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clecklewyke

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I was delighted to see that Buckingham Great Central is being restored and preserved in new ownership and surprised to discover the web site for Gainsborough MRC's East Coast system, which still has open days for visitors. I once discovered Gainsborough MRC's home by chance - but on a day when it was closed...

 

But how many other classic layouts survive?

 

I am thinking of the really long-lived, truly influential ones, such as Crewchester, the Sherwood Section etc. I know that Torreyford, despite Iain Rice's manful efforts, succumbed but do, for instance, David Jenkinson's EM gauge Garsdale Road or O gauge Kendal still have a home somewhere?

 

Ian

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Borchester Market, which I would put in that category, is still with us and on the exhibition circuit. Then there is Madder Valley at Pendon. Would High Dyke qualify? If so, that was up for sale recently although I don't know what state it was in!

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Bromford & High Peak still exists but in pieces stored in an air conditioned container, it may well emerge in the next couple of years as I understand plans are afoot to put it on display.

It was Colonel R J Hoares O gauge layout. The stock however was dispersed in the 90's.

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I seem to recall seeing Heckmondwike at the National Railway Museum a few years back.

 

Is it based there permanently, or was it just on temporary loan?

 

Heckmodwike was a fixture at the NRM for many years but I believe it was "retired" and replaced by an 0 gauge layout incorporating David Jenkinson's first version of Kendal some years ago. It would be interesting to know what happened to the excellent buildings, signals etc on Heckmondwike.

 

I would love to see Borchester Market. Frank Dyer was an excellent modeler apart from a peculiar blind spot regarding couplings, and a brilliantly inspiring writer. My copy of Model Railways which features Borchester Market is worn to shreds!

 

Ian

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I seem to recall seeing Heckmondwike at the National Railway Museum a few years back.

 

Is it based there permanently, or was it just on temporary loan?

 

i beleive Heckmodndwyke us there permanently as is the pioneering 2mm layout Inversneckie and Drambuie discussed recently in the 2mm Finescale forum. Does the NRM have any others I wonder?

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I know it isn't a layout, but the annex at the side (is it called "The Works?") has the most fantastic collection of 7mm scale LNWR locos and rolling stock.

When I was last there I spoke to one of the curators who said (IIRC) that the maker of these models built them to an unusual Gauge, so were unlikely to ever be run. Beautifully made nontheless. Worth going into the area as part of one of the conducted tours.

Otf topic, but they also have an 0 Gauge tinplate(?)/ Bassett-Lowke(?) layout demonstrating the principles of signalling which was demonstrating the day I was there.

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Now I know it's probably a non-starter, as the nation & everywhere / everyone is skint - but what about a national model railway museum - somewhere such classic layouts could be donated, and exhibited for us all & future generations. Certain suitable layouts could be loaned to various exhibitions, as does the NRM with locomotives. What is needed is a large building in a suitable location, perhaps on an existing museum / preserved railway site. A large old goods warehouse would have been ideal, sadly most are now gone.

 

Perhaps the major manufacturers could be involved in sponsorship, etc.

 

Yes, I know it won't happen, but it would be nice, and a great showcase & asset to the hobby.

 

Brit15

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i beleive Heckmodndwyke us there permanently as is the pioneering 2mm layout Inversneckie and Drambuie discussed recently in the 2mm Finescale forum. Does the NRM have any others I wonder?

 

Heckmondwike was returned to the Scalefour North London Group according to their website;

 

http://www.scalefour.org/areagroups/nlg.html

 

Chiltern Green & luton Hoo the Model Railway Club 2mm masterpiece I think ended up at Oakworth Manor not too sure it is still there or not?

 

David

 

I believe it is now housed at the Devon Railway Centre - certainly one of the photos on their website looks very much like it, and I seem to recall a report of some stock being stolen off the layout some time ago.

 

http://www.devonrailwaycentre.co.uk/model-railways.html

 

Andy

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I wonder what happened to the Aire Valley line?

And if any of The Craig and Mertonford still survives?

 

Stock from both survive in the care of the 009 Society and can often be seen in their display case at shows.

 

Another classic 009 layout, Dick Wyatt's Dovey Valley Railway is also still exhibited occasionally after 30+ years

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As we are talking about classic layouts, as opposed to those recently built and only just left the exhibition circuit, how about Llanstr - a very old layout that is occasionally still seen.

