Older Inspirational Layouts

[Pandora]

The South Shields MRC had a great  OO exhibition layout in the early 1970s,  a terminus and out and back desgn,  very long mainline run,  over the main line was a large mashalling yard, constant movements of two 08 diesel shunters on long trains of vans.

 

At the terminus,  goods treain disappeared into a tunnel on the up side and reappeared n the down side, just like Kings Cross and te Met widened lines.

 

Emphasis was on operation, club members stock hence wide variety of stock, atmosphere suggested  East Coast main line in the 1960s, Summer saturday afternoon, line  recovering from delays,  all trains running under single and double yellows,

 

Train after train with little headway.

 

I cannot recall the name of the terminus station but it was layout of the month in  a mid 1971 Model railway Constructor.

 

Does this post trigger any memories from anyone else?

[HSB]

Vivien Thompson was the lady in question and her modelling was (hopefully still is) very good. She helpedout at York Show for a few years when she had moved to Yorkshire.

Sadly I believe she passed away quite some time ago.

[swampy]

The South Shields MRC had a great  OO exhibition layout in the early 1970s,  a terminus and out and back desgn,  very long mainline run,  over the main line was a large mashalling yard, constant movements of two 08 diesel shunters on long trains of vans.

 

At the terminus,  goods treain disappeared into a tunnel on the up side and reappeared n the down side, just like Kings Cross and te Met widened lines.

 

Emphasis was on operation, club members stock hence wide variety of stock, atmosphere suggested  East Coast main line in the 1960s, Summer saturday afternoon, line  recovering from delays,  all trains running under single and double yellows,

 

Train after train with little headway.

 

I cannot recall the name of the terminus station but it was layout of the month in  a mid 1971 Model railway Constructor.

 

Does this post trigger any memories from anyone else?

Yes it does! Petersboro I believe it was called (not Peterboro, as the original article said, and which was corrected in the 2nd part). This was the layout I spent ages watching with a school pal at the 1967/8 SSMRC exhibition in Brownsea Hall in South Shields. I remember it well, exactly as you described. The tunnel return was on the right hand of the 'L', the left hand was another station with out-and-back circular fiddle yard. An automatic half-barrier crossing was on the mainline, with the marshalling yard above the joint of the 'L', IYSWIM, complete with black foam carpet underlay groundcover. Next day, we dismantled my old triang layout, cut up the baseboard, and put the bits back together as an L-shaped attempt at a new layout, so on that basis it well merits its inspirational inclusion in this topic. It certainly revived my interest in the hobby.

 

Brownsea Hall was demolished some time ago, now housing.

[New Haven Neil]

Didn't expect THAT to re-surface!  I'm an ex SSMRS member!

 

That layout was replaced by Lazenby and Idledale, a massive layout that was U shaped in the clubroom, almost a square really, and L shaped for shows.  It had a large through station, branch, yard and shed, with a return dumbell at each end making a 4 track main line.  All with automatic coluor light signalling and NX panels for control, almost all the brainchild of Tony Lambert, who is still a pal at some distance.  Most of the other main players have passed on now, sadly, some taken sadly only too young.

 

All dismantled when we lost the clubrooms at Tyne Dock, we re-formed a few years later in an awful room at the back of Bollingbroke Hall, also now long gone.  The club survives, now based in Sunderland, known as the A19 club so as not to be confused with the Sunderland club, website available on the net.  I left 12 years ago almost, when I moved here, having been a member since being 14.

 

Thank you for reminding me - do we know each other????

[Mrkirtley800]

I found there were such things as model railway magazines in 1951, when I saw a Model Railway News on a newsagents counter while at school in Leeds.  That edition featured a layout called "Lutton" by Frank Roomes.  It was an EM gauge pre grouping layout that looked a complete jumble in the photos, but the thing that stood out was a scratch built model of a Kirtley outside framed 0-4-4 well tank in full Midland livery.

I lusted after that loco until I built one for muyself many years later.  But, it did start me on the path of striving to build better models, and I bought every model mag Railway Modeller, Constructor and News for years.to come.

 

Derek

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

I thought Lutton was an O scale branch in a 12' x 12' boxroom that featured fully operating signalling system?  Proper bells and interlocking etc.

 

A feat of fitting a quart into a pint pot if ever I saw one.

 

Frank was a signal engineer if I recall correctly.

