I live not far away from the Forest, on the other bank of the Severn. I first went to the FoD mountain biking with my son, and hiking with his Scout troop. As a died-in-the-wool anti GWR/country branch line modeller for many years, the gritty industrial nature of the railway system in the forest environment was a revelation. I then came across Peter Smith's 'An Historical Survey of the Forst of Dean Railways'(OPC) and there was no excuse not to start modelling, helped along the way by the 'Severn and Wye Railway' series, and the Ben Ashworth books mentioned in earlier posts. What i find amazing is the scale of the enterprises in the Forest - like Cannop Colliery, where the biking centre now is, of which there is really no indication now, only 50 years or so after closure.
I am currently engaged in finishing off two small modules, which in theory fit together but in practice never have, due to space constraints at home. One is a 6x1 shelf, on which sits my version of Coleford S&W, called Colford, as it's not quite Coleford. The other is a 4x2 Whitcliffe Quarry, inspired by Whitecliff. Having just moved into semi-retirement, I am negotiating with the Home Secretary for the release of one of the (now absent) kids' bedrooms for modelling purposes. What's next? Speech House Road? Lydney Town and Tinplate Works? Coleford GWR to join onto Colford S&W? The possibilities are legion!
Rob Mills