What gauge,era,country?

[Wummyock]

If you weren't modelling what you do now what would you go for as an alternative or flight of fancy if you had the time/space/money?Myself personally I model BR Large Logo through to Sectorisation but if had the chance I'd love to model US HO 70's/80's era.

[Karhedron]

You want me to choose just one?

 

OK well I currently model N gauge GWR/WR in the west country (yup the good ol' BLT). If I were to go for something different it would be one of the following.

 

WCML Sectorisation era in 00. I started modelling this many years ago struggling along with MTK kits for the multiple units. I never got the layout landscaped so I never even reached the challenge of the catenary. It would be much easier starting today with MK3 DVTs from Hornby as well as Bratchell's range of 321s in NSE livery. Still waiting for a 313 though. I might even allow my APT to run on it as if they had not been scrapped.

 

The other idea that appeals is something with a Southern EMU flavour, maybe blue or NSE. I really like Ripper Street as a Minories with multiple units theme (although it is not southern strictly speaking). The only trouble is having seen such a stunning example I would be hard pressed to do my own interpretation of the same subject without either copying or getting disappointed with the results.

 

I also have a hankering to do some more GWR but with a bit more of a mainline feel. Possibly the Cambrian coast with a nice mix of GWR and standard types. Or perhaps the mainline into Cornwall with plenty of milk trains and china clay to jostle with the holiday specials.

[Kris]

I could be very tempted by the late 80's in "O". Maybe somewhere like Westbury. Don't think that time, space or money would ever make that a possibility.

[Rugd1022]

It really is difficult to pick one 'grand idea' given the rescoures but if money was no object then I'd plump for doing Rugby Midland c1958-62 before the wires went up, with loads of Ex-LMS and BR Standard steam, plus the 'new order' in the shape of Sulzer Type 2s and EE Type 1s and 4s...... probably in O gauge too! Chances are it would have to be housed in a purpose built structure, which would resemble a railway building itself on the outside, with arched windows wand red and blue brickwork.... I'd employ artists to create a realistic looking backscene along the whole length of the layout, which would start at Trent Valley Junction and continue right through to Hillmorton..... lovely.

 

Nidge

 

Imagine this in 7mm.... it would be huge!

 

[Ozexpatriate]

I think we did something similar in a previous incarnation of RMweb.

 

... what would you go for as an alternative or flight of fancy if you had the time/space/money?

It would have to be the Brisbane (Queensland) southside, perhaps in the 1950s. With no limits it would be South Brisbane - Woolloongabba in HOm, which is pretty close to the 3'6" colonial narrow gauge.

 

Even with some compression, there's plenty of interesting scope: a large 6 platform terminus (South Brisbane), through junction (Park Road), change of grade crossing (Albert), engine depot (Wooloongabba), dockyards, tunnels, street trams, the standard gauge line to NSW and more.

 

Cricket fans will recognize "the Gabba" where in the 1950s test match broadcasts were punctuated by the steam whistles of locomotives crossing Stanley Street as they circumnavigated the 'fiveways' entering and exiting the Wooloongabba yards.

[coachmann]

Where do I stop.

 

Late 1950s with brandnew shiny green DMU's and maroon coaches.

 

Circa 1935 with LMS full panelled coaches, plus ex LNWR 4-4-0s and 4-6-0s mixing with new Stanier locos.

 

An East Coast mainline circa 1952 with all things Gresley, Thompson and Peppercorn.

 

A fictional Ashchurch type ex Midland branch with 2F, 3F and 4F 0-6-0's plus Fowler 2-6-4T's and Compounds.

[Baby Deltic]

If I wasn't doing the North London Line, I think something West London with diesel Hydraulics and inter-regional workings would be nice. I also fancy doing something on the ECML in Greater London circa 1959-69. Lots of traction variety. A GER branch line station such as Clare would be a nice project, especially with the Craven's DMU, Derby Lightweight, WM Railbus and Heljan class 15 coming on the scene.

[HerbertHopkins]

For me it would have to be the ex GNR mainline circa 1959/60. I've always been an ECML devotee and favour the GN section simply because it's the part I know best. The late 50's interest me because, although steam still predominated, pilot scheme diesels, another of my interests, were becoming increasingly commonplace and it would be possible to have a great variety of motive power. Ideally the model would be prototype based and would depict one of the smaller through stations as I like to 'watch the trains go by'. I would also avoid the four track sections. I'm familiar with Tony Wright's 'Little Bytham', which is going to be something really special when its finished but, somehow, seeing four trains all running at the same time can seem a bit train set like. One train at a time in each direction would do me fine.

