GCR Station in the modern setting

[TravisM]

My layout is based in the Nottinghamshire/South Yorkshire area (EMT/Northern territory) and I’m really taken with Bachmann’s Scenecraft latest GCR station release but as I model the present day, I’m struggling to justify shelling out and buying.  As it’s set in the present day, would it be in GCR colours as a tastefully renovated station, the 1960’s scheme or something wildly different?

 

I don’t mind changing the colour here and there, change the posters etc, but I don’t want to do a full repaint.  Any suggestions would be most useful.

[woodenhead]

Nothing wrong to suggest a well maintained station wouldn't be in GC colours if a TOC wanted to maintain some historical relevance to a site.

 

Your reasoning would be if all the features of the station had remained (like on the GCR preserved railway), but more likely any GC station that had remained through the 70s would be more like the Charwelton model with buildings lost, even the staircase might have lost all it's roof in the rush to save maintenance costs.

 

So I would say, do what you like, in our world of model railways we can alter history and do as we please - and a tastefully renovated station does sit better with modern times than say the 70s & 80s.

 

And of course if you ever find yourself with some Bachmann Directors then a GC livery station would be all the better.

[dagrizz]

Birmingham Moor Street is an example of a station decorated in historical style, 1930's GWR in this case. You could use this as precedence for your GC station.

 

Graham 

[phil-b259]

5 hours ago, jools1959 said:

My layout is based in the Nottinghamshire/South Yorkshire area (EMT/Northern territory) and I’m really taken with Bachmann’s Scenecraft latest GCR station release but as I model the present day, I’m struggling to justify shelling out and buying.  As it’s set in the present day, would it be in GCR colours as a tastefully renovated station, the 1960’s scheme or something wildly different?

 

I don’t mind changing the colour here and there, change the posters etc, but I don’t want to do a full repaint.  Any suggestions would be most useful.

 

Sometimes funding secured to restore stations to their former glory - Woksop being one such example http://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/Rail-News/worksop-station-wins-award-after-11m-restoration

 

Of course it helps enormously that Worksop station is a listed building - though this is generally a later development and plenty of buildings got eliminated in the late 1960s / early 1970s before the concept of listing a railway station got going.

 

The other advantage places like Worksop have is that independent access to the main building can be provided without the need to be on the platform / operational railway property  (i.e. it can be leased for non railway purposes), this will not apply to the GC 'island platform' style.

 

The biggest problem you face though is that to get to the modern era where Heritage buildings are seen as asset worth spending money on is said station buildings have to first get through the 'decades of neglect' (the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s) and regrettably its far more likely that a wayside GC station such as that made by Bachmann would have seen all station staff withdrawn plus all buildings demolished leaving just an open stairway and a bus shelter on the platform if you are lucky. Take a look at Denton at see what I mean http://dentonstation.co.uk/

 

[great central]

Darnall may well be the best illustration of how most GC island platforms would have ended up, it must be about the last one on NR.

https://www.google.com/search?q=darnall+railway+station&oq=dar&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j0l2.1485j0j7&client=ms-android-motorola-rev2&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#lkt=LocalPoiPhotos&trex=m_t:lcl_akp,rc_f:nav,rc_ludocids:10719709948152048118,rc_q:Darnall,ru_q:Darnall&viewerState=ga

[Zomboid]

There's plenty of examples on the network of stations which have retained their historic buildings etc being painted in a heritage scheme.

 

Often things like modern footbridges, lifts, information systems etc get added so that they can continue to serve their purpose in the 21st century. But if you can create a credible excuse for the buildings not being vandalised beyond repair/ burnt down/ demolished in the 70s, then a historic paint job with modern touches would be entirely reasonable.

[Oldddudders]

Crediton station, ex-LSWR, was repainted into that old company's livery in 2007 by GWR. It is still served by trains. 

[fezza]

Central Trains Green was very similar to GCR green. My modern image GCR assumes Central Trains repainted it! 

[The Stationmaster]

TfL have a GWR built station (still with some original buildings) painted in a version of GWR light & dark stone

[Metr0Land]

If you search for 'images for Hanwell station' as suggested by The Stationmaster or 'images for Hebden Bridge' you'll find a couple of old-style stations in modern use such as this bang up to date unit at HB

 

Way Out / Hebden Bridge Station, West Yorkshire by Andy Howe, on Flickr

[Steamport Southport]

Have a look at where GCR stations still exist such as on the CLC Liverpool to Manchester line. Many of them have been tastefully restored, some even changed into pubs such as Urmston. Even got the green doors.

 

 

Photo wiki.

 

 

 

 

Jason