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Model Rail issue 322 has some workshop content that might come in handy, and it’s crammed with all sorts of scenic cover tips from George dent, Peter Marriot and Chris Nevard.

Ditchling Green!   haven’t seen that for a while.

Craig has done the Cardiff show with the Artist’s valley display.  Chris Nevard/Model Rail Magazine

Minster 3D section in colour.

This is today’s view over the York to Scarborough line as it passes Huttons Ambo, and so we’ll be doing this as it was in the 50s, and including a scenic break at the R.H.end

Side by side mapping wil help us to plot this out and turn back the clock.

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A backdrop for one of Neil’s commissions, with docks and cranes

A lucky photo of Beachy Head, without the crowds of fans obscuring it!.

The GCR 6 wheeled carriages have arrived from Hattons and I have reserved a few of the new generic bogie carriages in gcr appearance as well, these are similar the the Parker stock that was seen in the early years on the London extension, so they will do very nicely for now.. the lightly loaded trains of the period were often only five or six carriages with an occasional six wheeled brake in the rake,

Just the beginnings of the model, with the ally panels starting to go in. The curved baseboard cutout in the foreground will allow for a steep slope down to a lake!

The first element of the 3D backscene has been placed into the contouring , and will be visible in many of the photos of the ‘Blue loader”. These are the offices and garages at Sandaoling, and there are quite a few more vehicles to be included here, such as 10 wheeled tipper trucks from 3D printed kits.

Brass footbridge is the last job, and it’s taking shape. Paul Woodward.

Pannier engine with local passenger train. Paul Woodward.

Latest addition to Kingswear engines, all done with P4 chassis etc by Paul.

B/W study of Carlton House and Fore St dwellings.

Royal Dart Hotel, with bay verandas.

Great view over Higher ferry. Neil Podbery

A view over the junction to distance, but with the completed foreground visible. The old wooden P-way hut is by the footpath on the nearside of the lines, and the allotments appear just beyond the railway. The electricity substation for Wharf Lane and the local residential roads can be seen behind the safety fencing, between the houses, just to the right of centre. Neil Podbery

Overall view with Brian Lewis’s platform shelter, Karl Crowther’s yard crane on this side of the line, and the Wharf Lane allotments and house backs to left. The Royalty cinema and Parade shops are there, with the platform canopy and goods shed to the right. Neil Podbery.

Autumn leaves and some of the bigger trees obscuring the view looking North West towards Well End.
A rake of carmine and cream carriages rests in the interchange sidings adjacent to Thornbie House. Neil Podbery

Looking North East, to where the new industrial estate would be in a few years time. The Telephone exchange building is still there, and we found an ideal post office telephone van to park outside, The phone vans were green instead of the letter delivery vans that had the current livery of pillar box red. Neil Podbery.

Station garage and fruit shop in the foreground, with the level crossing gates closed for an approaching train. Neil Podbery.

David Lane kindly sent us a set of black & white reference photos from the correct period, and one of then showed the advertising posters mounted onto the gable end of the old goods shed. We managed to reproduce these in colour, and here is the visual provided to us by Julia Roblett.

Items of scrap metal, thrown down by the Jackson’s yard entrance gate for collection. Neil Podbery.

Grass paddock, with the footpath going behind the hedge. This area hadn’t been developed in ’55, although there were houses and gardens behind this viewpoint . Neil Podbery

One of the benefits of good reference is the information to add character to a model, in this case from another one of David Lane’s handy black & white pics of the goods yard. It shows an old car, with a tarp thrown over it, by the weighbridge office. A row of tank wagons and covered vans are in the siding in the background. Neil Podbery

The side wall of the Joinery shop. with rusty corrugated boundary fence. Neil Podbery

Small Prairie engine shunting, with the footpath, and the ground signal, and point lever for Jackson’s siding in foreground.  The now vanished house backs by Richard Ellis, are behind the line.  Neil Podbery

The shunting engine at the point to Jeckson’s siding, with the Phone exchange, and the houses on the corner of Highfield Road behind. Neil Podbery

This aspect of the layout needs to look N,E, and so we have a view over the rooftops towards the Minster. The river is in the foreground at this point.

This is how it appears now, showing the right hand side of the curved corner panel, with some old carriages included in the foreground for scale. The centre tower resembles the nearby oratory and a good many of the other buildings are representative of those between the Minster and the station. Although the line to Scarborough actually went round behind the Minster, we couldn’t really leave it out as it’s too prominent in the reference pictures.

Further to the left, the roof tops looking out towards the Minster which stands above the skyline..

Looking to the left this time, we’ll need to adapt this townscape into the municipal housing that runs behind the river bridge, but there are some obstacles for me to work round at this point, so I’ll need to do another trial fitting before I can crack on fully with the rear panel towards the left hand of this point.

