CKPR

There was a run of industrial loco drawings in the Railway Modeller between 1973-1977 IIRC

In my day job, I'm a psychologist researching both autism and the understanding of the real and un-real and I'm saying nowt...

Scale, gauge... scale, gauge...scale, gauge...oh dear, where has the rigour gone ?

Your words not mine !

At a certain specialist finescale show, oh, about nine months ago: A leading pre-group 'expert' - "Your Maryport & Carlisle engines, are they scratchbuilt ?" Me - "Ermm, yes" (resisting the temptation to say that they fell from the sky or were a very limited Bachmann issue) 'Expert' - "of course, you'll know that the M&CR lined it's engines don't you ?" (ignoring lined tenders and boiler bands) Me - "I know, I just haven't finished them yet" 'Expert' - "and ALL M&CR engines had numberplates but you've missed them off this one" (pointing to a model of M&CR No26) Me - " Well, No. 26 was the only one that didn't" 'Expert' - "Oh, I think you're wro...(big clear photo of said engine sans number plates silently pushed under nose of said expert)...anyway, what did you varnish them with ?" Me - "Johnson's Klear" 'Expert' - " Oh, you made a big mistake there, you should never ever use Klear on models, oh dear me, no" (that's me and several thousand aircraft modellers told, then) Me - "I'll bear that in mind. Did you bring any of your M****** Railway models for us to see ?" (at which point said expert starts talking to one of his mates and ignores my obviously feeble attempt at fine-scale pre-group modelling)

Giraffes - now there's something you don't see on many layouts these days !

There are references to road vans being used in West Cumbria by the M&CR, LNWR and the Caley. The only drawings I've ever seen are for the LNWR van as published in Cumbrian Railways [the CRA journal] a few years ago, which appears to be a standard van with vacuum brakes and larger coach wheels.

There is a 4mm kit available from Frogmore confederacy / Dart Castings - http://www.dartcastings.co.uk/frogmore/3943.php

I recall a photograph in the Railway Modeller c.1968-69 of a GWR Castle or King in a temporary pseudo-psychedelic livery with the caption saying that this had been done for a film. A one-off livery, a GWR engine, the end of steam, the 1960s - how come there isn't a groovy 'limited edition' (of 5000) model ?! And think what the DCC sound card would be like...

How about liveries that could have been but never were ? One day, I'll produce a Bachmann SECR mogul in Maryport & Carlisle colours to run on my 'Mealsgate' layout as the M&CR considered buying one of the surplus engines c.1920-21 but presumably though better of the idea. Actually, I think I'll probably emulate the M&CR in this regard...

There was a LOTR-themed layout featured in RM in 1978-79 IRRC

What about liveries for the pre-group mergers that never happended, such as the MR/GSWR or the NER/GNR/GER, or the alternative versions of the 'big four' that were considered and rejected ?

Or a "Sabden Treacle" wagon. These in jokes seemed to be quite widespread back in the 1950s-1960s to judge from the magazines of this period

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 layout 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' GWR BLT 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.