RadBen22

Thank you to the young lads at Trains4u that reserved me a Hornby Huntley and Palmers Peckett. They were even kind enough to give me a mince pie and a cupa tea. Thanks again

Having grown up long after steam existed on the main line, and the site of a diesel locomotive was almost just as rare, I guess it would make sense that my love of steam trains and model railways would be focussed on the preserved sector. As a child, I would be a regular visitor with family to my local steam railway, the Nene Valley, and on every holiday we went on we would visit other local steam railways. My layout first consisted of just a simple duel oval of track with the Mallard and a few other locos running around. However, by the time I was a teenager, the model railway had moved off the 5ft by 4ft board and into the loft. I tried to design a layout based on the very best of what I had seen. I took a lot of inspiration from the North Yorkshire Moors and Great Central lines as these were two railways we visited a lot. I knew my preserved railway would also take an LNER theme, although the best part of a preserved railway is this wouldn't stop me buying or running whatever I liked. I had no need to model a particular stretch of track or period in time. All I needed was a jumble of mixed up station buildings with a loose them like all preserved lines have, a collection of rolling stock including the all but essential mark 1s on all preserved lines, and then locomotives could be as I pleased. As long as those locomotives are preserved. I started out with a modest collection of the old favourites on all children's train sets, which at the time was exactly what it was. I had Mallard, a class 37, some old teak coaches and of course Flying Scotsman. I began acquiring other preserved locomotives from railway shows and steam galas I attended and also looked for ideal rolling stock. I particularly enjoy collecting locomotives which are attached to the National Railway Museum and with Hornby's range of RTR models from the NRM this gave me a good starting point. I was also to find some other locomotives which were in the standard Hornby and Bachmann range. Next I needed a name for the railway. To be honest I found this difficult and rather than calling it the something valley railway or something branch I simply called in the Great British Railway or GBR, as my inspiration has really come from days out on all preserved lines across Britain. With maybe some bias to the LNER being my home main line. The line runs between two fictional locations, Radville and Hornby's Scaleville (the name just stuck) with a branch line working between the railway works and my very own interpretation of the National Railway Museum. Having spent a considerable amount of time and effort collecting these locomotives and rolling stock I have now built my collection up such that I now own some 250 locomotives, steam and diesel as well as 8 different full rakes of coaches and over 250 wagons. I was originally satisfied with the range of locomotives in the RTR ranges of popular model companies, however I have since endeavoured to have made or made myself several one-off locomotives and coaches. All of which are preserved. There isn't really any logic to what I make or have made. As a preserved modeller I can pick and choose. So far some of the items include: -LMS Black 5 45305 Alderman A. E. Draper, which is based on the GCR and I have modelled as preserved -GWR Large Pannier 9466, owned by the 9466 group and again modelled as preserved -BR Standard 9F 92214 Central Star in BR green, this is also a GCR loco and modelled in its current form -LNER A4 4492 Dominion of New Zealand with double tender, this is how Bittern was some years ago (I have this also) -LNER K1 Lord of the Isles, Currently based at the NYMR -LNER B1 61264, Based on the NYMR -DELTIC 55019 Royal Highland Fusillier, maintained by the Deltic Preservation Society -Southern 34027 Taw Valley, based at the SVR and so the list goes on... I appreciate that for some this is not the same as modelling a period railway, however I think it gives a different perspective on what can be achieved and with the same rules of "modelling what you see" it is just as realistic and accurate as a railway based on 1950s Britain. I hope that in this blog I can share pictures of my preserved railway, what I have done so far and what I have planned for the future, as well as receive ideas and inspiration from others of a similar interest. Cheers

I am looking for anyone that can supply me with a spare handrail and hooks to my Bachmann class 20 D8000 and steps. These have sadly gone missing and it isn't something Bachmann do as a spare and I can't find a suitable donor on the web without paying silly money. I have attached a link of what I need taken from locomotion models. You can see the green side steps and polished handrails along the side of the loco Thanks in advance to anyone that can help. http://www.locomotionmodels.com/british-model-railways/oo-gauge-4mm/nrm-exclusive-editions-and-collection/bachmannnrm-exclusive-32-027nrm-class-20-d8000-br-green-ladder.htm

Well its been really interesting reading peoples comments on this topic. Personally I have modelled a preserved railway as this is what I have witnessed myself of steam. The layout is just as accurate as any 1960s period BR model railway. The same rules just have to be applied just in a modern setting. The railway has a "home fleet" of locomotives consisting of mainly LNER based locomotives and rolling stock similar to the NYMR including a rake of teaks and an ass preserved representation of 60007 as well as its support coach. The lines home fleet also includes some southern locomotives (Taw Valley), LMS locomotives (including 45305 alderman A E. Draper) and smaller industrial stock. I also have over 100 other locomotives which visit on special gala occasions by road or on the main line connection loop. Just like a railway which a 1960s purist for BR would insist on, all locomotives and rolling stock on the railway really are the preserved examples on real preserved lines and nothing else. I do not run locos which do not exist any more and those models I do have match exactly the liveries they are preserved in. For example 60163 Tornado is currently represented in BR blue with its support coach but as of next April when the real loco becomes Apple green so will the model I choose to use. I have also incorporated as part of my model railway a museum which acts as a fictitious out house to the NRM similar to Shildon. This includes a separate demonstration line where NRM locos (only those in steam at present in real life) can be seen pushing and pulling brake van rides much like at Shildon. This includes the replica rocket and 70013 Oliver Cromwell. The museum contains almost a complete collection of NRM stock in 00 gauge exactly as they are preserved. I was even able to replicate the great gathering in the museum thanks to Hornby's great gathering set. I also have had the NRMs very own 09 shunter in private NRM livery produced for shunting exhibits much as its done at York. The railway the majority of the time consists of regular 5 or 6 coach trains of non-matching stock with a variety of sized steam and diesel traction. I do have gala days including a diesel gala (again only with actual preserved diesel numbers) and a steam gala where higher profile locomotives such as duke of gloucester, city of truro or duchess of sutherland would visit to name but a few of many examples. I dont consider this playing trains as such as I do model based on an existing concept and stick to the same rules, all be it less restricting than BR, as current preserved lines. I thoroughly enjoy modelling this current period and like being able to represent in 00 what gives me such happiness in real life. If anything i think it has been hard to achieve this representation with such detail as I have had to model exactly what I see and be strict with changes currently in place in real life. For example 4771 green arrow was a fond choice of mine but will now be forever restricted to the museum until the real one steams again if i am to keep the realism going, As a rough gauge i would say my model railway is 6-8 months behind the real world and changes accordingly. Its fun watching the changes on real preserved rAilways and adopting mine accordingly. I am looking forward to running 6100 royal scot in BR green when it returns to steam next year as well as if im lucky 4472 which has now not ran since it was withdrawn in 2005. Yes my model is a kit of parts in the works too just as the real one is. Hope this was mildly interesting for you anyway. Thanks