Member's Tracks 5

Pictures are submitted by members of the group to be exhibited here

Chart Mills Light Railway (CMLR)

Station master / Managing Director and Engineer  

ROSS SHIMMON

Construction restarted on the Chart Mills Light Railway earlier this year (2008). The original terminus was alongside the right hand of the house. A baseboard approximately 30' x 2' had been built in 1999 before we moved to The Hague. Temporary test track was laid. But no further work was done before we returned to our house in Kent after five years. Then we decided to build an extension to the house on the very site of the terminus. So the terminus was demolished in late 2005. Work began this year on the other side of the garden on a totally revised route.

The CMLR takes its name from the water-powered 18th century gunpowder mills near our house. Chart Mills were never served by a railway, although the site of the metre gauge Davington Light Railway is nearby. It did serve gunpowder factories at Oare.

Chart Mills sidings looking towards Davington Priory

I have made no attempt to construct an imaginary history for the CMLR. It is G scale, 45mm gauge, track powered (at least initially). It is envisaged that the Chart Mills terminus will be portable and it will, therefore, theoretically, be possible to take it to meetings and, possibly, exhibitions. The route will take it from the patio, when the terminus is erected, down the left hand side of the garden (about 60') to reach a halt or small station, Davington Priory, along the back of the garden (about 30') and up the right hand side. I have not yet decided whether it will then join up with the portable terminus (which would not then be a terminus!). So there may or may not be another terminus, tentatively called Oare.

Further along Chart Mills sidings looking towards Davington Priory

Construction so far has concentrated on sidings, which will exist just outside Chart Mills, and the long straight section of the 'main line' towards Davington Priory.

The baseboards are constructed of 6"x1" decking boards reinforced by tanalised 2"x1" softwood screwed to the boards on their edges. These boards are mounted on 4"x4" fence posts, giving a track height of about 4'. I admit that this is not very elegant, but it is much easier on my back than ground height lines. Also it enables our staff photographer (me) to get more realistic eye-level shots. Later sections of the baseboard use 6"x1" tanalised rough sawn soft wood rather than decking. In both cases the boards are covered with shed roofing felt. The sides will eventually be secured with tapered fencing slats. Davington Priory is sited on the rear brick wall of a rockery. The board in that section will be mounted on the brickwork.

Decking board base before covering with roofing felt.

Track is a mixture of Peco and sections using real wooden sleepers and brass rail soldered to pins on the sleepers, using materials from Brandbright. I like the appearance of wooden sleepers, but the soldered pins are not very convincing. I might try the bullhead version with plastic chairs rather than pins. Joining the different rail sections (the Brandbright rail is smaller with a different profile, compared with Peco) has caused problems, solved by a large file and elbow grease. I have used Hillman rail clamps to join sections and provide electrical connections. They seem to work well, but are unsightly. Perhaps the ballast will help to disguise them. None of the track has been ballasted yet. The use of shed felt provides the right colour and texture, but obviously not the depth.

Section of track base showing method of construction.

Motive power; early movements to test the formation and to deliver materials to the 'head of steel' (well brass or nickel silver) have been in the charge of an Accucraft Baguley-Drewry diesel 0-6-0 (CMLR no.10) pulling a small number of ex-W&LR wagons. All of these were purchased by the managing director and engineer with vouchers won in the G Scale annual raffle.

Flat wagon loaded with old sleepers. Note Peco track in foreground, Brandbright wooden sleepered track in background. As a supposedly 'heritage line' set in the present, we make use of modern as well as traditional signs.

Works train. headed by the Baguley-Drewry diesel travelling towards the 'head of steel'.

Works train leaving Chart Mills sidings for the 'head of steel'

The last vehicle displays the 'LV' board. This signifies 'last vehicle' and was used on some of the lines managed by Colonel Stephens in hours of daylight, presumably to save on lamp oil. This one is based on an exhibit in the Colonel Stephens Museum at Tenterden.