Aston On Clun. A forgotten Great Western outpost.

[Annie]

Small local railways serving their communities in their own individual way.  Iain Rice was brilliant at capturing the spirit of that in his layout designs.

[MrWolf]

24 minutes ago, Annie said:

Small local railways serving their communities in their own individual way.  Iain Rice was brilliant at capturing the spirit of that in his layout designs.

 

That's what I'm hoping to show in my own way with this layout, a back of beyond very nearly was railway, still running under the auspices of the big four.

There's a lot to do yet in order to make it happen, 

 

I've mentioned it before that as a youngster I was given a pile of old model railway magazines, this is the one which was the very first inspiration.

 

[Annie]

4 hours ago, MrWolf said:

I've mentioned it before that as a youngster I was given a pile of old model railway magazines, this is the one which was the very first inspiration.

Gosh, - the MRC, - I remember that.  Unfortunately I don't remember that particular issue.  Going by the cover image though I can see why it would have been a source of inspiration for you.

[John Besley]

Neat bit of CAD (Cardboard Aided Design)

[John Besley]

5 hours ago, MrWolf said:

 

That's what I'm hoping to show in my own way with this layout, a back of beyond very nearly was railway, still running under the auspices of the big four.

There's a lot to do yet in order to make it happen, 

 

I've mentioned it before that as a youngster I was given a pile of old model railway magazines, this is the one which was the very first inspiration.

 

Neat touch that the council roller is based on the goods yard not something you see modeled often... remember the sheeted up roller in the yard on the W&L at Castle Caereinion 

[John Besley]

8 hours ago, lezz01 said:

So these are the Wild Swan books I have by Rice.

I might have another couple of layout design books as well I'll look some more.

Regards Lez.

Fo any of those cover his turn of the century cornish layout?

[NHY 581]

2 hours ago, John Besley said:

Fo any of those cover his turn of the century cornish layout?

 

Morning John, 

 

No, sadly not. Tregarrick ( ?) was extensively featured in the old Model Railways magazine but I don't know off hand which issues. I'm not aware of any other articles or features elsewhere. 

 

Rob. 

 

[MrWolf]

I think that I have some of those copies of Model Railways featuring Iain's layouts. I'll have a look for them tonight.

 

That original December 79 MRC was long since lost and it took me forever to remember what the layout was called and who built it, all I could remember was "Fraddon Rural District Council" from the tin shed, which wasn't the actual layout name. 

I came across the right magazine by trawling through images on eBay of magazines from 1975-80.

 

Sometimes insomnia is a good thing!

 

 

Edited November 23, 2023 by MrWolf

[Tim Dubya]

12 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

I came across the right magazine by trawling through images on eBay of magazines from 1975-80.

 

Another good source to keep you awake is The Magazine Exchange.  I found some drawings of LSWR Ironclad coaches by Gordon Weddell that had featured in the MRC in the early 70's, when the only other option was to pay £1000 on eBay for the book!  I eventually found a copy for £35 in Oxfam.

 

https://www.magazineexchange.co.uk

 

 

[Annie]

1 hour ago, Tim Dubya said:

Another good source to keep you awake is The Magazine Exchange.

It was through the Magazine Exchange I was able to find some GER carriage drawings that were only available in ancient back copies of model railway magazines.

[MrWolf]

Evening all,

 

I'm sure that you will all have heard about the new Accurascale Pannier?

 

With a couple of exceptions, my locos and stock are pretty much old school, but having seen the impressive GWR locos released over the last couple of years that have been too big or too modern for Aston, I can't really turn this one down.

 

That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it!😁 

 

Once I figure out which loco is suitable for 1930-39, I'll be putting in a pre order.

 

The motley collection of aged Bachmann, Hornby and Mainline panniers will of course be soldiering on in upgraded form as before. The announcement of a superior pannier is also likely to mean a number of late model Bachmann panniers on the market for bargain prices before long.

 

And you can never have enough panniers.

 

 

Message Ends.

[Donw]

Fradden was I think on a layout by Ken Ball if my memory serves me right. I forget the issue with Treggarick I do remember seeing it at The Great Western Hotel again relying on memory.  In additional to the Wild Swan books there was two from Atlantic 'Designs for Urban Layouts and 'Mainline in small spaces' I also have a model railroader on Small Smart and Practical Layouts Designs.

 

Don

[Darlington_Shed]

I own one of Mr Rice's books for the American market; I was fooled by the title "Compact Layout Design". I don't think there's anything in there that will fit in a room smaller than 12'x12'.

