Amberdale

[Andrew Young]

 

There was a time when visiting model shows I could be found rummaging through boxes of back issues of MRJ published before I had an appreciation of finescale modelling buying the copies containing articles which caught my eye. It was through this means that I first discovered Philip Harvey’s ‘Amberdale’ in MRJ 63. 

 

Here was a layout that had atmosphere in the same way as Ahearn’s ‘Madder Valley’. It was a slice of countryside with the railway running through it. Fully freelance, but completely believable. After gazing at the photos for some time it dawned on me that this superb layout was in actual fact oo gauge not EM or P4. Reading the text soon enlightened me that the depth of your flanges or the exact number of bolts to your chair does not correlate to atmosphere. 

 

MRJ 63 remains to this day probably my most thumbed issue. Much later on, ‘Ambledon’ at the head of the valley appeared in MRJ 269 in glorious colour to further inspire. 

 

A further passage of time ensued when I was looked at the ‘What’s New’ page on the Titfield Thunderbolt book emporium’s website and lo and behold there was a book on Amberdale published with a highly recommended précis by Mr Casten. An internet search found the publisher’s page with some images to further wet the appetite. 

 

Received a copy for my birthday earlier this month and promptly read it from cover to cover. If you’re a freelance modeller, whatever your scale, this book will inspire you. Highly recommended. 

[Ben Alder]

Thanks for the MRJ links - saved me some searching. I'll dig these out. I bought this book last week after a newspaper article and was bowled over by it. Shades of Madder Valley and Buckingham about it and a wonderful paean to a lifetimes work.

 

[Johnson044]

Oooh! Brilliant! Thanks so much for the tip- buying a copy now. Buckingham Great Central still a well thumbed favourite and - all sounds a bit like Craigshire too!

 

I'd never twigged that Ambledon was a follow on from Amberdale.