Older Inspirational Layouts

[t-b-g]

I have plenty more photos of the old layout if people are interested. Of course it is probably the most illustrated layout that there has been so I probably can't show you much that you haven't already seen.

 

This was a lovely moment for me, on my first trip to see the layout. I had a long chat with Peter and I was showing him some of my GCR locos that I had taken down. It was lovely to get the chance to tell him just how much of my own modelling had been inspired by him and Buckingham.

 

Note the rather dim lighting in the railway room and the home made "lightshades" from old cocoa or coffee tins wrapped in green paper! It really was like stepping back to the 1950s.

 

I can look back at the photo and tell what time it is on the layout as set 5 has come round from Buckingham and been shunted to platform 3 at Grandborough and the push pull set has arrived from Verney Junction into the same platform. That only happens once a day!

 

[Flying Pig]

3 hours ago, D-A-T said:

What an excellent resource RMWeb is!

 

Better than you think: this is what popped up when I googled Ashdon and Midport.  The thread duplication is pretty typical too...

 

 

Ok, since we're playing guess the layout, does anyone remember a 3mm scale BR(E) steam East Anglian terminus from the 1970s? It had the atmosphere of a town station rather than a typical BLT and was strongly curved round the room it lived in.  It appeared in one of the magazines, possibly as a RotM, but maybe in MRC.

 

I think it was possibly the first terminus to fiddle yard setup I had seen and the fact that the railway didn't seem to go anywhere puzzled me at first.  Bonus details which may be misremembered - Bilteezi low relief shops (I later built them in 4mm) and there was a 4-6-0, a B17 I think, which featured in a photo passing the box at the station throat.

[kevinlms]

On 25/05/2021 at 20:40, Flying Pig said:

 

Better than you think: this is what popped up when I googled Ashdon and Midport.  The thread duplication is pretty typical too...

 

 

Ok, since we're playing guess the layout, does anyone remember a 3mm scale BR(E) steam East Anglian terminus from the 1970s? It had the atmosphere of a town station rather than a typical BLT and was strongly curved round the room it lived in.  It appeared in one of the magazines, possibly as a RotM, but maybe in MRC.

 

I think it was possibly the first terminus to fiddle yard setup I had seen and the fact that the railway didn't seem to go anywhere puzzled me at first.  Bonus details which may be misremembered - Bilteezi low relief shops (I later built them in 4mm) and there was a 4-6-0, a B17 I think, which featured in a photo passing the box at the station throat.

The Mid-Anglian Line, by James Millham in MRC 1974 October?

 

I'm guessing this was the Jas Millham who changed to S Scale of Yaxbury branch fame?

 

 

Edited June 12, 2021 by kevinlms
More info & typo

[Flying Pig]

11 minutes ago, kevinlms said:

The Mid-Anglican Line, by James Millham in MRC 1974 October?

 

I'm guessing this was the Jas Millham who changed to S Scale of Yaxbury branch fame?

 

That would be the right sort of date and it wouldn't surprise me at all to find that Jas Millham was responsible. I recall being very struck by the atmosphere of the layout.

 

I saw what was then the entirety of the Yaxbury branch at the Scale Show in Bletchley in 1996 and was mightily impressed. Pictures of a slightly later version on the S Scale site here.  Those shots of Yaxbury with the church tower in the background are absolutely delightful.

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

6 hours ago, t-b-g said:

I have plenty more photos of the old layout if people are interested.

 

Yes please!  As many as you have!

 

I never get tired of this layout, it thrilled me when I first saw it in 1975 when I borrowed a copy of the Buckingham Great Central book from my local library and it still thrills me now 46 years later... I am so pleased it still exists, still runs, and is still much loved.

[D-A-T]

7 hours ago, Flying Pig said:

 

Better than you think: this is what popped up when I googled Ashdon and Midport.  The thread duplication is pretty typical too...

 

 

Ok, since we're playing guess the layout, does anyone remember a 3mm scale BR(E) steam East Anglian terminus from the 1970s? It had the atmosphere of a town station rather than a typical BLT and was strongly curved round the room it lived in.  It appeared in one of the magazines, possibly as a RotM, but maybe in MRC.

 

I think it was possibly the first terminus to fiddle yard setup I had seen and the fact that the railway didn't seem to go anywhere puzzled me at first.  Bonus details which may be misremembered - Bilteezi low relief shops (I later built them in 4mm) and there was a 4-6-0, a B17 I think, which featured in a photo passing the box at the station throat.

