What are you modelling?

[tigerburnie]

I am new to the forum, I built a "layout" for me and the grandkids, a fictional station and a straight section modelled on the section of the Great Central near Whetstone where I grew up and played as a kid in the late 1950's. I am however still hankering after the idea I had in the 1980's to build Leicester Central station in "OO". I have track plans and even copies of timetables. I now have the time as I've retired, but the cost looks pretty prohibitive, I may end up with a "nod too" rather than something totally accurate. The platform alone is some 8 feet long, I can see that being the first casualty, I have the room, well to be exact loft space(yes I know, but it is already floor boarded and ready to go), I have started to collect some ready to run loco's and rolling stock, I am at the shall I or shan't I stage.

[TheQ]

I've now inherited a model railway in N gauge that is a real location that never had a railway. Tiree!!! This will not stop my EM gauge railway " Ludgershall change for Tidworth".

 

The Tiree railway is being more " highland and islandised" and made to look more a railway in landscape than a huge amount of track squeezed into some boards.

[LNWR18901910]

So, lately, I'm focusing on the Pre-Grouping Era and this part of said-era I have specifically chosen is set between 1890 to 1910.

 

The reason I chose this period in history is because the world was changing. The Industrial Revolution was long since behind and the world was becoming more modern. Times were changing as did tastes; the good old horse and cart was steadily being replaced by the mechanical automobile, the dream of flight was years away and such new technologies like the camera, the telephone and gramaphone were catching on; the main types of entertainment popluar with theatre-going audiences alongside plays and operas were burlesque theatre, vaudeville and Music Hall; however, in the background, it would be years before the nations went to war with each other for the first time and peace around the world would be shattered.

 

During that time in the United Kingdom, the railways were booming and many companies meant more jobs for individual opportunists. For the railway, the days of pioneering were over and soon, a golden age would be shining. More comapnies would experiment with locomotives both big and small. From the 0-4-0 tank locomotives, 0-6-0 tender and tank locomotives and 4-4-0 tender locomotives to the larger and modern 2-8-0, 4-4-2, 2-6-0, 4-6-0 and 2-6-2 locomotives which the newfound popularity of would soon continue into the 1920s onwards.

 

Here, I shall post to you some steam locomotives of the era, some that 00 Gauge model railway manufacturers have done alongside some re-numbered as well as some converted to certain prototypes and all of them modelled after the preserved examples which managed to survive into preservation. I shall also be posting some locomotives hauling a rake of rolling stock from the time period (early to modern coaching stock belonging to the company and goods trains wonderfully complimented with a brake van - many of which faithfully recreated to how they originally looked).

 

Of course, this may not be easy as some may think at first - it'll take some wise investment as well as careful planning, researching and ensuring that everything has to be perfect and exactly how it was right down to the very last detail and fairly professional as I can get.

 

Expect the first locomotive I have been working on as well as a complete train that I have made very soon...

[mikeandnel]

Hello All

My name is Michael, I am 84 and suffering with Parkinsons 

I, with help from friends, am building a EM gauge model of Midhurst LBSCR station as it would have been when built in 1866

I have obtained site plans from NRM and also have a copy of a painting of the station done in 1866.

At present track is laid and ballasted, all electrics are done and working, all buildings have been made and are in place, and the scenic work is well under  way.

All rolling stock is of the period from 1864 to 1900, so I can run trains of various periods in the late 19th century, despite the fact that this station was only in us for about 15 years before it became obsolete and was demolished.

I do have a forum entry under 'Midhurst LBSCR station 1866' if you want any further info.

Edited August 6, 2017 by mikeandnel

[Gwiwer]

Good luck Michael.  Parkinson's is a most debilitating condition.  Pre-nat is hard enough since it usually requires scratch building so EM as-built in 1866 would be a far tougher challenge.  I do hope you have time and friends on your side.