Sticking my fingers together!  The Minster corner piece is rested in place, and I can now work on the panels to either side. Giles Baxter

This is the skyline N to NE from 40m camera height, and there is quite a bit of info. Leppington on the R.H. end seems to be the highest, but I was surprised at how flat it came out. The far distance will appear on the final ally panel, but in very de-saturated colours. The main thing is the Minster and how it breaks the skyline so dramatically.

The panel depth varies from about 20mm at its left hand end, to about 200mm in the centre with the MInster, and then continues to allow progressively more depth futher to the right.

Satellite view showing Holgate bridge, with St Pauls to the left. It’s a good opportunity for the southern scenic break, and it appeared in loads od photos as a bonus.

This Lidar scan is of the Holgate stretch of railway, looking North, with the retaining wall visible below the Knave of St. Paul’s Church. This area of backscene will include the massively constructed Holgate girder bridge and the A59, and this scene, with surrounding terraces will form the main part of the scenic break, where the running lines exit the station in the Leeds direction.

St Paul’s from the A59 bridge at Holgate

An aerial lidar scan of Holgate, showing the railway lines as they are today. This area of York had expanded rapidly, especially with railway workers, and the church was built particularly to serve the terraced housing nearby, which has a footbridge over the lines to the railway works. The church is on an awkward site where the Holgate Road bridges the main railway line just south-west of York station; the churchyard, or space around the church, seems too small for burials. The present railway bridge dates from 1911, but an earlier, simpler, one is shown on a postcard which must pre-date 1906. Holgate Road was known as Holgate Lane, now it is the A59.

School building kitbash, and smaller buildings receding beyond. Chris Nevard/Model Rail Magazine

River, with island and grassy banks. Chris Nevard/Model Rail Magazine.

Overall view to distance, with a GCR Pom-pom 0-6-0 and short goods train. Chris Nevard/Model Rail Magazine.

‘In progress’ view of the centre section of Rosedale, with the land contours on either side of the 3d backscene panel recieving attention at the moment. Here, the trackwork can be seen curving round to approach the station, which is just off to the right.

I’ll be doing a sketch for the Bowaters exhibition layout which is going to need the natural surroundings, with an aerial cableway visible behind the large buildings of the paper mill. This view of part of the mill, looks over the Kent coastline near Sittingbourne and Kemsley, and fortunately, part of the line still survives today.

A quick sketch of the first structure to be approached is the well known Blue Loader which features in a great many of the video clips covering Sandaoling steam 15/20 years ago..

Side view with bogie tipper wagon for scale.

60532 Blue Peter on a loaded test run at Stapleford Bank (close to where I live) on the 2nd September 2024 as the rain once again begins to fall.

60007 Sir Nigel Gresley on the Settle and Carlisle line at Ribblehead Viaduct. 28th August 2024 in appalling weather conditions.

60007 approaches Ribblehead Viaduct on the same day

35028 climbing Stapperton Bank towards the summit on the Cotswold Venturer. 24th August 2024 and for once in summer evening conditions.

A freeze frame from the London game model ‘Syndicate’ . This fabulous render of St Paul’s is as well drawn as a Canaletto landscape, but the difference is that you can enter the scene and walk about in the streets and lanes, accompanied by other ‘virtual’ londoners, as well as carriages, carts and horses clopping about !

Trafalgar Square in twilight.

We should have stock of most of the usual products and kits. here are the Shackle and chain kits at Bucks Hill

An overall view of Bourne End, looking north west over the river, with Thornbie House and garage, Brooksby House, and Platts Dell just visible between the big trees. Glimpses of the Thames, with moored boats, and the opposite Berkshire bank, can just be seen between the houses, gardens and driveways. The Bucks bank, with Townsend’s boatyard, and the Abbotsbrook estate appears on the backscene to the right. This was done as a team effort, firstly by drawing everything on from maps, then doing mockups for the houses and river scene. Richard then took these away, and built them to fit, and also made the river section, with it’s reduced scale bungalows. Neil did the scenic cover and Autumn trees, with drives, figures and gates, and I did the rear panel and a few other bits to help out.

The back corner of the joinery shop. with ramshackle corrugated fencing and undergrowth.

Window frames, made by the joinery…….More detailing by Neil

Coal wagons in the goods yard, with the footpath in the foreground

Modelu figures and Neil’s detailing work behind the greengrocer’s shop.

The station garage was built by Brian Lewis some time ago, and we have added some typical period vehicles and clutter, with cars being worked on. A grey SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon. a Jag Mark 9 saloon up on a jack and an Alfa Romeo 1900 saloon with its bonnet up showing the exotic twin cam engine with side draft carburettors.

