Resurrecting the Cement Plant

Cement trains could begin calling at Philden Beach later in 2024.

It's been over 5 years since I dismantled my original Philden layout, (see the Philden Museum page for its complete history), during which my former cement plant had been carefully stored inside a shoe box at the top of my wardrobe, wrapped in what are now vintage plastic shopping bags, themselves full of bits and pieces that had fallen off after it was tediously pried free from the past layout back in 2019. I'd always planned to recycle this structure into another project, and up until this week it was almost going to be turned into a Sci-fi diorama.

Turned the other way, the building will fit the footprint once the kit-bashed stairwell is removed.

I took the building into the lounge room where Philden Beach stands, (or occupies according to my wife), and thought, you know... I think I can reconfigure this to replace the bus depot that sits below the Jetty Hotel. Fortunately, the angle that the bus depot's concrete slab was built on opens up a triangular pizza slice view between the Jetty Hotel and the proposed cement plant. The patrons at the pub won't completely lose their 180-degree ocean views, as the main structure sits below the height of the hotel and only the silos soar higher than the roofline. For the viewer it creates these nice angles to peer at the coastline between each structure.

The only bit of surgery required to the old cement plant, involves removing the stairwell from the upper door on the elevator end of the structure, (see above). The building then fits within the fence line of the bus depot without needing to modify the surrounding scenery. Depending on which way I decide to face the structure, the solitary existing light pole will need to be turned 45 degrees, and a hole drilled to feed a wire and solder a tiny LED light beneath the layout to light the interior of the plant.

I haven't decided which way I prefer the structure to fit. If the green silo faces the backdrop, it becomes a simple job of boarding up the doorway as it will be hidden from view at the back. While the silver silos and upper maintenance deck make more sense to have it face the rail side. I can then just attach some wire to the valves at the base of the silver silos to simulate the various unloading hoses that will drop down to ground level.

I already have the Auscision Models NPHH cement hoppers on pre-order. While technically not exactly prototypical for the NSW North Coast line, they promise to be a great model and will have a ready-made cement plant to call alongside at 'The Beach'. But guess where the cement plant will stand? That's right, at the yard throat of tracks 1 through 4. (Maybe I can run the unloading pipes past the goods shed dock to clear access to the other sidings?).

The Murrays Coaches depot's days now appear to be numbered.

Now there's nothing wrong with my Murrays Coaches depot the way it is. It has remained intact since this layout was built. However, a model railway is valuable real estate in miniature. The 1:100 scale model busses aren't correct for a 1:87 scale layout and have acted more as background filler than an interactive layout element. Quality wise they are only equal to a MatchboxTM car, so maybe it's time for them to roll on and for me to change things up a little!

A flashback to cement train operations on the original Philden bookshelf layout in 2017.

I guess any layout comes down to what its owner gets out of it. For myself, I'm still enjoying operating 'The Beach' in its current track configuration. But if resurrecting my former cement plant can squeeze that little bit more fun out of an operating session while keeping within my shoestring budget, then that sounds like a winner to me.

Currently there are only 3 locomotives on my Philden Beach roster after scaling back my hobby to the bare minimum and just concentrating on my modern-ish era. So, my Pacific National cement train duties will most likely be assigned to my BL Class. The cement hoppers once they arrive will round-out a full staging yard. Beyond that I'm just waiting to see what newly released DCC sound equipped locomotive models become available later this year before I make up my mind on adding that 4th and final member to my shelf layout's roster. Could it be an Auscision GT46Ace, another NR Class or C44ACi? Or an SDS Models 81? What about an On Track Models 82 Class? (You remember I once had one on the original Philden layout, don't you?). Or will I get surprised and discover a second-hand Pacific National 48 or 80 Class locomotive in good condition? They're all good options. I'd better get saving!

I guess watch this space.

See also; Cement Works Part Five and End of the line