 

As such, somewhere like Yaxley and Farcet, just south of Peterborough or Great Ponton, to the south of Grantham would be ideal. I would also model it in EM.

[5 C]

Although my modelling interest is late 30's LMS WCML, for some reason I also find myself drawn to 70's and 80's BR Blue.

 

Technically it's more "my" era anyway, but it's also down to some of the inspirational layouts that I've seen both here and in the flesh, which demonstrate just what can be achieved with that subject matter.

 

Probably the best exhibition I've been to this year was DEMU Showcase at Bretby, which as a die hard steam fan, I never thought I'd hear myself say!

 

Andy

[LH&JC]

Gauge 0, North Eastern Railway, Robin Hood's Bay station. The reasons are, in gauge 0 I could really get into fine bits of detailing and painting, the North Eastern Railway, Robin Hood's Bay station because it was my local, closed of course but it didn't change much from the NER days to 1965, when it closed. But an N gauge modern image representation of the ECML towards York would be tempting...

[Foulounoux]

As a BR Blue OO modeller

 

alternative 1 would be to do something with the BEMO RHb starter set I bought - I even have a plan

 

alternative 2 would be a model of my avatar- Chabanais in France either HO or maybe N very simple layout and with licence lots of traffic possibilities

 

 

 

Colin

 

 

 

[Talltim]

So many....

Killamarsh/Beighton area Junctions on the Midland 'Old Road'/GCR - 4mm (would be big tho!)

Southern Railway electric surburban services (1930s) - probably 4mm

WCML when they were using 2x50s on the trains - probably 4mm

Silvertown tramway in the 70s - probably 4mm

Chilean Transandean, when electrified and using Swiss built locos - H0

FC de Mexicano during the transition between double Fairlies and Baldwin electrics - H0

Montreux Oberland Bernois, any time upto the last few years - Om

Ashover Light Railway - in a large scale I think, possible live steam

WW1 trench railway - 0n2

etc etc ;-)

[signalmaintainer]

Two themes come immediately to mind. First, the Scottish coal revival in the Ayrshire coal fields circa very early 1990s, with Class 20s and Class 37s, is very intriguing. Probably in OO scale, although 7mm would be quite tempting. Backdating to the early 1960s, I could keep the same locale but operate Black 5s, Crabs, B17s, and perhaps Class 26s and Class 24s.

 

The other is much closer to home: Milwaukee Road circa late 1970s from Beverly, Washington, to Cedar Falls, Washington, over the Saddle Mountains and Cascade Mountains across Snoqualmie Pass. Lots of helpers (bankers), long trains, slow speeds, tall steel viaducts, and awesome mountain railroading. HO scale more than likely.

 

 

[Calnefoxile]

I currently model BR Blue through to Sectorisation, but have this urge to do something completely different, I then started to look locally and came with an idea to model the Calne Branch in N, I bought the relevant books and started the research at the local library and even discussed it with a couple of the lads at the club, but it stayed on the back burner and then a certain Steve Bedding started this http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php/topic/20164-2fs-smokey-bacon/ and so it will probably just stay an urge

 

Regards

 

Neal.

[The Stationmaster]

Alas all too many things could tempt me away from the Western Region (ideally with a dash of ex LNWR) in South Wales so i resolutely try to ignore them, but -

 

Some other bits of the Western in Wales have their attractions or even in the sou'west with a dash of SR to add a green flavour.

 

I like the ECML and Gresley pacifics but the real attraction on that side is the likes of the Rosedale branch or Stainmore although my family who worked on the NER were further south.

 

Beyond our little island either rural Franco-Italian border, Swiss narrow gauge (SBB variety I suspect as I do like the Brunig) or, really getting away, New South Wales steam era as I don't arf fancy those AD60 Garratts and there were lots of other attractive things around if the camera doesn't lie.

[Jamie]

Two themes come immediately to mind. First, the Scottish coal revival in the Ayrshire coal fields circa very early 1990s, with Class 20s and Class 37s, is very intriguing. Probably in OO scale, although 7mm would be quite tempting. Backdating to the early 1960s, I could keep the same locale but operate Black 5s, Crabs, B17s, and perhaps Class 26s and Class 24s.

 

 

A man of great taste evidently B) My two fave periods of the Sou'West, though I can only model the earlier one.

--

 

Me? If I'd space for a second layout I'd be thinking East Fife Coast, 1950s. All that ex-LNER stock and NBR architecture, like?