The area behind the coal office has fallen out of use and the pavillion type building has become a cab office. The foreground shows the yard entrance, and behind the iron spare point railings is the approach to the goods shed.

Nigel is sorting out the engines for Bourne End and they are coming along well.  Some need more tweaking than others, but this Lee Marsh 51xx class 2-6-2T ‘prairie’ engine is fine and is seen resting in the platform by the bracket signal. No: 4174 was built at Swindon Works in 1949 (a bit of a late arrival), and it wears a weathered early B.R. black livery. It eventually wound up in the Gloucester area.

The featured show cabinet is now for sale, and I’ll make something new when I can find the time, and here it is at Warley, courtesy of Jeremy Frith. Please do give me a call or an email if you would like the display. There are plenty of ways to include more interest in the scene, like figures, and other details, but it only accommodates short wheelbase vehicles due to the tight radius end curves.

Battery cable trees and 2D backscene on Aberayon

Please do have a look at the ‘For sale’ page, where I’ll be adding a few 7mm layout carriages and wagons.  Here’s one example and I’ll leave the rest there as an illustrated list when I can.

Preston Corporation internal user open wagons were used for bananas from the East indies, and wood pulp, which was conveyed from the docks by rail, generally only a few miles to the paper mills at Darwen and Blackrod. This is a gouache on board Illustration of PC three plank wagon No 153 that’s also for sale.

The branch to Preston Docks was initially opened by the North Union in 1846 to serve Victoria Quay, later being extended to reach the rest of Preston Docks. The line still descends, as it did then, northwards from the West side of the station, on a gradient of 1 in 29, curving sharply westwards. After passing under Christian Road and through a cutting, the single line enters Fishergate Tunnel, emerging a short way from Strand Road, which is crossed on the level.

Richard Ellis is planning to do a 1930s diorama showing the interior of a terminus station, using the architectural elements of Brunel’s Temple Meads Passenger shed, and here’s a quick sketch of the general appearance. It’s hoped that it will one day be incorporated into a layout, with a station approach, sidings for goods wagons and all the other marvellous architectural details like warehouses and offices.

I noticed that some of the prices on my book were rising for no apparent reason, despite having been stable for quite a while, and although it’s still available at list, Crecy are now considering a reprinted edition, with updated photos and some new content. That will take a while, but I certainly appreciate their willingness to do it, and that should sort out the pricing problem, which I didn’t see coming.

The Gauge O Guild ‘Weekend Yard’ layout has benefitted from some more detailing, and here’s a view of the L-cut retaining wall kits and bridges that cross over the sidings.

This will eventually become a panoramic model of part of the Sandaoling coal mine in inner Mongolia!  Nigel is on the case, making the trackbed with its return loops and exchange sidings.

First mockup of the 3D rear panel for Sandaoling, just to see how it looks, but I think it might be an idea to do a sunrise/daylight/sunset sequence. It makes quite a refreshing change from the usual ‘Old England’ landscape.

This was my first dragster, which was a ‘rear motor’ car, with a Hilborn injected 302 Chevrolet with Dart heads. It had 14 to 1 compression for straight methanol, and we managed a best of 9.4 at 143mph.

Just for the fun of it, I looked up the side by side OS mapping to survey the future pre war site for RAF Podington and in the up to date Bing view we can see the old single runway now converted to the famous Santa Pod Raceway. The name came from the American bomber pilots who christened Santa Pod from the nearby village of Podington and the Californian coastal town of Santa Barbara where many of them came from. Nat Library of Scotland.

RAF Podington in the war years…..the runways were really too short for comfort.

On 14 July 1951, Gresley A3 pacific No 60058 Blair Athol was hauling the ‘West Riding’ express near Huntingdon when two of its coaches caught fire. Twenty-two people were injured, but all the passengers and crew escaped with no fatalities. Fotrunately there were no such problems at the recent Bucks Hill gathering!   David Thomas.

Alan Brackenborough brought this scratchbuilt old double framed 0-6-0 goods engine along. David Thomas.

Ex LNER Gresley K3 2-6-0 No 61910. The loco was built at Armstrong Whitworth in April 1931, lasting until being withdrawn from service from Woodford Halse shed in 1962. David Thomas.

Bullied Pacific No: 34055 WCBB ‘Fighter Pilot’ was built in 1947, and was the first WCBB to be withdrawn and never rebuilt. David Thomas.

No 30854 ‘Howard of Effingham’, a Maunsell SR ‘Lord Nelson’ Class 4-6-0, built in October 1928 at Eastleigh Works originally as SR No.E854. In the summer of 1952, it derailed and rolled down an embankment at Shawford, between Winchester and Eastleigh when the crew misread the signals. David Thomas.

