The planting of seeds

For me, after a successful show, there’s an incredible high. As sure as night follows day. After positive interactions with people at a show and a well running layout, I come away full of enthusiasm and positive ideas. I’m ready for the next great model railway adventure to begin.

Except I have no idea where that adventure will lead me. Bontoft’s is essentially complete. There’s no need for an extension. It was never designed for one. I have a hankering for a couple of other loco’s. There’s plans for a Hudson and a Simplex. But I’m in no hurry. But I’m so full of enthusiasm, I need to do something to channel the energy. 

While on vacation in the UK recently, I saw a couple of unrelated things that may lead to something.

The first was at the National Railway Museum in York. A place I’ve been many, many times. I first went within a week or two of its opening back in 1975, (I was I only 12 at the time). Many of the exhibits I’ve seen before. Some things I’d forgotten, some things never registered with me on previous visits.

This time I paid attention to “Pet”. The John Ramsbottom designed, 18” gauge 0-4-0T. This loco and its brothers shuttled around LNWR Crewe works, doing what modern fork lift trucks would do. Transporting tools, supplies, and items around the workshops. 

The delightful, diminutive, PET

“Pet” is one of those locomotives that never really registered with me back in my earlier visits. It was just a black blob. However, I do recall that when Springside Models brought out their 09 model of “Wren” from the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway’s Horwich Works, I was intrigued enough by the space saving qualities of a layout using minuscule prototypes that I bought the kit. But I never developed the idea further. 

In the intervening 50 years, I learned all about minimum gauge railways. The work of Sir Arthur Heywood. The Sand Hutton Light Railway. The Vitacress railway in Dorset. Subjects that fascinated me and led to a very creative period of layout building in Gn15 with Whinny Lane and Purespring Watercress.

I posted the picture of Pet on my model railway Facebook page saying how I was reminded of Chris Rennie’s LocoRemote kit of Pet when he had released it earlier in the year. 

Wouldn’t you know it? The first person to comment on the post was Chris, saying that he still had a last one, and did I want it. I couldn’t back out after that. So I arranged to buy it and a driver “Alf” from David Clavey. 

At this point, I just want to say a huge thanks to Chris (and David) for working together to send things to me in the USA. There are many cottage industry model railway suppliers who won’t ship abroad, what with Brexit and the poor quality of shipping to the USA. (I’ve lost many packages in transit post Covid from different sources). Chris will send things to me tracked and signed for, so there is a trail to follow. David happily sends his items to Chris who then puts everything in one package. To them I am eternally grateful. There would not have been a Bontoft’s Sand Quarry layout without their help.

Anyway, in the middle of the night when I was jet-lag stricken. I’d surf the web looking at pictures of Horwich and Crewe Works internal rail systems, seeing if I could get inspired. I was inspired, but these huge railway workshops didn’t seem to offer much for a micro layout builder.

Look Ian, you’re supposed to be enjoying yourself on holiday. Get back to that.

So to North Wales, a place I have great fondness for. I have adored the Ffestiniog Railway since childhood, and the majestic Snowdonian vistas fill me with awe every time I see them. 

One day, we decided to check out the National Slate Museum in Llanberis. Somewhere I’d never been. I really wanted to see the wagon on a Blondin cable hanging above the flooded Vivian Quarry nearby. The museum is free, it’s a no brainer to visit.

That wagon perched over the Vivian Quarry

The Slate Museum is a fascinating place, full of inspiration for a slate quarry based model railway if you so desire. I was fighting the urge all the time while there, I can tell you. 

As we toured this fascinating place, we entered the foundry, with its furnace and display of patterns, workshop tools and equipment.

The foundry.

The seeds had been planted. I just hadn’t realized it yet.