Fillin's Model Railways A new Scenic Break '00 scale' waterline Ro-Ro Train Ferry - designed to conceal entry to hidden sidings

Built in the summer of 2023, this Train Ferry acquired an extra purpose when it was also used as a scenic break on a small exhibition demo layout ( '2-door' ) at the French Railway Society's's agm/show in Lenham ... when the 00 and H0 radio controlled vehicles we, and the visitors, were operating were being driven through the ferry - in at the stern and out through the half-closed bow.
It did reveal that the ramp up to the car deck could not be driven up by a Mini.
RadioControlled Coaches were by Carlson in H0, and the 00 Mini by Turbo Racing. who have now released an 00 Articulated Lorry!

'Fremington Quay' tracks to the left, a narrow River Taw,
with tracks to Ilfracombe on the right hand bank

Varying sightlines of the Ferry obscuring the Harbourside behind

Inter-deck height reduced from 32mm to 25mm so as not to hide too much of the dockside

(just the bow exit intended to be hidden)


This time the masking is achieved by the 'fixed' starboard bow - with only the left track passing through to the single hidden storage track.

The 80's version was built in plasticard and microstrip - and according to the Zero-1 Micromimic was located at Barnstaple Town. The Taw has been silting up for many years - I recall MV Stan Woolaway Sand Dredgers docking near the Town Quay - and alighting from the Atlantic Coast Express there. Now shipping is only seen at Bideford Quay 'Bideford' is represented by the Hidden Storage Sidings.

From 2007-2023 a 'removable' version was used built from 2x 100mm plastic trunking, and a 'trial' printed paper superstructure.


The new model will eventually have illuminated deck interiors - an exercise for a 3D printer.

We have historically travelled on many Train Ferries Inter-Railing or en-route to Scandinavia and then Ro-Ro ferries or freighters; which are therefore featured in some form on all railway layouts : 'transposed from Harwich to Fremington' for a longer voyage to Sweden! The design is an amalgam of those vessels: BR Harwich and Channel Sealink Ferries, Scandinavian Seaways / DFDS and Stena North Sea Ferries, and Train ferries to and from Denmark over the years - including Rødby - Puttgarten. This Sealink British Ferries Model is originally from a Travel Agency Window and now dislayed in our Living Room. As a full-hull model this tcannot be used at 'Fremington', but will appear adjacent to another part of the layout. Continuing with our Scandinavian link, the new ferry is named Princess of Scandinavia and branded DFDS .. with 'Sealink' branding added to match. The British Ferries model may be named 'Dana Anglia'- as in the TV Series 'Triangle', and our first for car-based camping holidays across Scandinavia. This version was built on a 5mm foamboard base with 'Swedish Wood' - Silver Birch 262mm x 16mm x 3mm from stock for the superstructure. Intended as a 'Scenic Break' to mask the disappearance into hidden storage via the bow, and offer some separation between the tracks on either side of the River Taw, both the previous and intial build this time were 'too high - blocking views of the harbour behind, and looking very foreshortened. Tests were made with 2 and 4 storey versions of the Bachmann 'Office Building', a Dutch 'Barn' and most recently the single-storey Peco Highland Station. The inter-deck height was reduced to produce a slimmer, sleaker, lower design more akin to the earlier ship designs than the modernist rectangular multi-storey boxes of today. The bow was redone about 5 times to fit and look right - partially hiding the exit path on the Port side Ransome-Wallis's 'Train Ferries of Western-Europe' (Ian Allen 1968) was used as an inspiration. As an alternative-period to the the 'Modern' Ferry, I have a single vehicle-deck paddle-steamer design - in memory of the 'White Funnel Fleet' which used to visit Ilfracombe in North Devon ... a 3D printed superstructure will replace the paper and Matchstick trials. Both have 2 railway tracks and are the same 800mm length - allowing the left track to connect into the hidden storage. Above: V1 - full clearance but poor sightlines over Below: V2 - reduced height to see harbourside beyond Above: Drive Through Train and Vehicle Deck - but the ramp to the Car Deck is too steep for the R/C Mini Below: Empty Car Deck Following the success of the vehicles driving through the ferry at Lenham; the 00 layout is now having its roadway system enhanced further; to allow vehicles to drive through (when not blocked by a train) ... adding 'free movement' with R/C cars and coaches to the constrained Faller Car System which I have finally installed nearby ... after a delay of 30 years since buying the first vehicles: - previous layouts not having a suitable continuous-run for the vehicles 8-( The new 00 r/c Articulated lorry and trailer from Turbo Racing looks as if it will add lots of loading interest to the dockside: Keeping with the 'Beechingless Barnstaple' theme - this Fremington Quay is not silted up, has a Heljan Container Crane, HMS 'Troutbridge' and a Service Vessel which can carry a few containers .... any more would take too long to load with the crane ! .. a substitute for Bideford and Harwich.

Photos from Early Contruction
  
Windows apertures were cut on the band-saw. 3D frames will be inserted. Early Bow too long - underneath the Handrail /scene break

Unpainted showing the construction from 'Swedish Wood' Beech planks - sold in bulk as paint stirrers or firelighters


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