Class T9 4-4-0 No 30313 in BR Lined Black with Ex-Southern carriages. David Thomas

Dave Alexander sent in this mystery Metropolitan Railway 6 wheeled 20T Brake van, which looks a bit like the GCR type. Can’t remember ever seeing one of these in photos, so a bit of a curiosity!

LMS Black five No 45407 ‘Lancashire Fusilier’ as preserved, and LMS Rebuilt Royal Scot No 46127 ‘The Old Contemptible’. The Black five is a Javelin kit painted by Paul Moore and the Scot was from a David Andrews kit.

On the 15th March, I captured 34067 Tangmere at Hellifield prior to her heading up the Settle & Carlisle line as part of the Great Britain tour in appalling light. Tony Hammond.

No 34092 crossing Corfe Castle Viaduct on the 7th June. Tony Hammond.

Collett Castle 4-6-0 No 5043 ‘Earl of Mount Edgcumbe’ at Cardiff. Tony Hammond.

61306 on the Welsh Marches Express near Onibury on the 30th May. Tony Hammond.

No 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe approaching Codsell on the Cathedrals Express, 22nd June. Tony Hammond.

The Bourne End goods yard area is now done and a Pannier tank engine is ready to depart with vans and tankers. Karl Crowther built the yard crane which can be seen to the right of the centre siding, and all the ground texture has been finished off by Nigel and Neil.  Neil Podbery

In between the joinery to the right and the back of the fruit and veg shop to the left Neil has modelled the produce crates and sacks of potatoes etc, so this area is basically done. The nursery, featured last update can be found between the two cream coloured buildings on the other side of the line. The back of the level crossing signal box and it’s lamp hut appear on the other side of the footpath looking North. Neil Podbery

We have added some gentle contouring to the right of the Cookham Road and this is achieved with foam board layers to represent the slightly rising ground. At the time this was still just rough ground fenced into small paddocks, so there will just be waste ground / natural grass cover represented here. Neil Podbery

This now has the bare earth cover applied, and the grass variation and undergrowth are added with diluted PVA, ready for the grass cover. Neil Podbery

Another side view of the contoured area in the foreground of the railway, and Neil can go to town with this as a good nature study. Although Bourne End is quite level there are a few slopes here and there particularly further west, towards the riverbank. The railway climbs slightly as it leaves the western end of the station platforms ascending towards the Thames Bridge which we unfortunately didn’t have room to include. Neil Podbery

Same area with undergrowth, and long Autumn grass over bare earth. Neil Podbery

Garage detailing with clutter. Neil Podbery

A pair of steel coal wagons await unloading at Jackson’s siding with the crossing keeper’s house at Core’s End level crossing in the background to the right. This area now forms the entrance to a footpath following the trackbed towards Loudwater and the foreground area where the wagons once stood is now a modern commercial estate. Neil Podbery

More or less the same view today, and Boston Drive now occupies the yard area, where Jackson’s siding used to be. In the background we can see the Telephone Exchange to the left, with the end houses of Highfield Road, and the white painted house among the trees to the extreme right is the original crossing keeper’s cottage at Cores End. Google Street view.

Another Pannier propels a brake van from High Wycombe passing the Bourne End Telephone Exchange which can be seen in the background. The rutted entrance to Jackson’s siding and its small yard exiting to the right of this point, via a pair of wooden gates and a ramp onto Furlong Road opposite the bus stop. The second siding behind was occasionally used for carriages. Neil Podbery

In a slightly later reference view of Bourne End’s yard and weighbridge office, there’s an old car with a tarpaulin thrown over it, so we thought it would be good to include it as an interesting feature. It’s the benefit of good reference, which so often shows Neil Podbery

I found this interesting old map showing the diverted streams of the Thames to the North West of Cliveden, and a few postcard views of this quite steeply banked and wooded valley, hence the name Cliff….den. Further upstream, we can see the railway crossing over the Thames and towards Maidenhead to the South, while the Marlow Branch line follows the river along the North bank.

The map doesn’t show the River Wye, which actually flows into the Thames near the boat yard in the background of this view over Platts Dell and Donkey Lane (hidden beneath the tree canopy). It’s one of six chalk streams in Buckinghamshire which are fed by the winter rain that fills aquifers beneath the Chiltern Hills. The springs feeding the Wye emerge to the northwest of this point. This small tributary actually gave its name to Bourne End, as many waterways were known as Burnes and its confluence with the much larger Thames gave rise to the name Bourne End. It flows south through the Abbotsbrook estate and appears near Townsend’s boat yard. The area was obscured by trees in 1955, and it still is today.

The High Wycombe platform and the original gable of the first version of the station made in napped flint. Neil Podbery

The Leeman Road 3D panel in situ. Giles Baxter.

The preliminary design suggestion for Keith Newton’s marvellous Midland railway layout of Rosedale.

