Dudley Central

[joejab95]

The latest running session!

 

[joejab95]

Virgin Trains Class 87 019 arrives!

 

 

 

[joejab95]

The latest update on the layout!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12L4jZf2fZQ&lc=z22qtdsz2z3vttc0racdp43bnq20mtqiedhyqdyoz2hw03c010c

[joejab95]

The new Bachmann Class 158 is superb!

[Ben B]

Just been catching up on this layout- I was born and raised in Dudley, I can still remember watching from the Zoo the 37-hauled steel trains heading through the site of the old station next door when I was little, just before they mothballed the line.  It annoyed me no end that they never did anything with the line, with the formation just sat there, complete with track, for decades.  At least they're doing something now, in theory, even if it is just the Metro.

 

As for the model, a fascinating what-if, and nicely nostalgaic with all those Centro sprinters!  I really love the bus garage too, I can also just about remember the old brick-built real one which was dropped when they put the bypass in next to the railway.  Really nice model, and love all the little details, the working lights and so on with the stock.  And the tram in the original Metro colours, very eyecatching too.

 

Have you thought about adding an extra spur into Dudley Central?  I know in reality the Black Country Museum is pretty rail-averse (apart from the token MW shunter as gate guard) but your layout is a wonderful exercise in what-if's, and I wonder if you could use it as an excuse to have steam running into the station?  A shuttle service to replicate the old pannier-hauled autotrain locals, etc.  Or one of those wonderful Judith Edge kits for the wasp-stripe DE2 shunters from Round Oak (or the Hornby Barclay steam locos, as "Lady Honor"/"Lady Morvyth" for the earlier periods), more what-ifs as none of the Round Oak locos made it into preservation.  That or a spur of TT track for the 3ft-gauge trams

 

I shall be following this topic with interest to see more from this very interesting layout