 

edit - found my source, Model Railway Encyclopedia, Octopus Books, 1979, pp143-149 

 

A book that greatly influenced me as, unlike most of the cheapy book-club books I got as a child, this one had some outstanding modellers and their layouts in it, including Cliff Young's DRGW, Norman  Eagles Sherwood Section, Rolf Ertmer's Altenbeken, Peter Denny's Buckingham Branch, Bob Hegge's Crooked Mountain Lines, Heckmondwicke, and Bruce Chubb's Sunset Valley.

 

I can track most of my interests back to this one book, fortunately I still have it - although I often see it in s/h form.

Edited February 12, 2013 by Dr Gerbil-Fritters

[Joseph_Pestell]

Sadly I believe she passed away quite some time ago.

 

If she has, it can't be that long ago. Had an article in RM within the last couple of years.

[RJS1977]

Was Vivian Thompson Lillian's sister? ;-P

[unklian]

Dennis Allenden's Sainte Collin des Champs, O gauge vintage french 'pre grouping'.  This layout opened my eyes to the glory of old continental railways. The layout wasn't very much really but the rolling stock, all scratchbuilt by Dennis, and his descriptions of the prototype were very inspirational.

[DavidLong]

I would agree with many of the layouts that have been mentioned in this thread but I would like to add another. It appeared in the Model Railway Constructor for August 1960 and was an EM gauge layout by Malcolm Cross called 'Low Dale'. I didn't buy this issue myself but was given it about a year later by a friend of the family. I would have been ten years old then and I still have the copy of the magazine. Indeed, I have just got it out of the cupboard to refresh my memory and it still looks just as good as it did when I first saw the article all those years ago. Malcolm was an exceptional modeller and went on to be part of the Model Railway Study Group who formulated the standards that were to become P4.

It is interesting to note that Malcolm was inspired to work in EM by his own admiration for the work of Peter Denny and his various 'Buckingham' layouts. I have often wondered what became of Malcolm as, subsequent to the Protofour articles in MRC, nothing more seemed to be heard from him in modelling circles.

May I also endorse the comments about the inspirational work of Iain Rice. I believe that it was his articles about thin frame chassis construction in Model Railways magazine that revolutionised the approach to locomotive chassis building in the smaller scales. This though was only one of the areas where he brought his own, highly individual approach to modelling to the attention of the hobby. I always appreciated the fact that he didn't seem to model to P4 standards for any particular reason other than that they were there and worked so why wouldn't you use them. To build the likes of 'Tregarrick' in P4 at a time when many still doubted that the standards were truly workable is a testament to his belief that they were entirely practical and useable by the modelling community at large.

 

David

 

Edit to correct Model Railway Study Group (from Model Railway Standards Study Group)

Edited February 13, 2013 by DavidLong

[Pandora]

Peterboro, thank you for the reminder,  the small through station, site of the circular out and back fiddle yard, what was the name?

 

Trains would emerge from the  circular fiddle yard, wait in the platform, then head off either up the gradient  to the marshalling yard (banked by an EM2 loco)  the bank had a section of  working overhead,  or head off on the mainline, the line with the working half barrier crossing.

the black carpet underlay gave quiet running.  I too spectated for hours, on this one layout,  it was the Sheffield exhibition,  about 1970 I think.

 

I have never enjoyed any other layout as much as Peterboro,  no offence intended to absolute scale modellers, P4 etc, Peterboro was so lively, a real entertainer,  train after train on the mainline, plus all the shunting in the yard.

 

i recall the successor to Peterboro at another exhibition,  noticed the reused/rearranged baseboards,  for some reason,  it had lost the atmosphere of the real railway

[plarailfan]

 

All this discussion is very nostalgic, taking me back to old numbers of RM and others. Being a longtime member of the Wolverhampton MRC, I was very pleased to be at the 1978 exhibition when a large oval layout was exhibited by the Newport club. Although I am not of the Gone West persuasion, this was an excellent layout featuring full-length main line trains (one double headed) and a working slip coach, too. Operationally varied and scenically good IIRC. Can't recall its name, but I think it was a slightly whimsical one.

 

Edited February 12, 2013 by plarailfan

[plarailfan]

 

 

 Long Suffren ? I never saw the layout, but, as a mere 'yoof' was fascinated by it in a 1977 issue of Railway Modeller.

Another RM layout, a year or two later, which I thought was great, was Cheslyn Bay - a mainline / seafront layout, with up and down passing loops, which had maroon livery "wizzo's" pulling in, to let faster trains race past.

Boldon Junction and Bee Lane have come along in more recent years - fantastic modern image, large layouts, fully re-creating up to the minute operations.

