Freelance Nautical themed layouts?

May 26, 2006 8 Replies

As I detail out the sketches for the Halloween layout, I'm realizing more that I'm not going to be able to pack in as many elements as I'd originally imagined for this first project. Scale and size limitations are getting clearer. It will take probably a set of connected layouts to build what I'd imagined, but that's a future project.



One thing I thought about for one end was a seashore with a rundown lighthouse, shanty buildings, docks and maybe a wrecked sailing ship (pirate?) -(my imagination can get carried away with itself) with the tracks running around all of this. Well, there's no room for all that but I'd wondered if anyone here had ever done any nautical themed layouts or an area within a regular layout (steam era). Not necessarily a haunted looking one but anything related to the seaside.



The closest thing I've seen is in the 2006 On30 Annual magazine of the "Isle of Fenwick" railroad consisting of a couple Porters that wind down to a cliff at the edge of the sea to dump phosphate from ore cars. Kindava quiet scene with sheep grazing in the grass by the tracks (low stacked stone walls keep them in).



I'm assuming such a theme would be a freelance design as I'm not aware of any trains that work that close to seashores.



~Brad :)



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Art Fahie's outstanding Niagara & Pearl Creek Railroad has a scene, Old Port, that might have something that would help, Brad. You can get there from here:

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Good luck with your railroad!

Bill Bill's Railroad Empire

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Brad, apart from the many thousands of ports and harbours around the world with railroad connections, there are many railroads running along seashores, coastlines, etc.

Some good examples would be the various German narrow gauge lines on the Baltic islands, the CF la Baie de Somme in France, or for something really exotic, the Barbados Railway! One of the US West Coast lines had a station (depot) right on the tideline, IIRC - just can't remember the name offhand.

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All the best,

Mark.

And for traction fans, there's always the "big red cars" running along the beach in Southern Cal.

What you are describing fits the narrow gauge Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Company to a T.

Historical page on the railway:

Page on the two abandoned schooners, Hesper and Luther Little, laid up at Wiscasset in 1932, and their relation to the railroad:

Bob Jones did a fantastic book on the railway that has images of the pier, etc. IIRC, the yard for the railroad is now a school playground.

The northern end of the railroad was an enigma for me. Looking at the geodesic maps and Bob's book, it is obvious that the railroad ends on a bluff overlooking a major river, and that crossing that river would have taken a huge bridge that would have cost more money than the railroad could ever have generated.

Doh! I just got the two Morning Sun volumes on the PE, but I didn't think of that!

Little industrial locos, Porter or suchlike, hauling large stone blocks from a quarry out along a breakwater that's being built. With a steam crane to unload the blocks and place them. Regards, Bill.

I think the IHC web site has some nautical themed buildings/structures on it. I don't have the address right off hand, but you could search on International Hobby Corporation. It's eomething like ihconline.com

Hope this helps..............

dlm

That's a nice one Bill. I like the rocky seashore they've designed. Was curious as to how they would do the water. Looks calm but good. Pumpkin Hill sounded interesting on that RR too but didn't see any pumpkins. :(

Those folks at Bar Mills can really model. That Shipyard Brew>Check out this American prototype:

~snip~

Never knew there were such yards with tra>Brad, apart from the many thousands of

Interesting stuff! And yes, the Barbados line catches my eye too. Will search Google and see if I can find some more pictures of that RR. An exotic tropical themed layout would be another interesting project. Lots of possibilities.

3D posted:

~snip~

That's quite a history. Seems so much fate of those old RRs rested >Little industrial locos, Porter or suchlike,

That's an idea. Would be especially fun if the crane was >I think the IHC web site has some nautical

Think I have their site on file but have only looked at their On30 boxcar and caboose kits. Will see what else they have. I can work a nautical structure into what I'm doing even without a coastline.

Thanks again everyone! ~Brad

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