Obviously still in progress, this is the 3D equivalent, just mocked up for the time being, still needing detailing work and foliage.

Doing an interview with James Aitken while we’re having the diorama cabinet photographed for Model Rail Magazine. Chris Nevard.

David and Nigel Challis came along with their pre prepared aluminium backscene, with a view to depicting a “might have been” station at Stony Stratford. We can see the marvellous sky horizon rear panel already looking great in the background and the buildings, as viewed from the South East, are starting to appear as mockups. Nigel Challis

Just as a reference for how ally backscenes should be done, this is Nigel’s setup and it’s a fine example of a superbly engineered rear panel arrangement. Nigel Challis

Chris Gates came along this year to keep me company and he wanted to start one of the larger trees for his new layout from reference, and so we can see areas of the crown of the tree here to the right starting to take shape and detail in terms of structure. This armature will still take quite a while to arrange and super glue. Nigel Challis

Jason Bramley chose to do a test section for a diorama depicting Medstead & Four Marks looking South so got quite a way into one end of a mockup 3D backscene. Nigel Challis

Jason also brought along this very nicely executed exhibition layout and we added a skyline which still needs some detailing. Nigel Challis

Sophie Fuller came back again and decided to try a test diorama of a river bridge scene at Grez Sur Loing which is a delightful French village located in the Seine-et-Marne region of France, Nigel Challis

This test panel was painted from reference by Nick Smith, including the sparse cloud cover and the sharply defined skyline on the rising ground to the centre right.   There is already some 3D layering appearing on the foreground and it’s a very promising test piece. Nigel Challis

Ian Penberth’s Bodmin Road looking to the North West over Dreason Moor Wood, with a view point just to the South East of the station. The best way by far is to plot the ground contours in behind the layout using a Generate a Panorama contour drawing.

Here’s the marvellous result…..a test section, with period reference for the scenic cover. Nigel Challis.

Paul has now succeeded in converting a Grange to P4, which is now undergoing test running. By the way….be sure to follow the first moves of the new ‘Betton Grange’ which looks superb in it’s BR green livery. Paul Woodward.

Britannia Halt and the Higher Ferry ramp.   Paul Woodward.

MRJ issue 300 is excellent and has a Bourne End ‘pre-feature’ double page spread – with some nice copy by Geoff.

A view over the south facing aspect of Thornbie House, with its lawn and moorings seen to the left. Brooksby House is visible just behind and to the right, with a Jowett two seater in the drive, This end of the diorama is finished and all the riverside houses have been bedded in and surrounded by drives, gates, gardens, figures and vehicles. The Abbotsbrook Estate appears in the distance looking North West – Richard Ellis – Monks Gate Models

Thornbie Garages used to face the end of Donkey Lane and here we can see the back wall which lay adjacent to the exchange sidings, with a wagon in the foreground. Engines from excursion trains would sometimes rest in these sidings while the carriages went up the branch to Marlow behind a smaller engine. Richard Ellis – Monksgate Models

This timber P-way hut is now done and bedded in, as are all the buildings at his end of the model. It’s been taken care of by Richard, who is considering making it as a kit. The scenic cover is by Neil and Nigel. Richard Ellis – Monksgate Models

A GWR Pannier tank crosses the road, heading for Maidenhead.  Visible just above the locomotive is the Bourne End nursery building and there are footpaths either side of the line at this point, heading east. The nearside one can just be seen in the foreground, passing the rear wall of the signal box. The level crossing lamps are just mockups for now and will be replaced with finescale working replicas later on. Neil Podbery

Overview of the station platform with one figure in place. Just a few more to add further along and a set of canopy lights as well. Neil Podbery.

The corrugated iron lamp hut by the footpath leading to Donkey Lane. This was just past the large junction signal box, which was also demolished within a few years of this date, necessitating the extension of the station / level crossing cabin. Richard Ellis / Monksgate Models.

Small Prairie No 5527 in early BR lined black livery in the branch line sidings. Nigel Smith

Further along the line towards Wycombe, there used to be a few semi detached cottages backing onto the line just before the Phone Exchange. We have included these and here is the larger of the two structures nicely taken care of by Richard Ellis to my drawing. They are done at about 6mm to 1′ scale to begin the perceived size reduction as the eye is drawn into the backscene’s representation of middle distance. Richard Ellis Monksgate Models

Detail of cottage back yard. Neil Podbery

Further west, this ‘in progress’ view shows the smaller of the two cottages, as yet without border, or rear yard fences.  Neither of cottages would be present within a few years of this date as it became the site of an industrial estate, with a couple of large single storey business units / small warehouses surrounded by modern white painted fencing. Richard Ellis/Monks Gate Models

A Class 21 Type 2 diesel-electric in the sidings to the east of the station. To the left are the small new industrial units where the cottages used to be.

