Older Inspirational Layouts

[s_ellinson]

For what it's worth - and maybe this shows my age, my nominations, in no particular order would be:

 

Allied Marine - several pages back, someone said "industrial grot has never looked so good"; I quite agree, and it made me think about the "other" parts of the railway world.

 

Dave Rowe's "Bevleys" - I was lucky enough to be at the london show with the bedford and District MRS in about 1982 when this was exhibited. it was a beautiful piece of work and may the pre grouping scene utterly enchanting.

 

Wallsea by Barry Walls. I never saw this in real life, but it was impressive to an impressionable 11 year old!

 

Lochside by Ian Futers. never liked diesels and never modelled them, but this was beautifully done and very evocative.

 

Chiltern green. Again, never done anything in "N", but this showed that it wasn't just a toy train.

 

Allan Downes' various articles about building with card. It inspired me to build all manner of things and choke the hoover.

 

There must be others, but that's what springs to mind! Oddly, none of them pointed me towards my life-long interest in the Southern railway and the LCDR part in particular.

 

Stewart

[glo41f]

Stewart

 

Wallsea is very much alive and still visitable if you can get an appointment!

 

Mr Walls has regular running sessions in the summer months and has an extensive programme of visits arranged.

 

It is a stunning poece of work by one man with over 100 locos, 180 coaches and 300 odd wagons!

 

Martin

[edcayton]

The latest Modeller has an article about PD Hancock, Craig and what has happened to some of it which still survives.

 

Ed

[New Haven Neil]

Thanks for that Ed, I must get it.  I loved his C&M articles when I was a nipper.

[s_ellinson]

One last one I missed out, an article in Model railway Constructor in about 1976 "Clungunford Cottage" by (?) Doris Stokes. It inspired me to model scenery in detail.

[Graham456]

I was lucky enough to visit the North Devonshire Railway along with Brian Harrap, Railwayrod and a couple of other friends after Ken Northwood rebuilt it in Buckfastleigh.

I believe attempts were made to preserve it after his death but I don't think anything came of it.

Sad to hear this because during my move the only thing I have had to read at night is the December 77 model rail constructer as it didn't get packed. this just happened to feature this layout, this chap sure knew how to squeeze a long run in to the space,

Interesting couplings he used looks like some sort of sprat and winkle type, haveing a hoop with a under slung hook I wonder if anyone else used his method of fixing the track ( or not)

[Joseph_Pestell]

Hi Calimero

 

Do you mean Pengwynn Crossing http://www.flickr.com/photos/monitor-computing/sets/72157626561495073/

 

It was built by my mate Ian. It was always a pleasure going round his house and seeing what he had done since the last visit.

 

Just back from Melksham where this layout is on display at Trainwest 2015.

 

Loved it, not just for the china clay theme, but the subtle curve to the layout works so well.

[Loconuts]

Leighton Buzzard is is to appear at this years Expoem show

 

Another layout of note is the Oxford Club layout Rewley Road which I believe is going on permanent display at Quainton Road in the old Rewley Road Booking Hall

 

Also the one layout that change the thinking in 7mm scale, Hursley, where is that now?

 

Loconuts 

[New Haven Neil]

Hursley is rather more modern than what I was thinking about when I started the thread, but you're right - probably because I'm getting old and Hursley was a while ago!  A truly amazing layout, the photo of the Q1 in MRJ was stunning, I swear I could smell the hot oil and the railway smells of summer - grass and creosote.  Nice suggestion.

[Donw]

Hursley and Wallsea were both at the MRJ exhibition. Historic I suppose yes but seeing as I picked up my first copy of Railway Modeller 53 years ago does that make me historic too?

 

Over the years I have seen most of these layouts it been an interestng hobby.

 

Don

[Loconuts]

Hursley is rather more modern than what I was thinking about when I started the thread, but you're right - probably because I'm getting old and Hursley was a while ago!  A truly amazing layout, the photo of the Q1 in MRJ was stunning, I swear I could smell the hot oil and the railway smells of summer - grass and creosote.  Nice suggestion.