[mikeandnel]

Thanks Gwiwer for your encouragement and kind thoughts. Much appreciated

Michael

[LNWR18901910]

Hello All

My name is Michael, I am 84 and suffering with Parkinsons 

I, with help from friends, am building a EM gauge model of Midhurst LBSCR station as it would have been when built in 1866

I have obtained site plans from NRM and also have a copy of a painting of the station done in 1866.

At present track is laid and ballasted, all electrics are done and working, all buildings have been made and are in place, and the scenic work is well under  way.

All rolling stock is of the period from 1864 to 1900, so I can run trains of various periods in the late 19th century, despite the fact that this station was only in us for about 15 years before it became obsolete and was demolished.

I do have a forum entry under 'Midhurst LBSCR station 1866' if you want any further info.

Hello.

That history about Midhurst Stations sounds very interesting and should prove resourceful and useful. I am sorry to hear that you have Parkinsons.

[mikeandnel]

Hello LNWR18901910

Thanks for your input and sentiments. During my research I have come across a lot of info about how the railways round Midhurst were intended to be. I have come across nine different proposed lines and their plans ,and this place would really have been a railway hub if they had all been built

[batrapyr]

I had actually been in touch with Michael, under his other forum entry, because I am also planning on build a layout based on Midhurst. However, my layout will, in all probability, be set in the post-World War II period but assuming that the branch line to Chichester wasn't closed as a result of a flooded culvert washing away an embankment.

 

Midhurst, although boasting three lines, was never the busiest of branch line stations and passenger numbers failed, miserably, to meet expectations. Essentially goods traffic kept the lines alive until final closure. Building a model and running just a handful of short goods trains each day is hardly going to maintain my interest. So, modeller's license comes into play and that starts with the name of the layout. "Midhirst & Easebourne" will hint at the location and all 'locals' will know that "Easebourne" is pronounced "Ez-bun"!

 

Other reality changes...

 

• The government didn't decide to splash lots of cash on improving the roads after WWII
• The LBSCR line from Pulborough to Chichester was the chosen route for all goods traffic headed to Portsmouth
• SR ran 'specials' for Goodwood races (trains working through to Singleton)
• All stations (from Fittleworth to Rogate and down to Chichester) were built much closer to the communities that they were supposed to serve.
• The local brickworks made better use of Wealden clay and expanded (rather than the opposite)
• Chichester became a sprawling city with many workers and shoppers travelling there from Midhurst

Of course, the ultimate 'history change' would be if the South Stoke tunnel (on the Arun Valley line) suffered a major chalk fall and was closed for a long period. That would mean that all traffic headed for Bognor Regis and Chichester (from Horsham) would have to divert to Midhurst. The only drawback with that idea is the fact that the Arun Valley line was electrified in 1938 and, of course, none of the lines to Midhurst were similarly enhanced.

 

I have (precisely) half of the garage to work with as the domestic authorities have taken over the rear part for dog grooming, etc. So I have a space of, roughly, 10' x 9' 6". I don't think that this is big enough to do justice to the prototype using 4 mm, so it looks like I will have to go with N gauge. The big question is - can I find enough R-T-R stock to operate realistically. Only time will tell and I have plenty of that as #1 grandson is only 1 year old :-)

 

Barry Denyer

[mikeandnel]

How much of Midhurst are you hoping to build? I have seen a 3mm version of the LSWR station but there is no 4mm version that I am aware of.

The amount of room that you have would be ideal for that station with a fiddle yard.

I am working with 10' x 8'  for the LBSCR station 

'N' gauge is a mystery to me, probably because I can't see it. I know there are some rtr items of stock available, but you may have to consider scratchbuilding.

The LSWR yard and loco shed would give you plenty of challenges with shunting and  timetabled running, especially if you use a fiddleyard to suggest the connection with the LBSCR station on the other side of the Bepton Road.

Only a suggestion

Michael

[bike2steam]

Having sold on my last layout which was based on various locations towards the southern end of the South Staffs Railway, I'm turning my attention for the next layout to be based a few miles further north taking ideas from interesting stations such as Great Wyrley & Cheslyn Hay, and Rugeley Town stations, with colliery exchange sidings thrown in for good measure, so I'm after pic of both mentioned stations at the mo.    Yeah all areas with nostalgic memories

[Chrisoafc]

Hi all, I'm Chris from Saddleworth.

