magmouse
Western Thunderer
With the launch by the ScaleSeven Group of the 777 Quest micro layout challenge, I’ve been thinking about a baby version of my nascent Basuto Quay layout.
The challenge is to create a layout with a scenic area of no more than 7 square feet, and with a minimum of 7 feet of Scale7 track (see Sir Lamiel’s 777 Quest - ScaleSeven Group for more details.
At first I felt that joining the challenge would be a distraction from my main layout, but then I thought that if the challenge layout was a ‘baby’ version of Basuto Quay, it might be useful way to try out some ideas for trackwork, baseboard construction, scenics, etc.
The rule I have therefore set myself is that as much as possible of Kingfisher Quay must be also useful for Bastuto Quay. This obviously applies to the locos and rolling stock, but also two of the three buildings (pub on the left, harbour master’s office on the right) and the ship.
The layout is on two baseboards, one for the scenic area and one for the fiddle yard - each 100cm x 60cm. With the rounded corners to the back scene, the scenic area is about 6.5 square feet, so nicely within the rules.
The track plan is simple - two turnouts, one in the fiddle yard, one in the scenic area.
Operation will inevitably be simple, but there are three destinations for traffic: the ship at the quayside, the covered goods platform in the warehouse, and the engineering works. The works has it’s own loco, which can appear to collect or deposit wagons to or from the headshunt, or can go and collect from ‘the rest of the world’.
I initially drew the back scene to fully enclose the layout, but it felt claustrophobic, so I reduced it to the shape you see here. The aim is to make a virtue of those scenic elements (rooftops, the ship’s mast and rigging) that spill out of the visual frame.
The lower back scene is also more practical on a layout that may be exhibited and operated from behind, when access to three-link couplings will be needed.
To find out more about Basuto Quay, see my blog on RMweb: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/blogs/blog/2642-netherport-and-basuto-quay-gwr-1908-7mm/
Comments and suggestions are welcome!
Nick.
PS You might wonder why it’s called Kingfisher Quay. One of the rules of the 777Quest challenge is there should be an Arthurian reference included in the layout. The Fisher King is a central figure in Arthurian Legend, hence the name.
