Older Inspirational Layouts

[Pete 75C]

Mentioned before, but I've always been a huge fan of the 70s/80s work of Ian Futers in 4mm. The original "Lochside" in Railway Modeller was probably the catalyst, and I haven't stopped butchering plywood and burning my fingers with a soldering iron since...

[dunwurken]

As well the work of Peter Denny, P.D.Hancock and Iain Rice [just realised how much of my railway modelling library is writtten by this trio!], I would add:

• Porthleaven (Dave Howsham) in a 1967 RM -if I ever model a GWR BLT, it'll probably look like this ! (I know, never model a model...)
• Garve & Ullapool (H.Orbach) in a 1976 RM, a HR layour built in the USA
• Kelvedon & Tollesbury (R.Holme ?) in the following edition of the RM in 1976, a rather impressionistic version of the K&T that was nevertheless very atmospheric
• Tideswell (Bill Hudson) - I saw this at either York or Harrogate in the late 1970s and made me saw up my teenage 6'x4' to try to make a Midland BLT (I failed)
• Millport & Selfield (Bill Tate) - .this essentially pre-war standard O gauge NER layout featured in RM and MRN/MR in the 1960s and 1970s and it still seems to evoke the atmosphere of the pre-war railway, despite the rather basic standard of modelling 
• Castle Rackrent (Richard Chown)  - in RM, MRN/MR  and MRJ over the past 36 years 

There's definitely something about models of railway systems with trains actually travelling between stations in a believable manner that I like but which very few layouts seem to feature these days. There's also something about layouts not looking out of the box that inspires me. Of more recent models, I've always liked Ian Futer's 4mm models and Tom Harland's Bramblewick and I recall seeing a fantastic 1970's goods yard and canal wharf at the MMRS show a few years ago, which I think was subsequently featured in MRJ. It's definitely atmosphere that attracts me to a model and rivet-counting perfection for its own sake leaves me cold.

With the exception of Castle Rackrent I cannot say whether or not any of the layouts still exist.  However I can confirm both Richard Chown and Castle Rackrent are still with us and a little bird tells me that Castle Rackrent could be at the Perth MRC show in June 2014 celebrating 40 years since its first exhibition.

Malcolm

[Horizontal]

I still love 'Fisher Street to Victoria Bridge'. It was in the April 1985 RM, it's apparently only 7' 6" by 7' 6" but fits so much in, whilst looking great. Main line diesels and electrics, carriage shed, washer road, scratchbuilt catenary and even details like sand drags.

It was built by Ian Blackburn, which I assume is the gentleman who built the Rhydwyn Fawr steelworks layout featured recently in RM.

Correct - It is indeed me - RHYDWYN FAWR follows the same concept as FISHER STREET/VICTORIA BRIDGE - I rebuilt that layout in 0 scale, complete with a working interlocking signal lever frame (RM Dec1988), before emigrating my modelling to the North-West Australian Iron-Ore scene in the garden - This returned to more obscure British Scenes, such as the London Underground in 00 scale, and now the Steel Industry in 0 scale - I am also starting a permanent indoor 0 scale indoor layout depicting the Bournemouth Electrification in 1967

 

:-)

Edited November 25, 2013 by Horizontal

[uax6]

Your lever frame was the source of much burnt skin when I was young as i tried to replicate it, but it was way beyond my skills as a 1o year old!

 

One day I will get round to building it!

 

Andy G

[Del]

I do remember seeing the O-gauge 'Fisher Street' in RM, but seem to remember it was a very brief article, with only a couple of photos? I still can't work out how you managed to get that OO version into that space!

[Horizontal]

I do remember seeing the O-gauge 'Fisher Street' in RM, but seem to remember it was a very brief article, with only a couple of photos? I still can't work out how you managed to get that OO version into that space!

Yes, it was never finished in 0 scale - I built the track, pointwork, and signalling in a purpose-built out-building. I also built 2 EM1s, 1 EM2, and 'TOMMY'. The building was soon commandeered for a photographic studio in connection with my then new photographic business, and at the same time my interest in the British Scene 'got up and went' - The next 25 years were spent modelling HAMERSLEY IRON and MOUNT NEWMAN in the garden Edited November 25, 2013 by Horizontal

[Horizontal]

Your lever frame was the source of much burnt skin when I was young as i tried to replicate it, but it was way beyond my skills as a 1o year old!

