I have sone On30 stuff and decided long ago to make a layout, a small one, for this rollingstock. Small in On30 to despite a station is still a decent layout which will be for exhibition. Requirements is it will have to fit on my 6x4 trailer, be strong, and represent what I want of this station. Initially for several years I thought of Beech FOrest - that's a great station with the tennis court loop etc. But I'm lazy and to do all the research , since there's not much left in reality - to get it even close was a challange I'm not prepared for.
Then this year I toyed with something that I can see and measure. Puffing Billy is only a hour away so I looked at the stations along the preserved railway - to decide Emerald is the best. I thought of Clemantis but wanted something to do. So Emerald , the next station up the line suited me :
- It exists !
- The station is original
- It has a yard
- It has extra roads and the turntable
- Seem to be modelable
Of course I have to work out how accurate it will be - and that will be determined how the model eventuates. If it is good it might be named Emerald. If it is shocking something else "Demerald" is my initial idea.
For if it is set up in the garage I would run it with any On30 stuff, a Coffeepot as a railmotor, some USA stock. At a show it would be more challanging as at the moment I have two NQR's (6 more kits) and a NA being build for me by a EMRC member John Reid. Not a lot of PBR stock !
So far I have taken plans and a photo shoot as the first link in Updates will show. I have also google mapped the area and will use that for basic sizing and placement.
This is a pipe dream as I have so much else on. But Let's see !
David Head, October 2010
As with any project, any help to do this could be great. Since it is a active railway I cannot just go up there and wander too freely. Nor do I wish to annoy the railway directly for plans etc of the structures. So If you can help, let me know ! If the layout is good enough some of you may wish to run your PBR stock on it at shows. Or you may wish to assist contruction.
And here's the help already:
- Mario from the Ausnarrowgauge yahoo group gave me this link
- IanJ from the Ausnarrowgauge yahoo group told me about Emerald might have been the main operational base - but out of my scope today.
The layout at a glance (as proposed)
- Name of Railroad: Emerald or Demerald.
- Scale: On30 (1/4 to a foot)
- Size of Layout: 17 x 9 Feet.
- Prototype: Puffing Billy 30inch railway - Emerald station.
- Period/era: 2010.
- Layout Style:Standard Exhibition layout, scenic one side, with unsceniced stagin the other.
- Layout Height: Not decided yet.
- Benchwork: Open Grid.
- Roadbed: 12mm Ply track base, cork etc.
- Track: Handlayed code 100, some commercial code 100 for stagin area.
- Length of mainline run: Not determined yet.
- Turnout(Point) minimum: no 7.
- Minimum curve radii: 36 inches.
- Maximum grade: 1:45
- Scenery construction: All forms but lean towards Styrofoam, as little plaster as possible.
- Control: DCC control (NCE radio based, or plug in) with Decoder Pro for loco configuration, and some form of computer control for signal & points.
- Starting Date: 2011
- Completion Date: TBA (2020 !)