Welcome to Harlyn Pier's website
Harlyn Pier - Owned and Operated by Richard Frost
Site last updated 20.01.2024
Harlyn Pier - Owned and Operated by Richard Frost
Site last updated 20.01.2024
Update - December 2023:
Harlyn Pier has now passed to a new owner, Richard Frost, and resides in its new home in Dorset - a bit closer to Cornwall than West Sussex was!
Richard has plans to take Harlyn Pier back on the exhibition circuit in the future so watch this space for future updates. The contact page of this website will still work, Richard will receive any messages and the site will continue to be updated.
Good luck Richard and I hope Harlyn Pier gives you as much pleasure in the future as it has given me over the last 8 years.
Peter Beckley
Harlyn Pier has now passed to a new owner, Richard Frost, and resides in its new home in Dorset - a bit closer to Cornwall than West Sussex was!
Richard has plans to take Harlyn Pier back on the exhibition circuit in the future so watch this space for future updates. The contact page of this website will still work, Richard will receive any messages and the site will continue to be updated.
Good luck Richard and I hope Harlyn Pier gives you as much pleasure in the future as it has given me over the last 8 years.
Peter Beckley
Update - March 2023:
I'm sorry to say that, after 8 years and 28 shows, I have decided that the time has come to withdraw Harlyn Pier from the exhibition circuit.
I'd like to thank my loyal crew who have cheerfully given their time supporting Harlyn Pier on it's travels as none of it would have happened without their help. Thanks chaps.
I'd also like to thank all the exhibition managers who have invited Harlyn Pier to their shows and given us so many enjoyable weekends. Most of all my thanks to all of you who have come and watched Harlyn Pier at the numerous shows and made such kind comments about the layout. It has been truly humbling and made all the work worthwhile.
I'm not giving up modelling - I have a new and entirely different project in mind but, as the years catch up with me and my team, it won't be going out to shows. It'll just be for me to play trains at home!
Thanks once again to you all.
Peter Beckley
I'm sorry to say that, after 8 years and 28 shows, I have decided that the time has come to withdraw Harlyn Pier from the exhibition circuit.
I'd like to thank my loyal crew who have cheerfully given their time supporting Harlyn Pier on it's travels as none of it would have happened without their help. Thanks chaps.
I'd also like to thank all the exhibition managers who have invited Harlyn Pier to their shows and given us so many enjoyable weekends. Most of all my thanks to all of you who have come and watched Harlyn Pier at the numerous shows and made such kind comments about the layout. It has been truly humbling and made all the work worthwhile.
I'm not giving up modelling - I have a new and entirely different project in mind but, as the years catch up with me and my team, it won't be going out to shows. It'll just be for me to play trains at home!
Thanks once again to you all.
Peter Beckley
Autumn 2022:
Harlyn Pier is back on the road again and has attended 3 shows during autumn 2022. It's good to be back!
At the Manchester Show we were joined by our youngest ever operator. On the Saturday afternoon Joseph gave us a hand and certainly seemed to enjoy himself. He kept us on our toes and we think the future of the hobby is secure all the time we have youngsters like him bubbling with enthusiasm.
Thanks for your help Joseph!
Harlyn Pier is back on the road again and has attended 3 shows during autumn 2022. It's good to be back!
At the Manchester Show we were joined by our youngest ever operator. On the Saturday afternoon Joseph gave us a hand and certainly seemed to enjoy himself. He kept us on our toes and we think the future of the hobby is secure all the time we have youngsters like him bubbling with enthusiasm.
Thanks for your help Joseph!
This is the story of how 'Harlyn Pier' came into being...
'Harlyn Pier' is a 7mm fine scale '0' Gauge layout built to satisfy my desire to have my own layout at home and also a layout to (hopefully) take to exhibitions.
Some of you may remember a 7mm fine scale '0' Gauge layout called 'Harlyn Road' that has been around on the exhibition circuit for the last 12 years or so. Well, I am privileged to be one of the creators of that layout along with my good friends Bob Middleton and John Smith.
After 10 years of exhibiting it became clear that like all layouts, 'Harlyn Road' wasn't going to go on for ever. (It has since been passed on to a new owner in the wilds of Scotland!) Also, I was able to take advantage of early retirement so thoughts turned to my own personal "layout of a lifetime".
