Maws

Having caught up with this thread, as a 'preservation modeller', I thought I would make a contribution to this interesting discussions. Some of my arguments will echo themes in the excellent comments of St Simon (28 August), The Black Hat (20 October) and PGN (10 November). This lengthy post is more of a critique of some of the reasons given against preservation modelling than explaining why there are so few (sorry its slightly OT)!

 

Firstly, I am ashamed to say that my still-temporary layout is hugely sub-par, mainly because it is basically an oval of track with many sidings (growing in number) and run round loop. It spends much of its time stored against a wall so all scenics and buildings are removable; i.e. its a rather overgrown trainset! (2500mm x 1250mm). It could be best described, in prototype terms, as a 'railway centre' with a mainline connection running off a (gated) spur in one corner.

 

However my 'magnum opus' (when I have the space/a place of my own) WILL be a fictitious preserved railway aiming to capture the scenic and operational character of some of the premier UK preserved railways. This is influenced by some very happy (if not all that regular) childhood visits, and later a little bit of volunteering, on the Bluebell Railway, and visits to the NYMR while on summer holidays in Yorkshire! The architecture will be based on (my local) GNR buildings of North London. It will have a mainline connection, with shared NR and heritage line station as a main station.

 

With this in mind, the detail and character of my current layout, and the content of my stock collection, builds towards this aim.

 

I will admit to running non-weathered stock. Most persevered locos are kept clean, except for a bit of road dirt and maybe some fading paint (45110 (SVR) at the end of its ticket and a Barrow hill is a prime example – clean but faded!). Yes rolling stock should have a coating of brake dust and assorted colouring below the sole bar in most cases, as well as different aged paint; I'm not confident enough to attempt this at present....

 

Run Anything? / Collecting Policy

I would question argument that preserved railways are an 'excuse to run anything'. If done thoughtfully, this does not have to be the case. Personally I will only buy preserved locos (or ones that can easily be renumbered with correct details). Similarly coaches and freight stock must have a preserved example and cannot be represented in numbers that exceed their total in preservation. I don't got to the lengths of renumbering rolling stock, although if repainting, will apply preserved number.

 

Such restrictions are a great way of holding spending in check (!), as much as sticking to any other particular region and era (for example, at present I have no Hornby Maunsell-liveried Maunsells – all the preserved examples are high-window examples, and Hornby's full width models are only represented in preservation by BCKs and CKs (so my research indicates)

 

Excuse to 'Plonk' RTR?

I would take issue with the proposition that 'preservation' is used an an excuse to plonk RTR models and run them. Part of my rolling stock fleet is a mainline charter rake, some of which is used in everyday 'branch' traffic, but occasionally formed into a 12 coach rake and going 'off scene' on a railtour. This follows the operating practices of the SRPS at Bo'ness. All 'mainline registered' Mk1s have had commonwealth bogies fitted, orange cantrail stripes, and OHL flashes, as well as appropriate end steps removed in most cases. Periscopes have been blanked off all Mk1 brakes. I've repainted a Mk2a TSO into SRPS Maroon livery as 5412 (but without SRPS branding), and have one (plus one pending) WCRC Maroon Mk1 Pullman FOs. OK the maroon pullmans are never (?) seen on preserved railways; this is a slight 'run anything' case, but is a compromise to provide open first accommodation.

 

Operational Interest

Clearly there's daily (or weekend) passenger traffic, Pullman lunch and dinner trains, demo freights, and the occasional photo charter. There's also shunting stored stock, and ensuring that vac-only and air-only stock are not shunted together, and are moved by appropriately fitted locos. Mainline formations are formed with a mk2 and/or non passenger mk1 at the ends.

 

In terms of locos, there's the need to ensure small locos are hauling appropriate loads, and are deployed in an operationally prototypical way (for example I won't be using my Well Tanks for winter passenger trains without an additional loco to provide steam heat!).

 

The modelling of a heritage-centre based mainline rake provides the opportunity to take stock 'off stage' on a regular basis, and have mainline or mainline heritage diesels coming on to provide charter haulage or insurance/ETH roles. Again, I would not say this is 'an excuse'; it is representative of prototypical operation.

 

Celebrity Locos

In terms number of celebrity locos, clearly unless you are modelling a specific line such as the excellent model produced by “The Bluebell Railway”, this can be a problem. As the owner of models of Mallard, The Scotsman, Tornado, Clan Line etc etc.... I can testify it can look ridiculous! The trick is clearly to ensure they are not all in use at once.

 

I would, however, question the real life rarity of such celebrity fleets. If one looks at recent-past and present allocations to some of the premier preserved railways, there are a high concentration of celebs: NYMR (Gresley, K1, 45767, Pocket Rocket, Blue Peter, 7F..) ELR (Lizzie, The Duke, 45407, 45871), GCR (30777, Cromwell, 63601, 60163), MHR (Bittern, Nelson, CanPac), SVR (60009, 61994, Taw Valley), and places like Tysley, Crewe, and Didcot.

 

 

Preservation Character

I would agree that the key to effectively modelling a preserved railway, be it real location or fictitious, is getting the character right. Given their contemporary nature, this should be comparable with any other modern image layout. I would critique the idea of a 'pastiche of a pastiche'. There is little that is 'pastiche' about the area behind the works at Sheffield Park (Bluebell) ('Atlantic House', boiler 'park', numerous shipping container stores, Loco Wheelsets, ex 92085 9F cylinders). Areas such as these are part of the 'modern-day heavy engineering' of railway preservation, and deserve to be captured in model form.

 

With this in mind, my present layout features a JCB for coaling locomotives (still looking for a decent forklift!), as well as Bachmann containers that are weathered/repainted/debranded sitting on sleepers behind my loco shed. The shed itself has 'restricted width' checker boards on, featuring maintenance pits and a separate ash disposal and boiler washout pit. I've converted Bachmann RU to use as a static kitchen, on accommodation bogie sitting on isolated track at the back of one platform. The 'kitchen' is served by a scratch build brick/wood ramp allowing supplies to be brought from 'carpark to coach'. This ramp is fenced with 'heritage fencing' (Ratio GWR, I think). The interior of the RU is fitted with a modern stainless steel kitchen and public buffet seating area. A Dapol kit West Country is 'awaiting overhaul' in a siding, chimney capped, greased motion, empty tender.. A dismembered kit Dapol 9F represents a loco undergoing restoration from scrapyard condition (tender all but complete boiler work needed!). Box shifter sales of RR/IC/NSE Mk1s provided an ideal opportunity to acquire coaches stored pending restoration, weathered, patch painted, the odd door swapped out with heritage painted one, roof sheeted over.

 

This is my few pounds worth. Thinking about it, I'm surprised there aren't more high quality preserved railways modelled, especially by us young(er) folk who don't remember steam. One day I hope to properly make my contribution in this area!

sorry for quoting the whole post G-BOAF. Can we see your layout, it sounds really interesting! I think the preserved setting offers a really interesting subject when it's as well thought out as this.