

The business will stack up financially purely on parking and camping alone. And as anyone who's been to the Pickering War Weekend will testify, the availability of the site for additional traders and exhibits will improve the physical focus of that event enormously - which is the busiest week's trading of the year for the whole town.

Cheers Martin (look forward to seeing Kinmundy in Pickering some time soon!)

Aah, I see.

Watercourses can be managed to benefit and detriment: hence they are 'managed'. Abstraction can be a good thing in flood events. Our lake has a neutral effect. It is merely a route diversion. The elimination of the lake aspect will be of no consequence hydrologically. I would contend infilling the lake will provide groundwater storage capacity - a net gain (though small in overall terms) in delaying the onset of any flood event. That is a static body of water (the lake) can't absorb any more water! (Static because in the event of imminent flood the inlet and outlet are closed).

If we didn't clear out the lake every few years (excavate) it would silt up naturally anyway.

Well you have to be careful there. If the Thames wasn't managed i.e. the tidal barrier, London would get very wet every now and then!

But yes, all the water will go straight into the river rather than going through the lake (that which is abstracted). 

The lake is a managed watercourse. It has at any one time up to 1 tonne of Rainbow Trout in it. They are carnivorous. The Habitat Appraisal has drawn  .....a  blank. As I said to the surveying ecologist, 'if there's anything in there apart from the fish I'll give you the money myself'. Actually the removal of this intensive fishery will be of great ecological benefit. Vast amounts of fish poo ceasing to be discharged into the watercourse for starters. 

If someone is looking for somewhere to picnic I think any one of our National Parks will be a better bet? 

Hi Andy,

We have an English Heritage run medieval castle next door, the most popular heritage railway in the country next door, a large (by UK standards) National Park next door and a raft of annual events that see town inundated with visitors. Because of the topography of the town there is a limited amount of car parking space and a strong demand for camping close to the rail head. I am a modeller and enjoy the hobby - I can assure you it will not just be another model shop. If I put some boats on my piddly pond and tried to make a living having people rowing/ paddling around (takes 3 minutes) I don't think I would last very long: Lake Powell it ain't.

Thanks Mike,

Yes we hope so. In addition to the camp site, shop, exhibition/layout room and cafe there's also going to be additional long-stay car parking. This should ease the congestion associated with people rocking up to hop on the NYMR last minute and finding they can't get parked within a reasonable distance of the station and then driving aimlessly around. Until they get totally frustrated and give up for the day or for good as does happen at present. We currently allow parking but we will aim to provide a total of 130 or so spaces within the new development. Oh, and some really nice toilets and wash rooms for those desperate when they arrive.

Cheers, Alex

I hope to get through all the planning hoops by the end of the year (more on this later). Once I have the sign off I envisage starting work on the main buildings this time next year.

And I get to buy a 13 tonne digger with WAF support   I'll be doing a lot of the work myself with help from friends.

Now. Back to Flood Risk Assessments, Habitat Appraisals, topographical surveys.......

Yes, I know the owner (Dennis) very well. He's very supportive, though not very well at the moment. His wife has been poorly too. I have been helping out at his shop when I can. We hope to continue and grow the model shop offering in the area albeit in a much bigger way. Dennis will be acting as a consultant on the model retail side as his experience and knowledge of the industry spans several decades!  

Aw, that's not fair! 

Yes, you found us. And you're also correct on the loco front. I think it's a cracking location...

'Incidentally, Miniature Railway may be worth approaching if you feel like writing anything on the 71/4" build.'

Hi Pat, the 7 1/4" aspect will be the last bit to get done - When it happens I'm sure I'll be writing it up.

As to the location? I'll cough to that in a few days' time if no-one pings it in the meantime. Cheers

Muppetry. I forgot to mention - we'll be looking to fill in the lake, essentially return the site to open field for starters. Then build on the reclaimed land. The lake is not a still body of water but has controlled abstraction and discharge inlet/outlets. Trout need oodles of oxygen you see, otherwise they can easily go 'belly up'. They are the fishy equivalent of sheep: they are born to die as easily as possible. Any farmer will recognise that expression. Sheep have an unnerving knack of finding new ways to end their lives with no human help whatsoever!