Berger Hall 2020
Berger Hall 2020 is supposed to show how Berger Hall has changed since it's original 1900 incarnation. The back story is that the current owner is Sebastian Berger-King, who decided to resurrect the railway as a tourist attraction. He has been able to re-acquire the locos and rolling stock with the help of other well-off rail enthusiasts, and the attraction is run as the Berger Hall Miniature Railway. Stable Yard was the first module built, and was exhibited, with a traverser at the exit, at MOMING 19 at Pewsey.
PHASE 1
The first module was built on a 24" x 18" baseboard - my usual insulation foam and hardboard, with a 2 cm wooden board at the exit end. The foam was topped with 3mm black foam board, and a grid marked out before track laying commenced.
The track plan was simple- three tracks out of a loco shed at the right end, narrowing to two tracks at the exit at the left end. The track was laid at an angle to get away from the 'parallel to the edge of the board' look.
Looking across the board with the track down and the buildings in place - loco shed on the right, and the photo of the 3D stable block on Berger Hall 1900 used as a 2D backscene.
The surface of the Yard has been built up with thick card.
Left - The traversing, rotating fiddle yard attached to the scenic board. Above - A view of the traversing 'mechanism' - a screw drive meant for a 3D printer and a couple of drawer runners. The top was a Lazy Susan. The curved tracks limited which locos could use the fiddle yard.
A view across the Yard, with scenery finished. Just add trains and people ...
At Pewsey for MOMING'19. The board with the trees on the left hides the fiddle yard.
PHASE 2
The second phase of development was to add two 18" x 15" boards at the left end of the Yard, leading out into the estate.
The two new boards were made as before - insulation foam on hardboard base, with 2 cm wooden boards at the ends. The boards were fitted with metal alignment pins, and rare-earth magnets were sunk into the ends to hold the boards together.
Left - Track laid and ballasted; Centre - Landforming complete; right - fully sceniced, with trees and static grass. The loop allows trains to pass and switch sides.
The double-traversing, rotating fiddle yard. It traverses left-to-right, and forward and back, and rotates end for end. The straight tracks hold longer trains.
Along the edge above the screw drive is a line of magnets to hold the fiddle yard in contact with the baseboard.
Left - action on the passing loop. Right - Stable Yard full of activity.
Not all the volunteer staff take their duties seriously ... and some just skive off with a mug of tea, thinking no-one can see them ...
Page created 3 January 2021 Last edited 4 January 2021