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Now I know it's probably a non-starter, as the nation & everywhere / everyone is skint - but what about a national model railway museum - somewhere such classic layouts could be donated, and exhibited for us all & future generations. Certain suitable layouts could be loaned to various exhibitions, as does the NRM with locomotives. What is needed is a large building in a suitable location, perhaps on an existing museum / preserved railway site. A large old goods warehouse would have been ideal, sadly most are now gone.

 

Perhaps the major manufacturers could be involved in sponsorship, etc.

 

Yes, I know it won't happen, but it would be nice, and a great showcase & asset to the hobby.

 

Brit15

 

This one has come up before, more than once. Iain Rice, Martin Brent and people from Watford club had a real campaign going in the 1990s but it came to nothing. The reason being the sheer amount of logistics involved. Such as:

 

1. Location.

2. Who decides which layouts qualify?

3. Who looks after them?

4. Are they operated or 'stuffed'?

5. Who pays? (The outlay will be substantial and I doubt the manufacturers could/would foot the bill.)

 

steve

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Yup, Plemsworth CLC is one for definite...

 

There doesn't seem to be a list of the layouts the HMRS have at their HQ. However they do include

Dewsbury Goods

Elmwell Village

Skipley

http://hmrs.org.uk/m...CentreGuide.pdf

 

The Centre is open ON A WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY from 10am until 3.00pm. Please check with us before travelling especially on a Friday.

 

Paul Bartlett

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Borchaester Market is certainly on the exhibition circuit, I saw it at Railex last year (or was it two years ago - memory failure!).

 

Likewise, Leighton Buzzard (part of Buckingham) is doing the exhibition circuit as a mobile tribute to the work of Peter Denny and can be seen at Alexandra Palace this weekend.

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One of my main layouts from which I drew inspiration as a youngster was Mac Pyrke's S&D layout "Berrow". This appeared in RM on several occasions over a period of 7/8 years I guess. Does anyone have any ideas what happened to this lovely layout?

 

Best to all

 

exmoordave

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When I was last there I spoke to one of the curators who said (IIRC) that the maker of these models built them to an unusual Gauge, so were unlikely to ever be run. Beautifully made nontheless. Worth going into the area as part of one of the conducted tours.

Otf topic, but they also have an 0 Gauge tinplate(?)/ Bassett-Lowke(?) layout demonstrating the principles of signalling which was demonstrating the day I was there.

When I was last there I spoke to one of the curators who said (IIRC) that the maker of these models built them to an unusual Gauge, so were unlikely to ever be run. Beautifully made nontheless. Worth going into the area as part of one of the conducted tours.

Otf topic, but they also have an 0 Gauge tinplate(?)/ Bassett-Lowke(?) layout demonstrating the principles of signalling which was demonstrating the day I was there.

 

Is that the Jim Richard's collection? ISTR there was an article about him in Modellers Backtrack, where it mentioned he started building the models in 1950 on 33mm gauge, presumably an early incarnation of Scaleseven.

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I think Berrow was in one of the mags recently, still in existence!

 

ISTR an announcement in RM some time ago that Heckmondwike was judged to have deteriorated beyond economic repair and had been scrapped.

 

Several of the C&M locos & stock still exist in the care of Rod Allcock. Some of the buildings survived in PDH's possession up to his death and he even used some as background buildings in the 7mm version of the C&M he started at his bungalow.

 

The 009 Society owns some of the stock from Stroanlachar (sp?).

 

The Conway Valley Railway Museum has several of Jack Nelson's LNWR dioramas.

 

Chitlern Green/Luton Hoo is at the Devon Railway Centre but alas split lengthwise in order to fit inside a railway carriage!

 

And of course Dave & Shirley Rowe's Catalunya has been at Pecorama for many years.

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Is that the Jim Richard's collection? ISTR there was an article about him in Modellers Backtrack, where it mentioned he started building the models in 1950 on 33mm gauge, presumably an early incarnation of Scaleseven.

 

... and a lesson for all of us whom are ageing (which is 100% of the membership). Planning to model Llandudno Junction, he did all the research and then was still building the stock when he died .......... not young but in his 90s. The layout I believe was unstarted - presumably he believed in re-incarnation and a young person will turn up at the NRM in 2025 and ask for his/her models back. :swoon:

 

Paul Bartlett

No offence intended

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