Thames Lidar scan looking North West, with Cockmarsh flood meadow to the left of the railway bridge.

Compare it to this handy aerial view, which was another reference ‘bonus’, This cropped view certainly helped to outline the backscene elements even thought it’s a bit blurry.

Bourne End Nursery printed their own version of a street map and it also came in very handy to identify the expansion of the building work at Chalklands, and the other new housing estates under construction to the north.

The Bourne End Nursery now has it’s typical day to day clutter added in, with some fantastic details by Neil including crates, potted plants etc. Some of it would probably have come from the large kitchen garden / allotment ground between Wharf Lane backs and the railway. The nursery actually published their own local street map which was extremely handy for sorting out the roads and new build areas that appear in the background of this picture. Neil Podbery

No 5527 in the sidings. Nigel Smith

This cottage at Penny Corner still featured a large lean to greenhouse in the early fifties, and it went through many uses, originally we think, as a Smithy, and it then became the Nags Head pub before becoming residential. All the buildings on this side of the road have now gone, replaced by a modern commercial estate. Neil Podbery

Cores End crossing, basically finished apart from a pavement here and there. Nowadays, the old track bed forms a footpath between the trees to the right and the crossing keepers house survives although extended and painted white. To the right of this point is the scenic break which we’ve arranged to obscure the continuation of the line towards High Wycombe. Richard Ellis – Monksgate Models.

Lidar showing the Holgate bridge to the left, with the station throat and platforms coming in from the right.

‘In progress’ view of the Leeman Road panel, with quite a bit still to do ….. I was given a clear steer to treat Peter Smith’s original foreground Kirtley models as if they were Grade 2 listed buildings, and regard their setting as a conservation area!  To the existing scene, I have added the background detail to include the houses along Garfield Terrace, Stamford St, Hanover St, with the Chapel, (now demolished). St Barnabas School on Bright St (also now demolished) appears just to the right of centre. Garnot Street, Rosebery Ave, and Swinerton Ave rooftops appear in the middle distance, with Victoria Park, and beyond are the newer houses along the northern half of Livingston St, and Salisbury Rd. To distance, we are looking to the North West over the Clifton Reach bend in the River Ouse, just out of sight beyond the rooftops.

Generate a panorama view provides skyline features and distant contour profiles from viewpoint.

York skyline in progress, looking North over Clifton Reach. This backscene has a cool grey/blue sky, with large rain clouds.

The background is Stony Stratford, roughly as it used to be, and with a prepared folder of reference, we’ll be looking to model a proposed station in the foreground.

With James Aitken, and Chris Nevard to photograph and video the Warley demo cabinet. Chris Nevard/Model Rail Magazine.

Model Rail’s Facebook photo of my J11 Pom-Pom to introduce the Warley show coverage. Chris Nevard/George Dent

Same scene , taken at Warley by Jeremy Frith

Watery Bottom viaduct lies in Lyncombe Vale, to the south of Bath.

Lyncombe Vale contours looking South from the viaduct

Great Western train posed on the single line to show the ability to display a short train, rather than just a favourite locomotive.  Please do refer to Monks Gate Models website for details, once it’s ready for sale.  Richard Ellis

We will be paying a visit to see Tony Hammond and his Ranelagh Bridge 7mm layout in the spring, and here’s one of his latast pics showing No 34067 ‘Tangmere’ on the first Cumbrian Mountain Express of the year as she speeds through Oxenholme Station running almost 90 minutes late on the 27th January 2023

The frequent ‘Run what ya brung’ events are nearly always busy, and involve waiting in a long queue to make a pass. It’s a good opportunity to chat with other teams, and here we are doing just that!

1919 built Urie/Maunsell ‘King Arthur’ class 4-6-0 ‘Merlin’ in B.R. early black livery.

G.W.R. Straight framed Dean Bulldog 4-4-0 No 3405 ‘Empire of India’ passes Ewyas Harold.

‘Alacrity’, now securely at her moorings by the quayside. The coal train has been split in two for loading, and the loaded wagons seen here will be drawn back into a siding and replaced with the remaining empties from the adjacent road. They are loaded in turn before the train is re-combined prior to its departure for Torquay Gasworks. Paul Woodward.

Gordon Gravett’s superb dockside cranes are in position, but in need of some minor remedial work to their operating cables following many years in storage.  Paul Woodward.

No 6001 King Edward VII in Bourne End’s High Wycombe platform. In truth, not many Kings (if any) visited Bourne End, but for display purposes we’ll just see this as a ‘royal visit’. Neil Podbery.

This area to the south of the goods shed is basically done now and it was left fairly clear like this in most of the reference photos from the period. The siding nearest the camera was lifted very soon after this depiction, as was the branch line run around loop. Brian Lewis’s excellent goods shed features at the centre with a Fordson van backed in. Neil Podbery.