[Horsetan]

I did wonder what the chances of modelling present-day Chur or Interlaken Ost would be.....

[signalmaintainer]

A man of great taste evidently B) My two fave periods of the Sou'West, though I can only model the earlier one.

 

Is it space, time or an admirable refusal to allow Diseasels on your layout that keeps you adhering to the earlier period?

 

The earlier period is so tempting were I to obtain the space. My inspiration comes from an article published in Railway ca. 1990 or 1991 featuring several pages of Derek Cross photos. Double-headed Crabs, 4Fs on pick-up jobs from a colliery, and an impressive railway viaduct whose name escapes me at the moment (Erskine, perhaps?) What an amazing network of lines tucked into the area east of Ayr Harbour. Annbank Junction would have to be part of the layout!

[Gwiwer]

Blank sheet of paper and more or less unrestricted space? I'd do a three-tier layout set somewhere in the outer south of London which would have tube trains in a cut-away subsurface scene, SR electrics (late green / earliest blue era and with some late steam and inter-regional transfer freight) on the ground and with an elevated road scene incorporating red and green London buses of the period.

That much probably needs 00 to work in a reasonable space.

 

Midhurst or Eridge in O gauge at about the same time period would also be nice. I know the former was closed long before but with a third-rail on the Pulborough - Chichester line and steam or demu to Petersfield it could make a nice little country junction. 2BIL and 2H with an O2 fussing in the yard and a couple of Southdown buses parked up on the dirt???

[Jamie]

Is it space, time or an admirable refusal to allow Diseasels on your layout that keeps you adhering to the earlier period?

 

The earlier period is so tempting were I to obtain the space. My inspiration comes from an article published in Railway ca. 1990 or 1991 featuring several pages of Derek Cross photos. Double-headed Crabs, 4Fs on pick-up jobs from a colliery, and an impressive railway viaduct whose name escapes me at the moment (Erskine, perhaps?) What an amazing network of lines tucked into the area east of Ayr Harbour. Annbank Junction would have to be part of the layout!

 

Ah, my current modelling efforts are based south of the coalfield, still on GSW/Joint metals. I wouldn't have space to fit long rakes of minerals, whether 1960s or 1990s, and my own personal pedantry kicks in when it comes to putting 1990s stock on the Port Road.

 

Your viaduct would be the Enterkine Via., tall and slender sandstone piers supporting iron girders, a mile or two South/East of Annbank Jct. on what is now the Killoch branch.

[richard_t]

I think we've had this kind of thread before, but hey, it's nice to dream.

 

I'd do 2mm finescale - somewhere along the Settle & Carlisle and pre-grouping. Armathwaite springs to mind for operational reasons, but it doesn't have the scenery of the southern end of the line.

[definate maybe]

Good question, Ive never really taken interest in the railways away from these shores so it would have to be based in the UK.

 

Reading was always a favourite spotting day out for me and dad in the late 80/ early 90 period so that could be an interesting choice. Stone, Oil & freightliner. Loco hauled & Mk1 dmu loco's. HST's, parcels & southern units.

 

Alternatively, my home area of East Anglia in steam days. My dad worked at Ipswich Depot and done his apprenticeship at Statford, so possibly somewhere with a depot. Ipswich itself would be interesting but a very large size if you included depot, station & yard so maybe somewhere a bit smaller with holiday traffic like Walton on the Naze or Yarmouth.

[St. Simon]

Hi,

 

I would love to model the Modern Irish Railways with proper 4mm:ft 5ft 3inch track!

 

I was fasinated by the Irish Drivers eye views from Video 125, plus the beautifull model of the 141 from Bachmann. I've even got a Lima 201!

 

Simon

[signalmaintainer]

Your viaduct would be the Enterkine Via., tall and slender sandstone piers supporting iron girders, a mile or two South/East of Annbank Jct. on what is now the Killoch branch.

 

That's it, Jamie. Thank you!

[298]

 

The other is much closer to home: Milwaukee Road circa late 1970s from Beverly, Washington, to Cedar Falls, Washington, over the Saddle Mountains and Cascade Mountains across Snoqualmie Pass. Lots of helpers (bankers), long trains, slow speeds, tall steel viaducts, and awesome mountain railroading. HO scale more than likely.

 

Me too..!!, although i'd have to extend the western end to include Maple Valley (having stood on the tiles of the old Depot), and Renton (to include Houser St). Avery is also appealing and would allow me to run Little Joe's, but i'll worry about that when I win the lottery.