One of the most unusual railway lines in The United Kingdom was the Holyhead breakwater line in North Wales. Entirely cut off from the rest of the railway system two class 01 shunters worked the maintenance trains that helped to keep the three miles of harbour breakwater in good repair. The line was originally built to 7' gauge in the late 1840's to help with the construction of the breakwater to bring stone down from the quarry on Holyhead mountain to the site of the breakwater. The line was converted to standard gauge in 1911 when further construction was needed. This was also when the line became cut off from the rest of the railway system. Even after construction was completed the line was still needed to assist in the upkeep and maintenance of the breakwater as large boulders could be bought straight down from the quarry onto the breakwater by rail. Eventually though it became more practical to bring the material in and on to the breakwater by road and the last train ran in July of 1980. Two years later and the locomotives had been cut up for scrap on site. The breakwater and the surrounding area are now part of a country park where trains may one day, run again.
The model as seen here depicts the locomotive shed and the line out along the breakwater to the lighthouse. I tried to model the soldiers point buildings (the castellated structure at the rear) in some way as that helps to tie the model to t he real location. Though its relationship to the locomotive shed has changed from the actual location.
One thing that I have not depicted on the sketch is the mobile crane that was used to unload the wagons of their stone from the quarry and dumped on the seaward face of the breakwater wall. I left that out to keep the sketch nice and simple. But it can be seen in several of the photographs linked to in the inspiration box. Operation though somewhat limited would be quite interesting to watch. A locomotive with a couple of wagons behind loaded down with some large rocks appears from offstage from behind the loco shed and heads out onto the breakwater where it stops by the mobile crane, which (being a fully operational feature) picks the stones off the wagons and dumps them over the seawall. Exactly as the real thing would do. Doesn't sound that much but at an exhibition an operating feature like that would wow the audience.
Articles on the breakwater do refer to sidings and even a passing loop along the 3 mile length of the breakwater. It might be possible to fit a siding in at the lighthouse end and as a change to normal operations supplies might be able to be delivered to the lighthouse in a box van.
Once again on a model like this stock requirements would be limited. One loco and 3 or 4 wagons could see you through. It would be a great project to test out your scratchbuilding skills with the operational mobile crane as well. You can be pretty certain that no-one else will have a layout like it.
One thing that I have not depicted on the sketch is the mobile crane that was used to unload the wagons of their stone from the quarry and dumped on the seaward face of the breakwater wall. I left that out to keep the sketch nice and simple. But it can be seen in several of the photographs linked to in the inspiration box. Operation though somewhat limited would be quite interesting to watch. A locomotive with a couple of wagons behind loaded down with some large rocks appears from offstage from behind the loco shed and heads out onto the breakwater where it stops by the mobile crane, which (being a fully operational feature) picks the stones off the wagons and dumps them over the seawall. Exactly as the real thing would do. Doesn't sound that much but at an exhibition an operating feature like that would wow the audience.
Articles on the breakwater do refer to sidings and even a passing loop along the 3 mile length of the breakwater. It might be possible to fit a siding in at the lighthouse end and as a change to normal operations supplies might be able to be delivered to the lighthouse in a box van.
Once again on a model like this stock requirements would be limited. One loco and 3 or 4 wagons could see you through. It would be a great project to test out your scratchbuilding skills with the operational mobile crane as well. You can be pretty certain that no-one else will have a layout like it.
Interesting plan - having seen the real line, albeit abandoned, I drew up something similar many years ago - but thought to do it justice you need a REALLY long breakwater. In N it might be possible, using the Grafar 04 in black as a stand in for the tiny 01s.
ReplyDeleteJames: I thought about the length of the breakwater too, and in the end I thought perhaps 4 1/2 feet of breakwater with the short trains involved would be about right. Especially if one was going to build an operating unloading crane.
ReplyDelete