 

One day I will get round to building it!

 

Andy G

What on earth did you use for glue? - BTW Have you still got the mag?

 

:-)

[Horizontal]

Yes, it was never finished in 0 scale - I built the track, pointwork, and signalling in a purpose-built out-building. I also built 2 EM1s, 1 EM2, and 'TOMMY'. The building was soon commandeered for a photographic studio in connection with my then new photographic business, and at the same time my interest in the British Scene 'got up and went' - The next 25 years were spent modelling HAMERSLEY IRON and MOUNT NEWMAN in the garden

''All done with careful measurements and tight radii (18in)

 

:-)

[uax6]

What on earth did you use for glue? - BTW Have you still got the mag?

 

:-)

I was trying to solder up the levers and the quadrant....

 

I have got a scan of the article filed away for later use...

 

Have you still got the frame?

 

Andy G

[Horizontal]

I was trying to solder up the levers and the quadrant....

 

I have got a scan of the article filed away for later use...

 

Have you still got the frame?

 

Andy G

'Afraid not - I lent it someone on the railway who wanted to use it for demonstration purposes. I never got it back. >:-(

 

:-)

[uax6]

Shame, It was a nice looking frame.

 

Andy G

[Jim76]

Two layouts for me that got me wanting to exhibit.

 

Steve Flint's Kyle of Tongue and the other I think was called "Witton". It was a Southern Region EMU terminus with an oil siding behind it. Very simple trackplan that inspired Bryford Road.

 

Cheers,

Mick

Mick,

 

I must concur with your comments - yes it was Witton which I first saw at the MMRS exhibition in 1984, followed by Kyle of Tongue back in 1985. What struck me about both of these layouts and in turn Bryford Road was their pure simplicity and absolute realism portrayed. These layouts together with the seminal Fisher Street - Victoria Bridge still inspire me to this day. Jim

[St Enodoc]

Mike made the nose ends of his Deltic out of carved lead. With two motors and flywheels it could pull anything and was used on teh then Leeds Club Layout Leeds Victoria - Dewsbury Midland - Bradford London Road - which was huge and was very inspirational for me.  (it made me realise that you need power to pull decent(12 plus coach) trains

 

Over the years there are so many Layouts which have inspired me - luckily I still get chance to play with Herculaneum Dock, Cwmafon, Denroyd and Bob Harpers 0n2 and 0n3 layouts.

 

Ian Futers with his many smaller station based layouts first got me going as did Nempnet Thrubwell from the Yatton Group. Mike Cooks layouts showed me how to run a layout to timetable...  Lots of layouts with lots of inspiration - Ditchling Green, Aberfeldy and the layouts built by Alan Smith - from Lydney (which just GREW) through to his latest 3mm modelling - including Everingham and its latest revisions.

You forgot to mention Brent...

 

Leeds Victoria etc. was a great layout to operate especially in its final form. Remember Steve Noble spending hours on the goods yard? And my Lima King creeping into the turntable pit?

[St Enodoc]

This thread is taking its toll - makes me feel a lot older than I feel.....

 

Great layouts, great layout builders/operators.

 

I mentioned the Leeds MRS layout from many years ago - Leeds Victoria - Dewsbury Midland - Bradford London Road and recently came across a picture of the pre Arthur Whitehead and pre Manchester MRS versions of Dewsbury - a shot taken in the Corn Exchange - no drapes or fire curtains- corrugated cardboard to cover the layout legs etc! Note Mike Cole's Class 50 in Dewsbury  - two motors - loads of lead and lots of grunt!

 

Desbury Midland.jpg

Aarrgh! Looks like me at the controls 

[St Enodoc]

Mick,

 

I must concur with your comments - yes it was Witton which I first saw at the MMRS exhibition in 1984, followed by Kyle of Tongue back in 1985. What struck me about both of these layouts and in turn Bryford Road was their pure simplicity and absolute realism portrayed. These layouts together with the seminal Fisher Street - Victoria Bridge still inspire me to this day. Jim

Witton was built by Terry Onslow of Swindon and was a successor layout to Trefolwen (affectionately but irreverently known as Treefelldown). Terry was (is? haven't seen him for years) a professional photographer and we hatched the idea of burying an electronic flash unit next to the level crossing so that the shoes on the electrics would arc as they ran off the juice rail. Yes, railway modelling is fun.

