Kidmore Yard
Layout now sold.
A 4' x 1' layout designed with three aims. To piggy-back an Nmod module (N Gauge Society modular layout), be used as a standalone layout, and, potentially, adjoin Kidmore Gumstump to increase the overall running length. The track plan is based on an inverse version of the 1965 layout, "The Piano Line", seen below, with the fiddle yard line entering the run round loop from the top left as opposed to the right & with two additional sidings to increase shunting potential.
This layout was completed in October 2010.
This layout was completed in October 2010.
Original Piano Line 1965
Piano Line
The original Piano Line was described by David Thomas in the late Carl Arendt's Microlayouts website http://carendt.us/scrapbook/page61a/index.html.
In July 1965 the Rev. P. H. Heath (who, with his Llanfair shelf layout three years earlier, had been one of the pioneers of 00n3) described his 4mm / OO scale Piano Line. This was an excellent example of a minimum space layout and adopted the ingenious idea of bringing the main line in centre stage (upstage centre in theatrical terms) within the run round loop. There are prototypes for this, though possibly not in Great Britain, and it enabled a fully operating layout complete with arrivals and departures of both passenger and goods services to fit onto a single 5x1ft board including its off-stage fiddle yard. This plan, with an additional siding or two, has good operating potential & it is on this layout that the 4x1ft N Gauge trackplan for "Kidmore Yard" is based.
The original purpose of the Reverend's Piano line, which in 1965 used proprietary 00 equipment from Tri-ang, was "to be played about with by small boys who are carefully prevented from handling my narrow gauge line — though I have seen at least one more adult member of the railway modeling fraternity sit with the layout across the arms of a settee for an hour working out shunting problems." Nothing changes then !
Original 1965 Piano Line Track Plan in 4mm scale
The layout began as an excuse to use a number of the Lyddle End gasworks buildings many of which are based on the former works at Fakenham, now a museum. This gasworks was operational from 1846 to 1965 thereby providing masses of scope for rolling stock. One issue I did have with the Lyddle End gasholder as supplied is that it appeared to be far too small in height, just 60mm; in my opinion 25% undersized. Even a relatively small holder like Fakenham would have been some 40' tall, ie 80mm in N. To overcome this I added a brick base thereby raising the height. Maybe not prototypical but it actually doen't look wrong!
Any gas works would receive regular, typically daily, shipments of coal and occasional consignments of 'iron sponge' in drums, loads of pipes in open wagons and other equipment in vans. Many gas works used carburrated water gas to heat the retorts and so would receive regular tank wagon loads of (petroleum) oil. Outgoing cargo would be wagon loads of coke, barrels or tank wagon loads of tar and possibly ammoniacal liquor together with occasional wagon loads of spent oxide in drums and quantities of various 'distillates' drawn from the gas in manufacture. If the works is regarded as large enough to boast a small fertiliser plant, hence the added warehouse type buildings, colourful private owner vans may also be justified. When constructing a layout, I always seek to have a reason for varied rolling stock.
The buildings on Kidmore Yard have been heavily weathered to replicate the dirt & grime of such establishments.
"Kidmore Yard" was published in The Journal of the N Gauge Society, issue 4/11.
Exhibitions attended /booked:
April 2011: Berkshire Area Group N Gauge Society
Sept 2011: Earley (Reading), Lodden Vale MRC
Oct 2011: Didcot (Abingdon & District MRC)
Jan 2012: Maidenhead & Marlow MRC
Feb 2012: Kenavon (Wallingford & Cholsey Railway), Reading