2mm Andy Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 As mentioned on the 2mm workbench thread, I have recently acquired this layout which was built by the late Ray Fricker. The layout depicts a branch line terminus on the Great Eastern Railway around the turn of the century and although the layout is essentially freelance, several of the buildings are based on prototype structures from various locations. Following Ray's death in 2007, the layout was stored by his brother in the loft of his house. The boards were well-protected with custom covers and the scenic sections are generally in very good condition but it appears that both the legs and lighting system were mislaid. The locos and stock that Ray built are still with his family as mementos of a highly skilled modeller but they felt that the layout would have a better future by being used and exhibited, which is how I came to acquire it. As my 2mm modelling is mainly based around the 1950s and early 60s I will look to carefully bring the layout forward in time to represent this period. The main changes will be to replace the period figures and road vehicles with 1950s equivalents as well as minor cosmetic alterations to the buildings. New legs and a lighting system will also be required. At present the main baseboard (6'6" in length) is stored at my parents house, but I hope to bring it up to York in a few weeks time. The fiddle yard, which is laid with brass strip track (similar to that used on the non-scenic sections of Copenhagen Fields) is being cleaned and refurbished. The photos below were taken when we unpacked the layout just after collecting it last Sunday. The first train was an inspection saloon special hauled by a class 24 diesel loco! And one final photo showing the fiddle yard track cleaning in progress. The traintable includes an ingenious mechanism which ensures the track is accurately aligned and which also feeds electrical power to the correct track. Huge thanks to Julia who very kindly offered the use of her campervan to help move the layout - I would really have struggled without this! As work progresses on the layout I hope to keep this thread updated with progress. Now i'd better get back to building stock for it! If anyone has any memories or photos of this layout from when Ray exhibited it I would be very interested. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
justin1985 Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 A stunning, truly top notch layout, and great to see it back in use! If those turn of the century details are coming off, I'd be happy to offer them a home on my GER Cockfield layout (currently bare boards) Justin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armchair Modeller Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 I was very impressed with the sheer quality of the modelling on this layout when I first saw it - maybe at a 2mm Expo? Everything seemed just "right". Glad it has a new home and is preserved for the future. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckjumper Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Fantastic stuff Andy! The photos in MRJ 99 really captured the GER ambience and since then it's remained one of my favourite 2mm layouts. I was lucky enough to catch it at the Royston show around about the time it was in the Journal (late 1997) where it was tucked away in one of the back rooms, but modelling-wise it stood head and shoulders above anything else there that day. Huge regrets that I forgot to take my camera with me. Slight tinge of sadness that it'll no longer be pre-Group, but more than compensated for by the fact that it'll be a working layout again, and as the 1950s is my second favoured period I won't be holding that against you Edited for misplaced decade(!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted March 8, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 8, 2013 Ray and Denys Brownlee were good friends, I know Denys gave him a lot of help and advice when he moved down from 7mm to 2mm. That train table is very much like the one on Denys's Burnham which also had an ingenious alignment mechanism though I don't think the one on Saxted had a mains motor!! Jerry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted March 8, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 8, 2013 Hello Andy What a lovely layout. It's great that you have acquired it so it isn't lost. cheers Ben A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
2mm Andy Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share Posted March 8, 2013 A stunning, truly top notch layout, and great to see it back in use! If those turn of the century details are coming off, I'd be happy to offer them a home on my GER Cockfield layout (currently bare boards) Justin Thanks Justin. I'll bear your offer in mind when I get to altering the details. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
2mm Andy Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share Posted March 8, 2013 Fantastic stuff Andy! The photos in MRJ 99 really captured the GER ambience and since then it's remained one of my favourite 2mm layouts. I was lucky enough to catch it at the Royston show around about the time it was in the Journal (late 1997) where it was tucked away in one of the back rooms, but modelling-wise it stood head and shoulders above anything else there that day. Huge regrets that I forgot to take my camera with me. Slight tinge of sadness that it'll no longer be pre-Group, but more than compensated for by the fact that it'll be a working layout again, and as the 1950s is my second favoured period I won't be holding that against you Edited for misplaced decade(!) Hi Adrian, That's interesting - one of the exhibition badges on the fiddle yard fascia is for best layout at the 1997 Royston show (the others are for the 2000 De Havilland show and the 1998 St Albans show). My intention is to alter the scenic section of the layout as little as possible, and any modifications I do make will aim to be reversible, so if someone else takes the layout on in the future it should be capable of being returned to a pre-grouping era. Having said that, the absence of legs and lighting has given me the opportunity to consider improving the presentation of the layout. I am smartening-up the fiddle yard at the moment as the mdf/plywood is looking rather grubby and tired, so it will get a coat of paint or fablon to make it look a bit neater (and easier to keep clean). Ray and Denys Brownlee were good friends, I know Denys gave him a lot of help and advice when he moved down from 7mm to 2mm. That train table is very much like the one on Denys's Burnham which also had an ingenious alignment mechanism though I don't think the one on Saxted had a mains motor!! Jerry Hi Jerry, No mains power I'm relieved to say! (although the loco turntable in the scenic area is powered by a Faulhaber coreless motor and two worm reduction gearboxes) I'll try and photograph the underside of the layout when I get it set up - the electrics and mechanics are interesting and very well engineered. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 I've always found Saxted to be quite an inspirational layout; I remember reading the article over and over again when I was about sixteen and dabbling in two mil' FS. Hopefully I'll get to see it last at a show Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scanman Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 Andy - Congratulations on taking the layout on, and particularly to Ray's next of kin for passing it over. Too often excellent layouts are left to rot or worse still thrown on the bonfire, by relatives with little knowledge or regard for the time & effort put in to such excellent modelling. If you are intending showing it in public, I look forward to seeing it on the exhibition circuit. Regards Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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