Typically I’m now not sure if Ashdon & Midport is the layout I was thinking of. It’s a bit too rural whereas the one I remember was more urban in nature. But my mind could be playing games with me.

But it is all grist to the mill of my proposed new layout. South for Moonshine, Ashdon & Midport and Metropolitan Junction will all be in the mix!

Thank you all once again gentleman. 

[t-b-g]

How about this one for a view not normally seen. This is the underneath of the board which has a big chunk of Buckingham goods yard and the start of the carriage sidings on it.

 

It shows not only the method of construction but also some archeological evidence of the TT layout that appears in the Peco book and was featured in Railway Modeller.

 

 

[D-A-T]

Waste not, want not!

[Dagworth]

8 hours ago, kevinlms said:

The Mid-Anglican Line, by James Millham

Vicars and model railways... it'll never catch on.

 

Andi

[BernardTPM]

1 hour ago, t-b-g said:

 

I've got an N gauge layout dating from the mid 1970s that has not dissimilar evidence of something older on the underside.

[RJS1977]

51 minutes ago, D-A-T said:

Waste not, want not!

 

I'm not even sure it was unwanted. I remember hearing either Crispin or Stephen saying they came home from University and found the layout had disappeared!

[Nearholmer]

1 hour ago, t-b-g said:

How about this one for a view not normally seen. This is the underneath of the board which has a big chunk of Buckingham goods yard and the start of the carriage sidings on it.

Crikey.

 

I’ve always felt a bit ashamed of my carpentry, but that is ..... er...... truly original.

[bécasse]

2 hours ago, D-A-T said:

Typically I’m now not sure if Ashdon & Midport is the layout I was thinking of. It’s a bit too rural whereas the one I remember was more urban in nature. But my mind could be playing games with me.

But it is all grist to the mill of my proposed new layout. South for Moonshine, Ashdon & Midport and Metropolitan Junction will all be in the mix!

Thank you all once again gentleman. 

Ken Ashberry produced a number of versions of Ashdown and Midport over the years, all a bit similar in context (probably to fit his home circumstances) but different in detail. Most if not all were exhibited, often at The Model Railway Club's annual Easter show.

[RJS1977]

38 minutes ago, BernardTPM said:

I've got an N gauge layout dating from the mid 1970s that has not dissimilar evidence of something older on the underside.

 

A friend of mine has a large shed at the bottom of his garden, containing baseboards for over a hundred different layouts! (Although many of them use common parts, so in practice I think it's only possible to erect around 20 at any one time....)

 

Having operated and helped pack away a number of those layouts at shows, and having been in his shed, I think it's fair to say that most of those layouts have the remains of other layouts on the other side!

[t-b-g]

One of my favourite buildings on the layout is the signalbox on the platform at Grandborough Junction. Somehow it almost has the quality of a watercolour painting. Black and white somehow seems to suit the view.

 

The interior was built by Crispin Denny.

 

[Donw]

Remember when Peter started building the first layout prctically everything was in short supply make do and mend days. Then later I doubt the stipend for a curate was enough for much extra like hobbies. So I expect making full use of everything he had became natural to him.  He made all the bits that were practical to do so.

 

Don

[t-b-g]

1 hour ago, Donw said:

Remember when Peter started building the first layout prctically everything was in short supply make do and mend days. Then later I doubt the stipend for a curate was enough for much extra like hobbies. So I expect making full use of everything he had became natural to him.  He made all the bits that were practical to do so.

 

Don

 

In the early days, being self reliant was pretty much essential but over the years, Peter never changed his approach. Even if a perfectly good and affordable commercial part was available, he would still prefer to make his own. When D & S brought out etched GCR signal parts, he bought some, tried them and went back to making his own because that gave him more satisfaction. He once told me that he regretted using the Triang Clerestory carriages as he had enjoyed making his scratchbuilt ones more more than he enjoyed converting them to a more GCR outline.

[St Enodoc]

6 hours ago, t-b-g said:

One of my favourite buildings on the layout is the signalbox on the platform at Grandborough Junction. Somehow it almost has the quality of a watercolour painting. Black and white somehow seems to suit the view.

 

The interior was built by Crispin Denny.

 

I've never met Crispin but, although he is a close contemporary of mine, as a consequence of his father's and CJF's writings I still think of him as Master Crispin Denny!

