What have I done...
The other weekend, after my Saturday tip to Darlington for the Societies AGM, I ventured over to North Shields for the Byth and Tyne Model Railway Society's show on the Sunday. This was mainly to see "Port Solway", "South Pelaw Junction" and "Castle Caereinion" along with making a few minor purchases, well, that was my intention.
What threw a spanner in the works was on entering the show and on my way to view "Port Solway" I passed an EM gauge layout called "Fiddlers Wharf". In stopping to admire the layout I noted it was for sale. Realising its track plan was based on the Inglenook shunting puzzle principle, feeding a few small industries I became interested. After having a quick chat to the owner, I started to have a few thoughts,
- After putting Heath End together I was starting to realise it might take too much renovation time to make bring it back to a fully operational layout to a standard I would e happy with.
- I do like layouts where I can shunt wagons around a yard; as such, I have collected a few plans for this type of layout.
- I've had the pleasure of operating a few Inglenook layouts, one being Gordon Luck's "Fish Dock Road". I remember being absorbed for some considerable time solving the randomised shunting of wagons into the correct positions. Great fun...
- As Fiddlers Wharf is only 5ft x1ft and sits on a table top and very easy to tranport it is an ideal layout for one day shows. It could also be a great last minute emergency space filler for exhibition managers.
- I also wondered if it would be good entertainment for the grandchildren. When operating "Fish Dock Road" with Gordon, we had a number of children enjoy hands on operation solving the shunting puzzle.
- On the down side it was an EM gauge layout, this would mean I'd need to construct a few EM gauge locomotives and wagons.
With these thoughts I ventured off to look around the whole show. While admiring Port Solway and South Pelaw Junction along with other layouts the above thoughts were never too far out of my mind. I went back a number of times to view Fiddlers Wharf and had brief chats with the owner. During one conversation he mentioned it could be extended. This brought to mind Iain Rice's "Leamington Yard" track plan. I'd often drawn my own Anglicised version of this plan and thought "Fiddlers Wharf" is an almost perfect match for the right hand side of this track plan.
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Iain Rice's Leamington Yard.
Even though designed as an American layout it has potential for being Anglicised.
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Eventually about three thirty I asked if there had been any takers. There had not, so I explained I was very interested but needed a little more time to think especially as it's a different gauge to the one I model in. We exchange details and I made my way to the exit.
On walking back to the car I remembered a phrase my wife says about me "I often see something I'd like to purchase, even try it on, but don't buy it and then regret it later". I was beginning to think this might be one of those decisions. I then remembered there were a couple of guys in the local model railway group that might initially help with EM gauge rolling stock.
So, a decision was made, along with the few minor purchases, I came away with something a little bigger...and wondering how the wife would reacted...
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| Fiddlers Wharf |
