It's on us again. It’s time to start work on this years Micro Model Railroad Cartel Challenge layout. When I suggested the idea of the first one to Cartel Conversations podcast presenter Tom Conboy, It was to get people doing something during the Covid lockdown periods. Several other groups and magazines had run challenges or competitions. But there was nothing specifically aimed at micro layouts. I was inspired to the idea in part by some modules built and displayed in the French magazine Voie Libre. But those were mainly wild, fantastical ideas for tiny modules in HOe that might never be joined together.
Whilst researching a now shelved project, I discovered that Carl Arendt’s Squarefoot Estate Railway was first in print 21 years ago. I don’t know how it is in the rest of the world but to an Englishman, 21 is something of a coming of age and is often marked by parties and celebrations. So to me it seemed quite natural to tie the two together. To celebrate the 21st anniversary of the layout appearing to the world with a competition. Enough of the backstory. You have until November 30th to complete your challenge layout, which is your interpretation of the Squarefoot Estate Railway trackplan. Further details are found on the Cartel Facebook page (you have to be a member of the Facebook group), blog page and podcast.
My entry is going to be a pretty straightforward interpretation of the trackplan, (see below). I basically took the plan, and enlarged it up to the maximum area allowed in the competition rules (Four square feet, the maximum for a Micro) My chosen scale will be 16mm scale 32mm gauge for a two foot narrow gauge line. Since I created model 2' gauge portable panel track using slices of plastruct corrugated sheet I've been fascinated with the scale, and have accumulated enough stock to run the layout, even though I haven’t built it all yet.
Look at the plan, and you will see no details on there at all. Not because I’m being secretive. I just haven’t nailed the exact subject down yet. I was originally conducting research for my Nog Freemine layout when I got distracted by the Squarefoot. So early renderings were centred around that idea.
Slate mines and quarries, small factories producing all manner of products, that contained a working tipper for tipping waste materials. All ideas have crossed my mind. I even had a dalliance with a Gn15 idea. But that passed. 16mm scale it is.
In my next post I'll share some of my sketches. So you will see how my mind is working.
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