Edited May 26, 2021 by St Enodoc

[Izzy]

I never tire of seeing shots of the Buckingham branch, new or old, and I very much doubt I ever will. Having read about and seen shots for decades I class myself as extremely fortunate to have seen LB in the flesh at Nottingham in I think 2010. Lovely to see it now installed with the rest of the branch.
 

If lots of shots of it are still available and could be published in say photo album style I for one would be very pleased. But however they appear I’ll always be grateful to get the opportunity to have another ‘fix’.

 

Thank you for saving and caring for it Tony.

 

Bob

[dunwurken]

17 hours ago, t-b-g said:

How about this one for a view not normally seen. This is the underneath of the board which has a big chunk of Buckingham goods yard and the start of the carriage sidings on it.

 

It shows not only the method of construction but also some archeological evidence of the TT layout that appears in the Peco book and was featured in Railway Modeller.

 

 

As  I said on this thread earlier (or possibly another thread) PD and PDH obviously had the same carpentry tutor and the same attitude to recycling parts of old layouts. 

Malcolm

[kevinlms]

On 26/05/2021 at 05:50, Dagworth said:

Vicars and model railways... it'll never catch on.

 

Andi

OK, I missed the subtle hint and have now corrected the name of the layout!

[John Besley]

just found this thread, for me it was,

Allied Marine

Mike Sharman - The Works 

Charford

Frank Crudas - Wadebridge

And of cource 

Madder Valley 

PD Hancock - C&MR

John Olson - Mescal Lines

 

Allied Marine, was the first I'd ever head of woodland Scenics products

 

John Olson - opened my eyes to how far ahead the USA was on Scenics modeling at the time (1977)

Edited November 21, 2021 by John Besley
.

[westernviscount]

Personal inspirational layouts which I dont believe have any fame but...

 

Challow by the Wrexham and district model railway club in the 1980s. 

 

Edinburgh Waverley in n gauge by Martin Wild early 90s

 

Bala town by me Dad!! A handbuilt point from this layout survives on my layout. Late 80s early 90s. 

 

Blanau Ffestiniog by a gentleman whose name I am unsure of but was asscoiated with the Colwyn Bay club. Early 90s

 

There was also a modern image layout shown in the early 90s at the widnes or warrington show whose name I am never likely to recall but I do remember the operator very patiently listening to 9 or 10 year old me talking about diesels and my favourites etc. I recall i was never patronised or dismissed at all and taken very seriously which stuck with me. 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 24, 2021 by westernviscount

[Clive martin]

On 24/11/2021 at 20:05, westernviscount said:

Personal inspirational layouts which I dont believe have any fame but...

 

Challow by the Wrexham and district model railway club in the 1980s. 

 

Edinburgh Waverley in n gauge by Martin Wild early 90s

 

Bala town by me Dad!! A handbuilt point from this layout survives on my layout. Late 80s early 90s. 

 

Blanau Ffestiniog by a gentleman whose name I am unsure of but was asscoiated with the Colwyn Bay club. Early 90s

 

There was also a modern image layout shown in the early 90s at the widnes or warrington show whose name I am never likely to recall but I do remember the operator very patiently listening to 9 or 10 year old me talking about diesels and my favourites etc. I recall i was never patronised or dismissed at all and taken very seriously which stuck with me. 

 

 

 

 

On 24/11/2021 at 20:05, westernviscount said:

Personal inspirational layouts which I dont believe have any fame but...

 

Challow by the Wrexham and district model railway club in the 1980s. 

 

Edinburgh Waverley in n gauge by Martin Wild early 90s

 

Bala town by me Dad!! A handbuilt point from this layout survives on my layout. Late 80s early 90s. 

 

Blanau Ffestiniog by a gentleman whose name I am unsure of but was asscoiated with the Colwyn Bay club. Early 90s

 

There was also a modern image layout shown in the early 90s at the widnes or warrington show whose name I am never likely to recall but I do remember the operator very patiently listening to 9 or 10 year old me talking about diesels and my favourites etc. I recall i was never patronised or dismissed at all and taken very seriously which stuck with me. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Clive martin]

Does anyone remember High Gill by i think the riverside model railway club,after seeing this layout in practical model railways ,this layout was at an exhibition at lea on sea in about 1985,it was a superb layout with loads of ac electrics hauling long freights and mk 2 and mk3 sets leaning into super elevated curves,