'Period' modelling problems.

[BR60103]

I don't know how you operate your layout, but you could use time compression on it -- extreme compression of 3-4 years per session or weekend show.

Start with the 1953 stock running but by the end of the session have it all maroon.

(This from a fellow who defines his time period as "1829-1959")

[Bernard Lamb]

I hope not, I want about 40

 

 

But you must have a head start on most of us mere mortals with all the information that you have acumulated.

Bernard

[Pennine MC]

But you must have a head start on most of us mere mortals with all the information that you have acumulated.

 

 

Maybe

 

There is a blog item 'on the brew' Bernard, but until things stabilise a bit I'm not overkeen on doing any more work on it.

[Guest jim s-w]

Hi Larry

 

As others have said, while you wouldn't run the 2 together you can accelerate the timescale so that 1 day represents 10 years. To use an example familiar to me I would start with all blue diesels (late 70's) and end with Intercity, NSE and red Post office vehicles.

 

You dont have to run everything together do you? Or are there changes to the layout itself that would happen in that time? I am using 2 years during which quite a change happened to the stock, you wouldn't get a class 25 with red Post office stock for example.

 

Regards

 

Jim

[Russ (mines a pint)]

I think we all would manipulate time and history, I think the thing is to make it credible and believable it is a hobby after all, the 'its my trainset' rules are fine for some, but equally so is the reasoning and rationale in operating a line that has closed as if it hasn't been closed some years later, you transfer then what might of being happening pre/gouping to BR days or maybe steam to diesel, but on my experience of that you wouldnt substitute a J39 with a Deltic or a class 20 with an A4 - its the overall approach to things that counts!

[coachmann]

Having written and 'lived' the Oldham-Greenfield-Delph railway line for so many years makes is difficult to accept compromise that goes beyond the believable.

 

Because I do not own any Fowler 2-6-2Ts, the "truest" era for my layout is 1954-5 when the Ivatt 2-6-2Ts took over the push pull service. The date has a knock-on affect on the Standedge mainline through my station. Moving the date forward to 1957 (and keeping the branch open beyond 1955) to accomodate BR maroon livery should be possible without alienating too many other things.

 

Changing the year and stock on each session to gradually span 5-10 years is interesting but I cannot see me going down that route, but a 'funny hour' using off-the-shelf items is a definite possibility seeing as I spent so much time on the line photographing the Class 25s. 40, and 45s.

[Guest jim s-w]

Hi Larry

 

Sounds like you are left with just one option then, something has to go! The earlier period you mention sounds more interesting and unusual but thats just me.

 

Cheers

 

Jim

[coachmann]

Jim s-w said :

Sounds like you are left with just one option then, something has to go! The earlier period you mention sounds more interesting and unusual but thats just me.

After years of building ex-LMS coaches I blame the Gresley's! The latter looked neat in raw brass, neat in red oxide primer, neat in teak, but wishy-washy in blood & custard. IMO they certainly looked better in BR maroon livery, and this seems to be the same with models.

[Guest jim s-w]

Well yeah

 

I would expect that if they looked a bit odd in Blood and Custard then you would get the identical result in 4mm scale. Sorry if I missed it but is going earlier in time not an option? When did they get repainted from Teak?

 

Cheers

 

Jim

[coachmann]

From my observations and going off photos taken on the Standedge line, Gresley corridor coaches in teak were not a familiar sight by 1955. When maroon came in during 1956, the Gresley coaches with end doors seemed to be favoured with a repaint first. I travelled in shabby peeling blood & custard multi-door Gresleys from Man Exchange to North Wales in 1960 and I doubt if they ever got maroon. Maybe others on here have similar memories....?

[great northern]

Hi Larry,

 

Your dilemma sounds very familiar I have been struggling to answer the same problem for years. The '50's were a time of very rapid change in most areas, so staying within a restricted time frame will always bring up this sort of difficulty. From a personal point of view, I can only say that I finish up applying the "my train set" test. If I can stand seeing something which really should not be there, it stays. If not, it goes. I find though that as time passes I get more keen to do things correctly, so Deltics and MK1 pullmans have had to go, although I remember them well and like them too. I just could not in the end put up with the constant intrusion of the inner voice that kept reminding me that the Deltic now passing that B17 could never have done so in real life. Nor can I go the "funny train" route. I haven't the room to store all the ones I really need, let alone those I don't.

 

As to the painting of Gresleys, my recollection is that the end door stock got maroon first, as they still ran fairly regularly in main line trains. The earlier ones as I recall just got shabbier and shabbier in crimson and cream, and I suspect most went to their grave in that condition. I bet that plenty of the end door stock was still in crimson and cream well into 1959 if not later though.

[coachmann]

Thanks for your input greatnorthern, much appreciated.

 

Tonight I have three Gresleys freshly repainted in BR maroon. They look posh, so why am I depressed right now? Did I hear someone say 'oh no, he's chickened out'.....

 

If in tomorrow mornings light I cannot live with myself for moving the date away from 1954, you can call me a muppet for starting this thread in the first place and wasting everyone's time!

[coachmann]

Slept on it and decided blood & custard it is and circa 1953-55 will endure at Greenfield after all. Good day for re-spaying too!

[Oldddudders]

Tonight I have three Gresleys freshly repainted in BR maroon. They look posh, so why am I depressed right now? Did I hear someone say 'oh no, he's chickened out'.....

 

If in tomorrow mornings light I cannot live with myself for moving the date away from 1954, you can call me a muppet for starting this thread in the first place and wasting everyone's time!

IMHO, in your picture the b&cs look better than the maroons. I have recently invested in a 3-set of Hornby Maunsells in b&c for the same reason - they look lovely! - even though they are a bit late for my time-frame. As for the muppet thing - isn't that why we all congregate on here, to air our problems, our ideas and our solutions? Soul-searching by an experienced modeller is always reassuring for those of us more diffident about our skills and the direction we should be taking in layout and model design. In the days when I wrote investment submissions for a living, the input of others, even if it sometimes consisted of only a tiny detail here and there, always added value to my work and made me feel more comfortable because their contribution didn't rubbish mine. The sort of reasoned comments one often finds on RMWeb does just the same thing, and no-one should be afraid of seeking it.