Brian’s goods shed again and the yard entrance. The lineside footpath has now been modelled in the foreground, although the fencing all needs weathering in, and there will be a line of scrub trees and bracken depicted on the nearside before too long.  Nigel Smith.

An overview of Bourne End’s goods yard entrance with the ex coal office and it’s fenced enclosure seen to the right hand side. This has fallen out of use and become overgrown, but I’m going to guess that the fenced and gated enclosure to the rear of the office was where the sacks were weighed and went for delivery or collection. It served as a cab office for a while, until becoming a cafe, and unfortunately was recently demolished after having been damaged by a vehicle.   Neil Podbery.

A view looking West with kitchen gardens, allotments and the Wharf Lane back gardens. Neil Podbery.

Looking North West, this area still needs some work and we can see the rear of the Bourne End nursery building, which still needs some detailing such as fencing wooden crates, delivery sacks, flower pots, etc etc. The scrub trees in the foreground are pretty much finished and below these is the public footpath past the signal box running parallel to the line behind the joinery.  Neil Podbery.

No 1421 and it’s lake liveried auto trailer in the Maidenhead platform.  Nigel Smith..

No 1421 and its auto trailer again. Nigel Smith.

0-4-2T No 1450 on the running line, just south west of Cores End, with the down carriage siding in the foreground. Nigel Smith.

Front end study of 2-6-0 No 5527 in the branch line exchange sidings. Nigel Smith.

A pair of ex GWR moguls in early and late conditions rest in the branch line exchange sidings. Nigel Smith.

Yard area from side on. Neil Podbery

This is one of the Lcut arched bridge kits that we used to create the scenic break which occurs near the centre of the left hand base board. There is also a girder bridge available, so we used one of each!

This is the presentation fascia of the demo cabinet, which deliberately frames the diorama, providing a viewing window, much like a 2D picture. These apertures are quite easy to arrange and have many advantages, either for portable layouts or for permanently installed models concentrating the attention, while allowing for concealed lighting, and deliberately obscuring areas that would be preferably ‘off stage’.

This is still an old ‘in progress’ picture because there isn’t any lineside fencing yet. The three buildings each diminish slightly in scale from foreground to distance with the nearest being represented as a school. Neil Podbery

A view of the school front with the old three arch stone bridge seen to the left. The trees are all done with multi strand copper wire armatures as usual, and a variety of Woodland Scenics Polyfiber and chopped Chinese wig hair for the outer twigs. These are occasionally interspersed with sea moss and other scatters. Neil Podbery

The natural valley features a stone 2 arch river bridge, modified from a Wills kit, but I thought it might be interesting to depict it as having been widened to double trackbed in Edwardian times, thus accounting for the difference in parapets from one side to the other. The engineering brick viaduct parapets and the arched bridge were supplied as kits by Monks Gate Models of Tunbridge Wells.  Neil Podbery
https://www.monksgate.co.uk/

A very quick ‘in progress’ mock up of one of the far corners featuring the Minster, just pencilled out for now and the beginnings of the rooftops of Petergate that lie between it and the station to the South West.

Where the Scarborough line curves around and crosses over the Ouse Bridge it has been decided that a transition from a town to more open country scene will be an attractive feature. A more open rural area has been mocked up very roughly for now, to include the environs of Huttons Ambo which lies in the attractive rolling countryside in between York and Scarborough. This is going to need a fair bit of preparatory work because it will be necessary to make parts of this scene as removable panels.

A rough sketch of the landscape elements seen beyond the river bridge as they appeared in the 50s. I have piles of these sketches already done for when the rear panels need to be worked on.

Here it is, photographed by David Thomas in its pristine condition at the head off a suitable rake of Toplights/Concertina carriages. GWR No 4088 ‘Dartmouth Castle’ was built at Swindon works in the spring and early summer of 1925.

No 4914 is held at the down goods loop signal.

The Youtube movie now has over 10K views, which is not bad going, and a great many positive comments as well.

Ian Statham is still working on his Wingfield layout, but has had his arm twisted to build a model of an engine house for a local heritage centre. It dated from 1834 and was the engine house for Maesmawr Colliery, one of the earlier examples in the Taff Valley, owned by Mr George Insole, who ended up being very rich and building a fine mansion in Cardiff (now the heritage centre). His brother found the original drawings in Glamorgan Archives, and after many weeks it is now finished. It is done in 7mm/ft scale, but It is only a static model with some simplification to make it possible to build in plastikard and wood. Ian Statham

Here’s a preliminary overview of an adjusted lidar scan of the area with the station in the foreground and Brompton cemetery directly behind the station to the righthand side.