[5050]

Witton was built by Terry Onslow of Swindon and was a successor layout to Trefolwen (affectionately but irreverently known as Treefelldown). Terry was (is? haven't seen him for years) a professional photographer and we hatched the idea of burying an electronic flash unit next to the level crossing so that the shoes on the electrics would arc as they ran off the juice rail. Yes, railway modelling is fun.

I vaguely recollect possibly seeing one of these layouts at York (?) complete with a computer screen showing the timetable?  If it is, then this was the first time I saw this sort of thing in use.

 

It'll never catch on.........................

[Barry O]

witton did have some form of electronic display as far as I remember.

[New Haven Neil]

That name puts me in mind of Winton....memories of the 'Silver Jubilee' train being held by hand in the fiddle yard to get the revs up for the 100mph dash through the station, with sound track!  One of the very few LNER layouts on the circuit back then.  Also feeling old.....

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

Ah, I remember Winton - in a seminal issue of the Railway Modeller some time in 1977, along with Rewley Road - another of my favourite old time layouts.  I think the Silver Jubilee featured on the cover, and the article was mainly about the use of the timetable and train announcements system?

[Barry O]

Winton - with sound track at York ... "the fastest train in the west!!"  What a layout and i was fortunate to operate it at John Pomroy's home while I lived in Didcot. He was a great guy and the layout worked very well with fully interlocked signals and points....

 

So we could mention (of a similar era)

 

Rewley Road - Oxford MRC

Wyndlesham Cove - Barry Norman

Highworth to Hannington - Dave Peacey

Sinnington - Mike Cook ( and most of his GWR layouts)

Alberfeldy - Dave Walker

Nemnetthrubwell - yatton Junction Group

 

and of course there was also lots of layouts from Ian Futers, Burdale from Grimsby MRS etc.. that was a long time ago.....

[Barry O]

Ah, I remember Winton - in a seminal issue of the Railway Modeller some time in 1977, along with Rewley Road - another of my favourite old time layouts.  I think the Silver Jubilee featured on the cover, and the article was mainly about the use of the timetable and train announcements system?

Yes both layouts used recorded train announcements.

 

Rewley Road travelled Britain in a collection of Austin Maxis.   .... remember them? And it still exists.

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

Rewley Road is safe and sound at Quainton... I loved it because it was a)a prototypical terminus b)not just a weeny blt c)pre-grouping stock d)operated authentically

 

 

 

 

(Images shamelessly pilfered off the internet, because it's one of my favourite railway models from when I were a lad...)

[5050]

That name puts me in mind of Winton....memories of the 'Silver Jubilee' train being held by hand in the fiddle yard to get the revs up for the 100mph dash through the station, with sound track!  One of the very few LNER layouts on the circuit back then.  Also feeling old.....

Ooo yes, I remember that!  I also have a feeling that - just once or twice - the inevitable happened and the 'held back' train was let go only for something to derail before it got to the other end where it was normally caught by someone who was also good at wicket keeping.  The resulting carnage was impressive.

 

Didn't happen often.

 

Thankfully.

 

Someone will now reply that it never ever happened.

[Barry O]

I recognise some of the gents behind the layout!

 

It was good to drive - and the tsock used covered a wide range of that seen at Rewley Road in real life including the 3 car streamlined dmu set.

[Barry O]

Ooo yes, I remember that!  I also have a feeling that - just once or twice - the inevitable happened and the 'held back' train was let go only for something to derail before it got to the other end where it was normally caught by someone who was also good at wicket keeping.  The resulting carnage was impressive.

 

Didn't happen often.

 

Thankfully.

 

Someone will now reply that it never ever happened.

Of course it did - and when "at home" I was fortunate to be present when John let loose and Anniversary (50th?) of the real thing without letting anyone other than me know - fair rocketed round the layout...