[Donw]

15 minutes ago, Darlington_Shed said:

I own one of Mr Rice's books for the American market; I was fooled by the title "Compact Layout Design". I don't think there's anything in there that will fit in a room smaller than 12'x12'.

The book I quote Small Smart and Practical has the majority occupying less than 12x12 the smallest being 8x4  and an interesting design for 8x 4

 

Don

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, Donw said:

The book I quote Small Smart and Practical has the majority occupying less than 12x12 the smallest being 8x4  and an interesting design for 8x 4

 

Don

Yes but is that in inches or feet.

[Neal Ball]

22 hours ago, MrWolf said:

 

That's what I'm hoping to show in my own way with this layout, a back of beyond very nearly was railway, still running under the auspices of the big four.

There's a lot to do yet in order to make it happen, 

 

I've mentioned it before that as a youngster I was given a pile of old model railway magazines, this is the one which was the very first inspiration.

 

Butley town …..

 

2 hours ago, Donw said:

Fradden was I think on a layout by Ken Ball if my memory serves me right. I forget the issue with Treggarick I do remember seeing it at The Great Western Hotel again relying on memory.  In additional to the Wild Swan books there was two from Atlantic 'Designs for Urban Layouts and 'Mainline in small spaces' I also have a model railroader on Small Smart and Practical Layouts Designs.

 

Don

Fraddon and Tretford…..

 

Wasnt Fraddon the GWR BLT and Tretford the LMS junction station. I seem to recall they were around a lot in the magazines of the time. Pretty sure they were built by Ken Ball from Macclesfield MRC.

 

There was also the huge loft layout called “Devonshire” at the same time.

 

I can’t really place Butley Town but obviously it’s the same time period as above.

[MrWolf]

Butley Town was originally a BLT which became a through station as the layout developed.

Fraddon was originally a halt on a rather vicious curve into the fiddle yard. It was straightened out and rebuilt during the layouts first rebuild in the late 70s IIRC.

 

 

Edited November 23, 2023 by MrWolf
Details

[MrWolf]

Digging through boxes of old magazines I have so far found Iain Rice's Woolverstone in the May 1990 Railway Modeller.

[Annie]

3 hours ago, MrWolf said:

Digging through boxes of old magazines I have so far found Iain Rice's Woolverstone in the May 1990 Railway Modeller.

Looked up the May 1990 issue of RM in the digital archive, - found the Woolverstone pages, - and Wow!  Absolutely beautifully realised railway modelling so typical of the late Mr Rice.  I could spend hours looking at those Suffolk images of a time now long past.

[St Enodoc]

9 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

There was also the huge loft layout called “Devonshire” at the same time.

North Devonshire by Ken Northwood?

 

The original was built in a loft in Edinburgh. After his retirement, a new version was built incorporating some of the original but to the best of my knowledge it was never completed. I believe that about 30 years ago there was a plan to preserve it, or parts of it, but that came to naught.

[Tortuga]

Two more Iain Rice books (that I don’t think have been mentioned): ‘Detailing & Improving Ready to Run Wagons’ and ‘Detailing & Improving Plastic Wagon Kits’, both by Irwell Press.

 

Recently acquired both for my own “library”.

[MrWolf]

On 23/11/2023 at 06:06, John Besley said:

Fo any of those cover his turn of the century cornish layout?

 

Tregarric Yard has a five page feature in the June 1979 issue of Model Railways (MAP Hobby Magazine) 

The scenery is just what we came to expect plus there's some beautifully made tank engines and stock.

[NHY 581]

The Rice shelf ( including a few other notables ) 

 

 

Rob

 

[brumtb]

18 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

 

Tregarric Yard has a five page feature in the June 1979 issue of Model Railways (MAP Hobby Magazine) 

The scenery is just what we came to expect plus there's some beautifully made tank engines and stock.

And also December 1979 and January 1981:

December 1979 is a one page progress report by the company engineer in "Rice Cornish"!

January 1981 is a six page article describing The New North Cornwall Mineral Railway.

Tony

 

[Tortuga]

21 minutes ago, NHY 581 said:

The Rice shelf ( including a few other notables ) 

 

 

Rob

 

‘Creating Cameo Layouts’ by Iain Rice: so good, you bought two.

 

Not sure on the Haynes Manual one though - do the photos miss out a vital step or the instructions assume you possess a third hand?