Now, when people think of "layouts of lifetimes (?)" we all imagine a model of a main line occupying an enormous space and (probably) costing a small (or indeed large) fortune! Being of more modest means and not having an enormous purpose built building at my disposal, my layout would have to be of more modest proportions. Actually, it needed to fit in the 11'-0" length of my railway room!
After some extended scribbling on scrap paper I realised that I could construct a shunting layout that I would be able to use at home and that, with the addition of an extra baseboard and a fiddle yard, could also make an entertaining exhibition layout.
Thus the idea of 'Harlyn Pier' was born. The name was obviously taken (with my mates' permission) from 'Harlyn Road' and the often joked about "harbour extension". Also, by modelling a harbour scene, this gave an excuse for a rather cramped track layout, the inspiration for which came from Lymington Pier, but transported to the North Cornwall coast (to link in with the 'Harlyn Road' idea). The track plan however bears no resemblance to Lymington Pier.
The North Cornwall location meant that the stock that I had constructed over the last 12 years for a branch line in the Padstow area would still be appropriate for my new layout.
On the following pages I will endeavour to describe the construction of the "layout of my lifetime" and hopefully inspire other space starved '0' Gauge modellers that you can achieve a satisfying layout in a reasonably small space. Also, I may whet the appetites of a few exhibition managers!
I also would like to say a big thank you to some people who have assisted with the creation of 'Harlyn Pier':
Firstly, my wife Christine, who happily agreed to an extension over our garage for my railway room and has allowed me the time and given encouragement throughout the building process. She is also my finest critic when I ask "do you think this looks right". Not only that, she also helps me carry the baseboards etc. up and down stairs when needed with very little complaint! Thanks Chris.
Some of you may remember a 7mm fine scale '0' Gauge layout called 'Harlyn Road' that has been around on the exhibition circuit for the last 12 years or so. Well, I am privileged to be one of the creators of that layout along with my good friends Bob Middleton and John Smith.
After 10 years of exhibiting it became clear that like all layouts, 'Harlyn Road' wasn't going to go on for ever. (It has since been passed on to a new owner in the wilds of Scotland!) Also, I was able to take advantage of early retirement so thoughts turned to my own personal "layout of a lifetime".
Now, when people think of "layouts of lifetimes (?)" we all imagine a model of a main line occupying an enormous space and (probably) costing a small (or indeed large) fortune! Being of more modest means and not having an enormous purpose built building at my disposal, my layout would have to be of more modest proportions. Actually, it needed to fit in the 11'-0" length of my railway room!
After some extended scribbling on scrap paper I realised that I could construct a shunting layout that I would be able to use at home and that, with the addition of an extra baseboard and a fiddle yard, could also make an entertaining exhibition layout.
Thus the idea of 'Harlyn Pier' was born. The name was obviously taken (with my mates' permission) from 'Harlyn Road' and the often joked about "harbour extension". Also, by modelling a harbour scene, this gave an excuse for a rather cramped track layout, the inspiration for which came from Lymington Pier, but transported to the North Cornwall coast (to link in with the 'Harlyn Road' idea). The track plan however bears no resemblance to Lymington Pier.
The North Cornwall location meant that the stock that I had constructed over the last 12 years for a branch line in the Padstow area would still be appropriate for my new layout.
On the following pages I will endeavour to describe the construction of the "layout of my lifetime" and hopefully inspire other space starved '0' Gauge modellers that you can achieve a satisfying layout in a reasonably small space. Also, I may whet the appetites of a few exhibition managers!
I also would like to say a big thank you to some people who have assisted with the creation of 'Harlyn Pier':
Firstly, my wife Christine, who happily agreed to an extension over our garage for my railway room and has allowed me the time and given encouragement throughout the building process. She is also my finest critic when I ask "do you think this looks right". Not only that, she also helps me carry the baseboards etc. up and down stairs when needed with very little complaint! Thanks Chris.
Secondly, I would like to thank my '0' Gauge mates; Rob, Bob, John and Peter C, who have all contributed to the creation of 'Harlyn Pier' in one way or another. They are also my "show crew" so the layout wouldn't go anywhere without their help. Thanks guys.
Secondly, I would like to thank my '0' Gauge mates; Rob, Bob, John and Peter C, who have all contributed to the creation of 'Harlyn Pier' in one way or another. They are also my "show crew" so the layout wouldn't go anywhere without their help. Thanks guys.
So, I hope you enjoy the website and thanks for taking an interest.
Peter Beckley
Peter Beckley