Hi

I agree with your sentiments but inspirational layouts are being produced all the time so they do not have to be old historic layouts.  The whole point of Hursley was that it was a landmark layout in 7mm scale terms.  Modeling in 7mm scale was rarely ever seen to that standard before and it showed that standards that had been developed for 4mm scale could be applied in 7mm scale.  It changed peoples perception of 7mm scale.

 

Loconuts 

[t-b-g]

Hi

I agree with your sentiments but inspirational layouts are being produced all the time so they do not have to be old historic layouts.  The whole point of Hursley was that it was a landmark layout in 7mm scale terms.  Modeling in 7mm scale was rarely ever seen to that standard before and it showed that standards that had been developed for 4mm scale could be applied in 7mm scale.  It changed peoples perception of 7mm scale.

 

Loconuts 

 

I agree that there are some superb layouts around nowadays.

 

I think that the query over Hursley is more to do with the title of the thread than any view that inspirational layouts don't appear more recently.

 

Mind you, how old does "older" mean?

 

Hursley was 25 (ish) years ago.........

 

Where do the years go.

 

Speaking of historic layouts, we will be exhibiting Leighton Buzzard twice this year, at the two EXPO EM events at Bracknell and Manchester.

 

It is the 60th anniversary of the EMGS so we will be bringing along some models that were around before it was formed. 

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

To quote directly from the thread intro:

 

'What older, (60's - 80's, say) layouts inspired you?  In the flesh, or in a magazine.'

 

For me, the thread is a way of acknowledging and recording layouts that don't really show up on the internet - you either knew of them because you'd seen them, or read about them in magazines or books from the pre-digital age which meant that if you didn't have a copy of the exact issue, you couldn't find any information on the layout.  

 

In some senses, I was motivated by a sense that if these weren't talked about, they could become lost for all time.  For example, I only discovered the Greenlane and Hillside Railway through a chance encounter with a s/h copy of 'The Living Model Railway'.  I'd never heard of the book, let alone the railway but it was clearly an 'older inspirational layout' but sadly most people connected to it have passed away, and so it might not have passed into our collective 'folk memory' as it richly deserved to.

 

Later models are by all means validly inspirational, but perhaps not yet in imminent danger of being lost to a wider audience.  

 

I can commend the GOG archive as one means to correct this deficit in our folk memory.

Edited April 16, 2015 by Dr Gerbil-Fritters

[New Haven Neil]

Yes, Dr G-F, exactly my point on starting the thread - was it that long ago.....crikey.

 

Yatton, for instance, was a layout I drooled over as a young adult reading RM, and saw at York (I think) show.  Not much to be seen on the interweb about that.  High Dyke, Bevleys, and so many others that folk on here have mentioned I had never heard of, as well as older layouts such as Buckingham, Devonshire, Aire Valley et al are the ones I was aiming to shake the dust off in our memories.

 

I don't have a problem with mentioning Hursley for example, but my intention was, lets say, pre-MRJ era!  I loved Inkermann street though.....

[glo41f]

My first copy of the Railway Modeller (Feb 1960 which was the 100th issue) had a 4mm railway featured. It was owned by a Mr C.H. Penfold who had professionals make it for him. One station rejoiced in the name of Hogsnorton. It used car batteries for power as this gave pure DC for the rather ropey mechanisms that existed at the time. It looked stunning. Does anyone remember that? Another one was the Bury St Edmunds Model Railway Club's "Broadland Railway" which worked its way around the clubroom and represented the GE line at its peak. (I did see that one!). At that time Borchester showed us the way forward with its perfect running and fully operational signals.George Reffin's 7mm Southern garden railway was another brilliant layout which showed it was possible to have scale track out in the garden. Moving on a few years we had Roy Jackson and Geoff Kent & Co's efforts which culminated in Dunwich and some of the most realistic pictures in the MRJ that I have ever seen . (The J15 crossing the river bridge - awesome!) There was not much aroud to buy in those days but the masters still showed us a thing or two!

 

Thanks for the memories.

 

Martin Long

[glo41f]

I have been reading the first issue of Modellers Backtrack whic I found in a drawer when I was looking for something else! In this magazine there is a write up and pictures of a large layout Kirby Londsale which was being built by Neil Corner. The philosphy behind the layout was to follow the W S Norris tradition and the layout was of a very high standard indeed. I have never heard any more about this outstanding project and I wonder if it still exists. Does anyone out there know and can provide an update?