[Grafarman]

RM March '79 - Springwood by Bob Denham; first time I'd ever seen N gauge in a proper setting - I still have the mag along with February's issue of the same year - that one for Mawddwy Road by Trevor Hughes; wonderful use of space and local features.

But my favourite all-time layout has to be Allied Marine & Locomotive Company - RM Nov '78 - such atmosphere and creative use of clutter and grime; brilliant!

Later on saw Gransmoor Castle and Kingswear but those early layouts have stuck with me...

 

David

[ELTEL]

What a memory trip, I have had the pleasure of seeing many of the layouts mentioned, I have also had the pleasure in my time as exhibition manager of inviting many to appear at Stafford.

 

What really inspires me and many other modellers is that the number of high quality layouts goes on and the bar is getting higher and higher, but what really is more important is that the whole standard of layouts at exhibitions is far higher than say ten years ago.

 

Well done everyone

 

Eltel

[New Haven Neil]

Peterboro, thank you for the reminder,  the small through station, site of the circular out and back fiddle yard, what was the name?

 

Trains would emerge from the  circular fiddle yard, wait in the platform, then head off either up the gradient  to the marshalling yard (banked by an EM2 loco)  the bank had a section of  working overhead,  or head off on the mainline, the line with the working half barrier crossing.

the black carpet underlay gave quiet running.  I too spectated for hours, on this one layout,  it was the Sheffield exhibition,  about 1970 I think.

 

I have never enjoyed any other layout as much as Peterboro,  no offence intended to absolute scale modellers, P4 etc, Peterboro was so lively, a real entertainer,  train after train on the mainline, plus all the shunting in the yard.

 

i recall the successor to Peterboro at another exhibition,  noticed the reused/rearranged baseboards,  for some reason,  it had lost the atmosphere of the real railway

 

 

It's slipping now, but I'm sure it was something to do with Fred, who built many of the buildings?  GOT IT - Stanfred!  Stan is my uncle......  Peter of Petersboro was Peter Atkinson, lost to cancer about 12 years ago, sadly before his time.

Edited February 13, 2013 by New Haven Neil

[Donw]

I believe Malcolm Cross went to Australia but my memory may be letting me down.Regarding Frank Roomes he did start off in 4mm but changed to 0 gauge and built a number of layouts. There were at least two Luttons and signalling did feature highly. I think all his 0 gauge layouts featured in the Guild Gazette and are available on line to members. The last  Lutton featured in BRM but I cannot remember the issue. 

 

I would echo the comments about Ian Rice not only was Treggarick an interesting layout his articles were interesting to read and he was quite prolific in that respect.

Don

[Dave Searle]

Nonsuch to Ruxley, the 1960s layout of the Epsom & Ewell MRC. It was serialised in "Model Railway Constructor" starting March 1963.

 

As a 14-year-old schoolboy at the time it opened my eyes to what a "proper" engineered 00 model railway could be -- all scratchbuilt and fully signalled with working lever frames, block instruments, interlocking, mechanical operation of points (even across baseboard joints with a system of plungers in the end of each board). It was utterly different from anything I had seen in the Hornby-Dublo catalogue or even the "Railway Modeller" and I read those articles over and over again.

 

By coincidence it is now exactly 50 years since the first article appeared, and in all that time I don't think I have seen anything to quite match it. That older tradition of building a working miniature railway seems to have faded away.

 

If any member of the Epsom & Ewell club from that time is reading this, my thanks for the lasting inspiration that layout gave me.

 

Martin.

 

Hi Martin,

 

Thank you for the kind comments, although I wasn't a member of the club at the time it was built, I will pass your comments on to those remaining who were part of the team that built and maintain it.

 

Ruxely (the terminus) and Woodcote (the through station) are still in very much in use and make the occasional exhibition appearance. Ruxley is at Abdingdon on March 2nd and both are travelling to Wigan on 15/16 June.

 

An article is also being prepared for one of the magazines.

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

Epsom & Ewell MRC

Edited February 13, 2013 by Dave Searle

[DavidLong]

Hi Martin,

 

Thank you for the kind comments, although I wasn't a member of the club at the time it was built, I will pass your comments on to those remaining who were part of the team that built and maintain it.

 

Ruxely (the terminus) and Woodcote (the through station) are still in very much in use and make the occasional exhibition appearance. Ruxley is at Abdingdon on March 2nd and both are travelling to Wigan on 15/16 June.

 

An article is also being prepared for one of the magazines.

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

Epsom & Ewell MRC

 

Another admirer of the layout here so it is excellent news that a part of it will be at Wigan in June. I seem to remember that Chris Matthewman once expressed his appreciation which was praise indeed from such an accomplished and much-missed modeller.

