A journey from here to there

  A personal philosophy 

In order to be a modeller of railways there needs to be a model railway. It doesn't matter if it is a loft or an Ikea box, there has to be a railway, otherwise we are mere collectors of things in boxes.

Occasionally, a thought begins to become a concern, why build a model railway and why choose a particular subject? My obsession, for it is an obsession, is to create something naturalistic that pleases the eye and restores old memories of quiet rural railways of Germany. 

I greatly admire those individuals who devout a lifetime to build a perfect representation of a actual location, set at a specific time/date. Their dedication is admirable but there are constraints, as they can utilise space and have access to information, neither of which I enjoy. By contrast, my world is one of limited to just 5m x 1m and limited information from both the internet and the few books that feature my chosen subject.

My project is based upon a notion that a modest rural line had a small brickworks that had been extended and was still in use for the remainder of its short life.

The generic trackplan is simple, just a short connection with the branchline. 

Various features (LDEs) from around the location are recycled, all chosen for their similarity to other local features. Colours are carefully chosen from a palette used in the location, mostly natural, a mix of greens + earth, subtle rather than brash. 

The stock was carefully selected, just a small diesel and suitble wagons for the coal and to carry the bricks.

The wherefore of operation

 

The layout in the shed is small, only about 3,4m of scenic area with a couple of cassettes, this means that it is a shunting puzzle rather than ‘parade’ style layout.

 

The stocklist reflects the purpose of the layout, just a few wagons that shuffle backwards and forwards.The wagons form a train to feed the kilns with fuel and haul the bricks.

There are two uncouplers, all uncoupling is achieved using under track magnets, they deftly separate the knuckles of the Kadees.

 

Running through the trains should take about 15 minutes of intense concentration, enough to keep me happy.

I hope that this explains the approach.

Site plan

This is a plan of the site of the South Western Pottery by Edward C Peckham in Railway Modeller April 2001 -it provides some inspiration for the layout

 

The actual site plan -  The site was connected to the mainline by a standard gauge line and fed by a narrow gauge system, unfortunately, it needs to be modified to suit both the brickworks and the available space.

This may well be a partial solution, the entire site has been turned so that the exit is at one end of the baseboard however it still needs to suit the footprint of the Pola brickworks.

This is the 48x24 board with the Pola brickworks superimposed in order to provide some idea of the problem, it needs work.

Images of making bricks

   Traditional brick making

 

 

 

 

 

 

Details

 The only large vehicle is a Magirus S3500 tipper that brings clay to the brickworks for processing.

Bricks

 

Abandoned tippers

 

 

The works

The main building is based on an old kit of a brickworks from Pola and a small workshop by Busch

https://www.igg.org.uk/gansg/12-linind/brickpot.htm

The kit needs updating, it was originally designed for use with a Feldbahn but instead it will have a standard rail connection to a branchline.

 

 

Inside the works

 

The pug mill building, after depositing the clay, it is sent up a ramp into the pug mill when it is sieved and all stones etc. removed before it is mixed with water before passing down to the mould room.

 

 

 The loco shed

Budget Model Railways

 

Stocklist

Models

Most of the models represent the stock that may have been used on a quiet rural branchline in Oberfranken although maybe not at the same time, just a few types.