Jacks Hill Loading Point 3
By Michael Johnston
|
This diorama-with-action/shunting puzzle came into existence after I was inspired by the 2013 Perth Model Rail Show to actually make something myself. With neither a lot of time nor a lot of space available, I thought that a small layout project would be manageable.
I had already found the late, great Carl Arnedt’s website with its collection of ingenious micro-layouts. Poring through that, I found a design “Jaxcilli Industries 3” by Jack Trollope that appealed to me with its:
|
 |
During early 2014, I finalised a version of the plan that would suit most of the shunting locomotives and wagons that I had. I decided to imagine that it was a small coal loading point on the edge of a larger colliery complex. Trying to tip my hat to the original, I eventually came up with the name “Jack’s Hill Loading Point 3”; judge for yourself if that’s an improvement over the original “the Plank”. The timescale is deliberately vague, in the range 1960s to 1980s, depending upon what would be running.
With a bit of planed 4” x 1” timber plus some 6mm plywood acquired from the local faceless DIY superstore (sorry, Bill), I put together a baseboard in an utterly conventional fashion. The single point was fitted with a solenoid point motor. The track is a mix of Peco and Hornby that was wasting its time sitting in my loft. I should come clean and admit that point and crossing are both insulated frog specimens, so the electrics are very simple (just like my understanding of the topic).
And then I fell off my bicycle and smashed up my left hip and thigh, requiring a fair bit of stainless steel to be inserted to persuade it all to stay together. It didn’t heal quickly, which kept me off work for a number of weeks. However, that was where a small project like this helped keep me sane (Spencer’s visits from time to time tipped me back over the verge of madness), because I was able to finish the electrics and work on the scenery and structures while laid up.
I tried to keep building styles and scenery as non-specific as possible, to fit in the vague date range decided upon. There are two main structures – a coal loading point at the left, and a workshop/office type building over the traverser on the right. Both are 1mm or 2mm card carcases, clad with plasticard. The coal loading point is built around a modified Knightwing gravel loader. The right-hand building has a fire escape bashed out of a Dapol footbridge kit and even has a office scene inside, because that’s the sort of fiddly thing you can do when you can’t get around too well. Of course, now that it’s in the building, it’s really hard to see…
Scenery uses filler plaster to give some hints of ground shape, and a mix of flocks and static grass. The backscene is a simple painted slightly-cloudy sky. An old Ian Kirk van kit, picked up at some point from a dead-or-dying box at a show, was posed at the end of a siding where the track disappears into the grass.
Since the photos were taken, I have added a few more scenic details and put on a few people (not too many). I’ve still got a few more scenic bits and pieces that could be added. Also, for a coal loading point, the whole thing is far too clean; I’ll have to do something about that at some stage.
It’s a nice wee layout to have a short play with from time to time, as setting up, running through the sequence a couple of times and tidying up again takes about half an hour – just right for a break from real life.
Jacks Hill has appeared at a number of exhibitions, most recently at the Falkirk show in 2022.
Please visit the gallery page for photographs
If you would like to book Jacks Hill to appear at your exhibition, please download the Layout Exhibition Details document, or send me an email
12AD Model Railway Group 