 

Thanks in anticipation

 

Martin Long

[joppyuk1]

I have to admit, most of the layouts/authors already mentioned would appear on my list. I must, however, mention two Americans, John Allen and his "Gorre and Dapheted", with its floor to ceiling valleys, and Malcolm Furlow, whose articles on his "San Juan" layout made me buy the book on its build. 

[RANGERS]

Roy Jackson's lecture at Expo EM was a trip down memory lane for me. I don't remember anything before High Dyke and it was interesting to see what came before, but from there onwards was a great reminder of how inspirational those layouts were.

[Zomboid]

Not much from back then inspired me, really. The Hornby track plans book from around 1990, a couple of CJF's track plans books... But then I was born in the 80s, and I didn't start going to exhibitions until the mid 90s...

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Layouts that inspired me were some of the larger "Railway of the Month" in the Modeller from the 1960s.

 

Two spring to mind - one was a large BR (WR) system that included stations such as reading, Bristol TM and Pilning. Think this appeared in 1966.

 

The following year was a BR (ER) system - the cover photo of the modeller showing an ex-LNER pacficic comping out of a tunnel. Think this was from 1967.

 

Anyone remember these?

[DLT]

Layouts that inspired me were some of the larger "Railway of the Month" in the Modeller from the 1960s.

 

Two spring to mind - one was a large BR (WR) system that included stations such as reading, Bristol TM and Pilning. Think this appeared in 1966.

 

The following year was a BR (ER) system - the cover photo of the modeller showing an ex-LNER pacficic comping out of a tunnel. Think this was from 1967.

 

Anyone remember these?

Hi Peter,

Yes indeed, that sounds like "London, Bristol & South Wales" by John Jay, featured in the July 1969 RM

 

Cover: 

 

 

And "Portasbury and Ruffwell Magna" by P. Wright, April & May 1969 RM

 

Cover: 

 

 

 

Both were Railway of The Month.

The GW article was described as an "interim report", and there was certainly a follow-up feature on the Bristol section in the within a few years.

The Portasbury feature was in two-parts, the first describing the layout, and the second the timetable and operation.  That too had a later follow-up, on the extensive loco depot.

Hope this helps,

Dave.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Thanks Dave - spot-on.

 

The timetable article about Portasbury in particular, really fascinated me. I think it was the first time I really appreciated that a model railway could run to some kind of sequence.

 

Thanks again.

 

Wonder what happened to both layouts and their builders?

[kevinlms]

Thanks Dave - spot-on.

 

The timetable article about Portasbury in particular, really fascinated me. I think it was the first time I really appreciated that a model railway could run to some kind of sequence.

 

Thanks again.

 

Wonder what happened to both layouts and their builders?

Difficult to say. Not helped by the fact that in my index I have

 

1/ P.M. Wright

2/ Pete Wright

3/ Peter Wright

 

They could be all the one & the same, all different or a pairing thereof.

 

The time elapsed, hints that perhaps we know what has happened to the layouts and maybe the majority of builders, sadly.

[glo41f]

Those large layouts often featured as Railway of the Month in the RM of yore were often inspirational to us due to their sheer size and complexity. We all wanted one like it. The pictures were often superb too. However, I did manage to see some of these masterpieces and was often disappointed that the reality did not match the image projected in the magazine. I can recall one where everything fell off the track and very little worked as it should. I guess the maintenance  was just too much for the owner. I think this is where we owe a debt to Peco in that when it first arrived, if it was laid well it did the job and still continues to do it today even though to my jaundiced eyes it now looks awful!

 

Please keep the memories coming!

 

Martin Long

[south_tyne]

As a couple of further layouts... I have always loved the work of Brant Hickman in n gauge. Examples in the RM which spring to mind such as Abingdon and Rorgyle but the one which does it for me is Littleton Curve (RM May 1997). Small, simple, effective but stunning modelling. Absolutely stunning. It has been much copied and imitated too, which I suppose the man should take as flattering! I've always wanted to see the layout, I don't know whether it is still around but it was inspiring to me as a young modeller, even if I have never got anywhere near to completing a layout in the last 10 years!