There are just two days to go until the doors open to the public at the British Railway Modelling magazine Festival of British Railway Modelling at Doncaster Racecourse and the appearance at the show of Fisherton Sarum. As well as keeping an eye on the Met office website forecast for the next 24 to 48 hours, due to possible snow falling across the Midlands and my route from home to Doncaster, I have been preparing Fisherton Sarum for the trip north.
As with most layouts being exhibited some method of protection for transportation is required and this is not normally seen by the general public at shows. Although when set up the Fisherton Sarum is 20 foot long it was designed from the outset in such away that everything included the stock boxes (converted stout DJ cases for carrying up to 120 CDs) containing over 80 locomotives and some 20 coaches along with numerous wagons, will all fit in a Mondeo estate car!
My two scenic boards, each 4′ x 3′ are bolted together by wooden end frames to form a box just small enough to fit through though the tailgate of the car. The layouts legs are botled to the inside of baseboards ‘L’ girders and therefore fold up inside the baseboards out of the way. The whole box arrangement sits on a set of wheels for easy transportation from the car into and around the exhibition venue. As I use cassettes in the fiddle yards these boards are flat topped ‘paste table’ style and the legs fold up held in place by clips and then these slide alongside the scenic board ‘box’ in the rear of the car. Other items such as the end backscene pieces, lighting rig support struts and the control panel (whose width was designed specifically to do so) tuck between the ‘L’ girders of the upturned scenic board.
I hope this little insight into the behind the scenes aspect of exhibiting a layout has been of interest, if you are dropping by the exhibition please make sure you say hello! Fisherton Sarum is stand 11 at the show.
Safe journey, wave as you go by Mansfield – it’s the MIL’s 80th birthday on Sunday so I’ll be serving tea and sarnies to her and her friends and imagining how the church centre will look next month 😉
Hi Ian
I will do, unless I take the A1(M) instead due to traffic and or weather conditions…the A1 being slightly furthur east might avoid some of the forecast snow tonight.
Tranport is the bit people forget when planning a layout, at least the first time. The second layout, you think about that sort of thing before laying track.
Now, back to watching the weather forecast…
I agree Phil I am still amazed at how many layouts I see setting up at shows where the transportation seems and after thought, even from some well established model railway clubs.
Got a couple of inches of snow here, but the roads this morning seem OK and unlike last night the buses are back operating on the hill past my house. Will be setting off soon.
Looks like this weekend is off for me as my wife Enid collapsed twice and you can imagine I am very concerned although she now back home . Will meet up with you in the future I hope.
Alan,
Very sorry to hear you news as I was looking forward to meeting you. I hope that Enid makes a full recovery.
Quite agree Phil,
Summat Colliery was designed to be portable from the start, all the scenery dovetails into each other and the two boards are held facing each other with stout dowelled ends with toggle clamps holding the whole solid 4x2x1 ft box together. It just fits on the back seat of my Impreza
Fourgig East will be the same