Where and why do you model a geographical area?

[Clive Mortimore]

I have answered regarding my newest project, but if I were to take into account past layouts then I think I can tick most boxes.

 

My latest layout, Sheffield Exchange was inspired by me buying my first Bachmann class 108 DMU. Now what part of the country can I run this and many of the locos I already have?

[steve1]

Starker Verkher - Aachen. Because I've been there a few times

Duncan's Mine 2 - North Michigan. Has all the relevant elements of what I want to model in US railroading and I'm a fan of the DSSA.

Catte Lane - Somewhere in England. It has 4 different scenes that could be almost anywhere.

 

steve

[neilkirby]

Radstock S&D is my long term plan. Inspired originally by Ivo Peters books in the 80's. Exotic mix of locomotives & stock, Station Shed and yard in a fairly compact design. My dad was on the LMS, and my grandad on the LSWR & Southern, so what's not to like?

 

Funny enough I remember my dad telling me to model the S&D long before I saw Ivo's books. but I wanted GWR, as influenced by my Swindon mad uncle on my mum's side. I have now been to Radstock numerous times just to visit the museum,and have a general look around even though practically nothing survives.

 

Neil

[TEAMYAKIMA]

For me it's something not really covered by any of the options.

 

I am building a big Chinese HO exhibition layout - why?

 

Because no-one else has. It will undoubtedly be the BEST large Chinese HO layout on the exhibition layout on the circuit because it will be the only one.

 

Doing something different to anyone else has always been a priority of mine. Seriously, I am not a good enough modeller to compete with the layouts we normally see at a decent exhibition and I wanted something different - hence Chinese HO.

[TEAMYAKIMA]

 

 

I am building a big Chinese HO exhibition layout - why?

 

Because no-one else has. It will undoubtedly be the BEST large Chinese HO layout on the exhibition layout on the circuit because it will be the only one.

 

 

Let me add that it will of course also, by definition, be the WORST large Chinese HO layout on the circuit for the same reason!

[Joseph_Pestell]

My main UK interest is the Midland - for which I can blame my father whose family came from Bedfordshire. But I find it much more interesting further north in Derbyshire and Yorkshire. I don't know that part of the country at all well but enjoy the research aspect.

 

But I am interested in so many facets of the railway scene, that it is difficult to focus on one. As I grow older, I find myself more and more interested in blue diesels and third-rail electrics that did not interest me at all when I  was younger even though I was brought up in SR territory. And railway architecture is a big interest, with LBSC buildings probably the best of all (but hardest to model) .

[Mike Storey]

I'm modelling two locations where I "worked", and which I remember fondly.

 

1. In the garden in 16mm/ft, the Corris, where I was a volunteer for some years, but, whilst I have made several items of Corris passenger and freight stock, the layout is not accurate (as the original would just too boring!) and neither will be the rest of the rolling stock or the locos, apart from one, and only vaguely, until Mr Wrightscale does another batch of Kerr Stuart Corris locos.

 

2. In the barn, 00, Queenborough to Sheerness, where I was first let loose in BR operations (Medway Area), and where I learnt more practical stuff in a few years than I did for much of the rest of my time on the railway, because of the variety of freight and engineering stock, and the slightly eccentric signalling. This will be a more accurate rendition than the Corris line, but not entirely.....

[sammyboy]

My current layout in N Gauge (Newbridge Junction) is set in the Edinburgh area.

 

I chose this perticular location on a UK rail atlas, because mainly I have visited the city of Edinburgh at least twice, and found it a very nice place to spend some time. And also I fancied a general change of location, because all of my previous layouts were set in different areas of England, so I decided to have a go at modelling another part of the United Kingdom!

 

Sam

[Talltim]

I am one of the 8 voters who dont model a particular area but the software then insisted I answer the second question even though it was irrelevant.

 

 

Interesting results and discussion though.

Bit late but I’ve modified to poll to allow for this

[HonestTom]

At the moment, I'm working on a layout based on the Port of London Authority railways. I love exploring the Docklands and finding the remaining artefects from when it was a bustling port. Sadly, much of the old abandoned industry has disappeared under redevelopments. I guess the reason I model that area is because it's one I have an attachment to, but I'm also nostalgic for the place as it used to be rather than as it is.

[joseph benjamin]

When father downsized in the 1980s I had the task of dismantling my late brothers model railway which I helped build back in the 1960s it had models of just about every railway company. It languished in boxes for a year or so before I rebuilt it at home continuing the freelance BR theme. Gradually I became disenchanted with it and started a major rebuild based on Peak Forest 1948/1968, the more I read about it, particularly in Mr Bentleys books, the more it appealed. I can still legitimately run a wide selection of models as Derby used the Derby-Chinley-Derby as a test route (amongst others) and it's not far away with the mainline through Cheadle Heath is on my doorstep where I saw all the CoBos when they were new and I was still at school. Yes I have a soft spot for the CoBos, and those hopper wagons, the Fell, etc. 

[grahame]

One extra reason for me in selecting a location to model:

 

I model it not because it is easy (with lots of suitable RTR and RTP) but because it is a modelling challenge. And consequently will hopefully be relatively unique and interesting.

 

G

[cypherman]

My next layout when I get a chance and space to build it will be the biggest fictional preserved railway in the UK. That way I can run whatever I like and not have to justify why I am running it. It is the only way I can realistically run all the loco's I have collected over the past 30+ years. Not counting the rolling stock which runs into the dozens of coaches and 100's of wagons.

Edited June 19, 2018 by cypherman

[PaulWarb]

My layout may at first look slightly unusual - the walls, rock etc is a reddish brown colour ...

 

 

 

The layout is loosely based on the Chester area where the main rock type is red sandstone.   This was used extensively as a building stone (including the city walls and the cathedral) and gives the city a distinct appearance.

 

 

Cutting at Northgate locks - showing sandstone walls

 

It seems to me that ...

 

a) if a layout is based on a particular area then it has to reflect the local geology       and

 

b) if this is done well it can make a layout quite distinctive and different from other layouts (not all rock is brown or grey)

 

It would be good to see some photos of the layouts others have mentioned - particularly any that reflect local geology.

Edited June 19, 2018 by PaulWarb