Beasley Street: A 1970s post war concrete station layout

[GraemeWatson]

Beasley Street: The Early Evening Newspaper Train

 

 

Edited October 30, 2022 by GraemeWatson

[TT-Pete]

Very atmospheric!

[GraemeWatson]

The 2022 Royal Mail postal strike at Beasley Street. Downstream of Beasley Street station is the Royal Mail depot.

Here it is, dressed for the modern era with workers on strike.

 

Much today like the winter of discontent that the layout was built to remember.

[GraemeWatson]

It's outrageous and I love it.

 

Special guest appearance on Beasley Street with HM The Queen and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh.

 

 

[GraemeWatson]

Under the wire

 

Just some generic beauty shots today.

Doing an OHLE layout had never really entered into my thinking, but I'm really glad I did it now.

Edited December 6, 2022 by GraemeWatson
Extra photos

[GraemeWatson]

The Letter the better

 

The Royal Mail Letters era from 1974-1989 was very much my favourite era of Royal Mail corporate identity.

 

A completely different service to what is offered now in privatisation. The post bus system allowed for Post Office services and transport to be provided in isolated locations, and The Royal Mail even had a dedicated Rally team. I was very fortunate to be a passenger in a Royal Mail livery Ford Sierra Cosworth in the late 80s. You will be hard pressed to find any information about this other than scant photos online. The Royal Mail also provided free educational resources for kids at the time, including supporting schools with pen pal projects. In the era before email this really was a window to the world.

 

The service we have now is completely different, and I'm personally grateful to the postal workers we do have. I really hope the situation improves for them and for us all soon.

 

Anyway, for this depot annex I have used two Wills Modern DPD kits sprayed with Humbrol acrylic rattle cans.

Sea Grey (roof), Grey 64 (outer) and Desert Yellow for the brick. The Wills DPD kit comes with red embellishments which are suitable for Royal Mail use.

 

The sign was printed with a colour laser printer.

 

There is still much to do with it, but I like how it is progressing.

 

 

Edited December 8, 2022 by GraemeWatson

[GraemeWatson]

Postman Print

The Royal Mail Depot was improved this week with the arrival of some ModelU postal figures (Postman Checking Mail 1370, Postman checking bag 1371, Postman Collecting Mail 1372 and Royal Mail Worker Bundle 9025).

 

As per the disclaimer I have no personal connection to ModelU other than being a very satisfied ongoing customer since happening across their body scanning service pre-COVID at Warley.

 

The suggested colours for the depot workers on the ModelU site feature modern image reflective jackets which isn't correct for my time period, but in my opinion, painting them in 1970s/80s overalls, donkey jackets and overcoats look just as good. If anything, it shows how adaptable these sturdy figures really are.

 

Edited December 11, 2022 by GraemeWatson

[lmsforever]

Looking good good to see this sector modelled and now you can populate it ,always liked the rolling stock colour 

[GraemeWatson]

"Happy No Year"

A quick hello from me and best wishes to all RMwebbers and visitors to this thread.

 

Though we have now moved into 2023, the year remains unchanged as a glorious 1979 in Beasley Street.

 

Remember also too that this was built in a few months before the end of 2022. It is essentially a four lane track plan, no points, and with only the centre lanes connected to a continuous loop.

 

It hides these limitations very well. Be reassured too that anyone starting out in model railways can find their own way too.

 

Edited January 4, 2023 by GraemeWatson

[GraemeWatson]

Delighted to update my thread following the arrival of some Accurascale Siphon G coaches in their guise as Newspaper NNV stock.

 

Edited June 4, 2023 by GraemeWatson
Additional photos

[GraemeWatson]

A recent trip to New York afforded me the opportunity to visit Trainworld in Brooklyn, using the excellent NYC Subway system.

 

As it happens, their Brooklyn branch no longer has a customer show room, and is a mail order centre only.

 

When I assured them I had travelled... some distance... from the UK and had three specific things I was after, they very kindly let me into their reception and sorted it out. Happy to report that all items returned safely in my check-in luggage, and that the service from Trainworld was excellent.

 

Top of my list was a Bachmann EMD GP38-2 Wisconsin Central #2001 locomotive (Product #61712).

 

The keen-eyed will note the similarity of the livery to EWS (English, Welsh and Scottish). This is because Wisconsin Central was the parent company of EWS. Though Wisconsin Central no longer exists, having been bought out by Canadian National, the impact of its livery on UK Class 66 locomotives and stock remains to this day.

 

I have wanted a Wisconsin Central locomotive for some time, as it not only represents a great cameo for EWS stock, and one of my best friends hails from that particular state, so it's nice to have that connection too.

 

Edited December 17, 2023 by GraemeWatson