Cliffhanger

[pilotfriend]

A start has been made on our new layout, Cliffhanger. This will represent part of the Glenthorne Harbour branch that runs along the North Devon sea cliffs.  It will have high visual impact as the cliffs are 5ft high and will start close to the floor. A passing loop, (Countisbury Loop) connects with a working funicular that descends to a lido at the foot of the cliffs. The layout will be 16ft long.

This is the start of baseboard construction. The flat section is the sea level BTW.



The layout has a new website on http://www.cliffhanger.cd2.com/
JdF

[MickT]

As always, a superb new website John and I very much look forward to following the development of the Cliffhanger.

The drawing of the Glenthorne Lido reminds me in a nostalgic sort of way of Saltdean Lido just outside Brighton and also my own early adolescent "talent hunting" period at the sadly now demolished St Leonards open air pool/lido, just across the road from the old St Leonards West Marina station - which had similar art deco style architecture, a roller skating circuit of something approaching a quarter of a mile around the top of the terracing and what my parents told me was at the time it was built in the '30's, the biggest swimming pool in Europe, at approx 100yds long by around 50 wide (same as a football pitch in essence) with an enormous diving board and a deep end all of 15ft deep. Elf'n'Safety would have a field day if it still existed!

Regards

Mick

[pilotfriend]

Current progress with board 1

Most of the woodwork has not been completed on the first board. It has really been a game of three dimensional chess to get it all to fit correctly. The form of the lido can be clearly seen. Trackbeds are in place for the funicular and main line. A G cramp holds in place a jig where a Warren truss girder bridge will be.


My partner in crime on this project, Kevin Mason takes a breather
JdF

[pilotfriend]

Below is the progress with the top funicular station. Art deco of course. The shuttered concrete support is clearly visible.

[tedp]

Interesting idea, John. Is this meant as an extension to County Gate or as a standalone layout? You will have a huge expanse of rock to model. Rather on the scale of John Allen's G&D.

I like the funicular model. Very credible, and 'art deco, of course'...  ;D

One question about the Lido. Will it withstand something like this if it's that low down on the coastline? Perhaps it's sheltered by an outlying reef?

 

[pilotfriend]

Cliffhanger can be an extension to CG and also a stand alone layout. With regards to the weather, I guess nothing is bombproof but there are other buildings along that coast as low and as close. Construction is concrete and Crittal steel windows. I guess the glass would be thick!

The biggest risk to the model is that being as low as it is to the ground, one of my cats might spray on it!

The funicular is of course narrow gauge, being 16.5mm ;D

best
JdF

[invercloy]

Interesting idea, but I'm glad a lido didn't get built on that section of coastline in real life.  It's nice the way it is.

[pilotfriend]

I am glad it was not really built too. Work continues and four of the stations are in place. While working on the underside of the funicular, I placed it on a couple of old scooter batteries. There was a big bang and four inches of rail were completely vaporised! We now realise that the truss bridge needs to be moved four inches to the left. We are continuing with the automation of the cliff railway today.

[tedp]

...The biggest risk to the model is that being as low as it is to the ground, one of my cats might spray on it!...

You could explain the smell as being caused by low tide.... ;D

[Cambridge Paul]

With regards to the weather, I guess nothing is bombproof but there are other buildings along that coast as low and as close. Construction is concrete and Crittal steel windows. I guess the glass would be thick!

I assume that you've the De La Warr Pavilion in mind. Curiously a lot of the Crittal windows used were not steel but bronze, to solve the corrosion problem. I'm pleased to see the "streamline" style already evident in the upper station.

By the way, even a scooter battery packs one h*** of a punch. Once on my boat a money wrench slid off a locker top into the battery compartment and landed on top of one of my two lorry batteries. The result was quite spectacular

[pilotfriend]

The building design is a fusion of art deco pavillions and lidos. The tea room at Criccieth is also a big player.

Right now I am cutting out sleepers on the track and converting it to baulkway.
JdF

[pilotfriend]

The trackwork is now baulkway and the funicular automated using Timpdon Electronics autoshuttle. The lower station is roughly in place but the roof over the tracks is not yet built.

The intermediate station buildings are also incomplete



The trackwork is in and ballasted and detailed along with the platform.

[Whitworth]

It looks excellent, I understand what you mean about 3D puzzles, having a similar issue myself except my 'Y' axis is somewhat shorter ;D
I'm totally green with envy at your spacious work area :P

[pilotfriend]

After two days work, the second baseboard is close to completion and is now ready to lay the trackbed. Two County Gate modules can be seen cocooned and racked up on the wall with the fiddle yards up in the Gods.

[pilotfriend]

I have just completed the build of the layout's second bridge. A Noch laser cut product which is perfectly detailed with thousands of rivets and a joy to build.