 

David

[clecklewyke]

I believe Malcolm Cross went to Australia but my memory may be letting me down.

 

I believe Malcolm committed suicide in the 1970s. I've tried to find a reference to this sad event but have not yet succeeded. His death was a great loss to the modelling fraternity as he had been instrumental in so many fine scale developments, especially the creation of the Model Railways Study Group which formulated the P4 standards.

 

Ian

[Sheffield]

Is it not a measure of the improvement in standard and range of the RTR market that the standard of a lot of the layouts we look back upon as inspirational are now within the reach of an "average" modeller, providing his pocket is deep enough? That is not to denigrate those layouts, for their time they were truely inspirational, and sometimes a bit dispiriting when we realised we could not do as well.

I wonder which "present day" layouts our successors will look back upon in 50 years time.

[DavidLong]

I believe Malcolm committed suicide in the 1970s. I've tried to find a reference to this sad event but have not yet succeeded. His death was a great loss to the modelling fraternity as he had been instrumental in so many fine scale developments, especially the creation of the Model Railways Study Group which formulated the P4 standards.

 

Ian

 

Ian,

 

Forgive me for not adding a 'like' to this post but it would have seemed inappropriate considering the sad news that it contained. However, I do thank you for the information even though it confirmed my fear that another fine modeller had been taken from us in unfortunate circumstances.

However, as a result of this thread, I did spend a happy fifteen minutes or so before going to sleep last night, re-reading Malcolm's 'Low Dale' article and marvelling again at the standards that he had set.

 

David

Edited February 13, 2013 by DavidLong

[Donw]

RE MAlcolm Cross. Apparantly there was an Obit by Bernard Weller in MRJ 144. Cannot tell you more as that issue is stuck in one of a number of storage boxes.  I remember Ken York another P4/S4 leader committing suicide.

 

Don

 

edit added ref to Malcolm.

Edited February 13, 2013 by Donw

[DavidLong]

RE MAlcolm Cross. Apparantly there was an Obit by Bernard Weller in MRJ 144. Cannot tell you more as that issue is stuck in one of a number of storage boxes.  I remember Ken York another P4/S4 leader committing suicide.

 

Don

 

edit added ref to Malcolm.

 

Thanks for that, Don. I've just dug out the copy and I don't know why I hadn't remembered it as it's on the same page as the obit for Bernard Holland and I certainly recall Bernard's passing. Must be a result of my own age and deteriorating memory! It is recorded that Malcolm made his last visit from his home in Adelaide to the UK for Scaleforum 2001 but that ill-health claimed him almost two years later in May 2003. It would appear from the obituary that, rather than being a prolific producer of models, he contributed many of the ideas behind the products from Exactoscale, the company which he had begun in conjunction with Bernard Weller. However, if anyone from the Scalefour Society has any knowledge of models that Malcolm made I would be delighted to hear about them.

 

David

Edited February 13, 2013 by DavidLong

[uax6]

I found there were such things as model railway magazines in 1951, when I saw a Model Railway News on a newsagents counter while at school in Leeds.  That edition featured a layout called "Lutton" by Frank Roomes.  It was an EM gauge pre grouping layout that looked a complete jumble in the photos, but the thing that stood out was a scratch built model of a Kirtley outside framed 0-4-4 well tank in full Midland livery.

I lusted after that loco until I built one for muyself many years later.  But, it did start me on the path of striving to build better models, and I bought every model mag Railway Modeller, Constructor and News for years.to come.

 

Derek

 

Derek, I was wondering if Franks Lutton would make it on here! I was very lucky as a lad to know Frank, and operate his O gauge Lutton. A wonderful layout in an 8ft square spare bedroom! Block signalled, with working lever frames, lovely! Frank was ex REMY and worked form LT at one point and was also a MOT railway inspector, and often had REMY lads up to learn about signalling. I didn't know that he did EM gauge, but I often remember him visiting our layout (I cringe now, it was so basic compared to the stuff he made) with his 00 gauge stock, all converted from stud to two rail. I loved his NER crocodile electric, and his Furness railmotor. When he died my Father was very lucky in being given a choice of a loco to remember Frank by, he chose a MR 3F 0-6-0T with half cab in 00 gauge. It lives on a plinth in the living room. I got his early railway telephone.

I'd love to know what happened to all the o gauge stock. I was particulary fond of his Armstrong Whitworth diesel shunter and 10800.

 

Andy G