I am a railway modelling enthusiast and I have attempted a few fictional locations to model but not tried modelling a real location, until now! I'm 19 so not been doing this a long time unlike some of you I presume so some advice would be great thank you!

So I'm modelling Diggle Junction and station, situated immediately west of the 3 mile long Stanedge Tunnels high on the hills of Saddleworth Moor.

[Fendt939]

My project for this year is build Bishopton Station (Scotland) it will be set in the current era, with a wee bit off modelers licence, platforms will have to be sightly shorter than the real things. Gonna try and put more effort into this one rather than my last totally fictional layout. Gonna start a thread on it in a few weeks.

[sir douglas]

soon to start on the North British branch of Eyemouth in O gauge

[FJ1701]

I had actually been in touch with Michael, under his other forum entry, because I am also planning on build a layout based on Midhurst. However, my layout will, in all probability, be set in the post-World War II period but assuming that the branch line to Chichester wasn't closed as a result of a flooded culvert washing away an embankment.

 

Midhurst, although boasting three lines, was never the busiest of branch line stations and passenger numbers failed, miserably, to meet expectations. Essentially goods traffic kept the lines alive until final closure. Building a model and running just a handful of short goods trains each day is hardly going to maintain my interest. So, modeller's license comes into play and that starts with the name of the layout. "Midhirst & Easebourne" will hint at the location and all 'locals' will know that "Easebourne" is pronounced "Ez-bun"!

 

Other reality changes...

 

• The government didn't decide to splash lots of cash on improving the roads after WWII
• The LBSCR line from Pulborough to Chichester was the chosen route for all goods traffic headed to Portsmouth
• SR ran 'specials' for Goodwood races (trains working through to Singleton)
• All stations (from Fittleworth to Rogate and down to Chichester) were built much closer to the communities that they were supposed to serve.
• The local brickworks made better use of Wealden clay and expanded (rather than the opposite)
• Chichester became a sprawling city with many workers and shoppers travelling there from Midhurst

Of course, the ultimate 'history change' would be if the South Stoke tunnel (on the Arun Valley line) suffered a major chalk fall and was closed for a long period. That would mean that all traffic headed for Bognor Regis and Chichester (from Horsham) would have to divert to Midhurst. The only drawback with that idea is the fact that the Arun Valley line was electrified in 1938 and, of course, none of the lines to Midhurst were similarly enhanced.

 

I have (precisely) half of the garage to work with as the domestic authorities have taken over the rear part for dog grooming, etc. So I have a space of, roughly, 10' x 9' 6". I don't think that this is big enough to do justice to the prototype using 4 mm, so it looks like I will have to go with N gauge. The big question is - can I find enough R-T-R stock to operate realistically. Only time will tell and I have plenty of that as #1 grandson is only 1 year old :-)

 

Barry Denyer

 

I actually built a 4mm layout based on Midhurst set in 1951 and It was of a reasonable size but certainly not true to scale. I had an old thread showing the progress of the layout however it never got very far beyond the track configuration which was prototypical for its time. There are other Midhurst based layouts out there however I felt they didn't represent the station properly with altered track configurations and use of stock that would have never appeared on the line. Cheers

[KevinH]

For the last thirty odd years I have been fascinated by and toying with the idea of recreating the Andover portion of the MSWJR Sprat & Winkle line. I grew up in Andover and the old town station was closed for passenger services about a month before I was born. Current plans and experimentation is in N gauge. However I seem to have got distracted from the railway itself onto local history...

[landscapes]

Hi

 

I have just found this thread, really good idea.

 

For the last five years I have been working on a model layout of Haymarket 64B MPD circa 1958 in 00 scale.

 

I started the project by building a model of the main running shed and the whole thing just went on from there.

 

I do have my own thread indicating progress from the start until present in the Layout Topics section, it’s a long term project and there is still masses of work to be completed.

 

Regards

 

David