Silver Sidelines

It is 1987 and I have been given six months holiday on full pay in the West Midlands. As part of my education I had a trip up the Waterless Gas Holder at Swan Village Sandwell. 1987 View from the waterless gas holder Swan Village Sandwell – scan of a copy of a copy The view was amazing. I was even allowed a peek inside. The more common column or spirally guided holders rise or fall to accommodate changes in the volume of gas stored. Volume change in a waterless gas holder is achieved using an internal piston designed much like an umbrella. Gas is introduced or withdrawn using a ‘blower’. There is a circular reservoir of tar or bitumen around the circumference of the ‘umbrella’ to provide the necessary gas tight seal. Tell tale black streaks of tar running down the outside of such a holder highlighted leaky joints or corrosion of the outer skin. Bachmann low relief model of a Waterless gas Holder 44-211 Bachmann introduced their low relief model of a waterl

We had moved into the new house and there was a space. What to build?     In fact there would be a space of five years before the ‘room’ for the railway would be available. Five years might seem an over long time for planning and day dreaming. However I wouldn’t underestimate the importance of time spent looking at other people’s ideas and prototype station layouts. Only then are you in position to draw up some ideas for yourself. In my case this was fifteen years ago and pre ‘layout design software’. I am a still a great believer in using paper, pencil and a rubber. I would probably still choose this option today. I like to be able to see the big picture rather than having to remember what is off screen. Using a scale of ½ inch to one foot it is easy to sketch up possibilities and more importantly borrow and trace ideas from other sources such as CJ Freezer’s layout plans in the Railway Modeller. Courtesy of CJ Freezer Railway Modeller September 1971 I wa