An OS map of West Brompton station with the cemetery clearly visible and the London Transport lines heading for Earls Court and the junction with the Circle line exiting under the overall roof of the original Metropolitan District Railway station on the left. The British Railways West London lines in the foreground thread their way between North Pole Junction near Willesden to cross the Thames at Battersea on their way to Clapham Junction.

Bullied Pacific 34046 working a Steam Dreams special to Bath on the 28th November. It’s on home turf, as it passes Surbiton Station on the ex London South Western mainline from Waterloo to the South West. Tony Hammond.

7029 working the Polar Express back to Birmingham Snow Hill Station on the 25th November

This van is destined for Tony’s Paddington area O gauge model.

The station was opened by the Worcester and Hereford Railway in 1860 and was awarded Grade II listed building status in 1969.  Despite being 162 years old, the station has retained many of its original Victorian features – including elaborate cast-iron girders supported by impressive sculptures of floral arrangements.  The clock tower was part of the railway station’s original Victorian design, but was dismantled some time in the 1950s after it was deemed unsafe.  Restoring the tower has long been a cherished aim of the local civic society members, and now the group has reached the point where it is appealing for sponsors to finance the work.  The project is being handled by Friends of Malvern’s Railways, a sub-group of the civic society.  The estimated total cost of the project is in the region of £384,000 plus VAT, of which £100,000 has already been offered. Network Rail, owner of the national rail infrastructure, has undertaken a roof survey free of charge, and London Midland, which operates many of the trains visiting the station, has offered to manage the construction project.

This was our engine when we went on the Dean Forest Railway, a B.R.(W) 0-6-0T Pannier tank, built in 1949.

No 7903 Foremarke Hall was our engine on the Gloucester Warwickshire Railway round trip.  The 79’s were known as “Greyhounds” by the footplate crews as they seemed to be somewhat fleeter of foot than their earlier classmates. 7903 distinguished itself in 1951 by deputising for a normal Castle class on the Plymouth to Paddington boat-train and was the first locomotive to cover the distance in less than four hours.  Photo by Tony Hisgett.

Ex GWR Castle No 5026 ‘Criccieth Castle’ stands just beyond the Maidenhead platform with a passenger train.  Nigel Smith.

7808 Cookham Manor rests in the sidings at Bourne End. The loco was built in 1938 at Swindon Works, withdrawn from service in December 1965 and purchased directly from British Railways for preservation by a member of the Great Western Society, By 1966, it was the only ‘Manor’ Class locomotive to have been bought directly from BR.  Nigel Smith.

Overall view of Bourne End looking North West from scale to distance.

Still a little more work to be done in this area, which is just to the North East of the station level crossing. More detailed ground cover and undergrowth probably to be added within the next few weeks.

Large Prairie No 4171 in the sidings, with Thornbie House garages in the background.  Nigel Smith

Working on the allotments to the west of New Road. There are bungalows along here now, but quite a few allotments still survive here behind the houses.  Neil Podbery

Looking North over station.

One of the best photos yet showing the area between the divergence of the Leeds line curving away to the left and the Scarborough lines disappearing off the right. It’s taken from one of the hotel windows and it’s going to be the principal ruling reference picture for the backscene at this point. Again a very lucky find and a considerable time saver.

Online OS map crop showing the background for the Leeds line as it re-crosses Leeman Road to the North West of the city. 

The old red brick St Barnabas School was just to the western side of Bright St on the local map. It’s
gone now, but I found this photo from nearly the right aspect for the backscene. The site is still surrounded by the terraced houses that it used to serve.

The site as it appears today.

The ‘slightly’ gothic St Barnabas Church happily still survives on OS plot 221, along with it’s Vicarage, and the carriage yard was located just to the left hand side of the photo. York – St Barnabas Church by Alan Heardman.

The vicarage occupies plot OS map plot 222, and is still the last house along Cinder Lane till you get to the railway junction at the North end if the station,

We should be able to find a little depth to include the famous Minster against the skyline in 3D forced perspective, and this is the correct aspect.  It also gives us the jumble of rooftops in the foreground.

Peco/Railway Modeller feature page

Painting the scurfed ally backscene panels. 

Quick design sketch before 3D mockup was done.

This LCut warehouse kit was extended to provide a scenic element to cover the short fiddle yard / sector plate at the left hand end of the layout.

In progress photo of the new 3D landscape cabinet display that I hope to finish in time for the Warley NEC show

Replacing a length of roadside fence.

American Pie, from a few years ago, and taken from the spectator grandstand.  I have no recollection of who won this , but the two cars contrast each other, and are typical of the fun variety you get with the Wild Bunch.

A superb painting by V Welch, based on a photograph by G.M.Shoutts, taken in the summer of 1913. A Liverpool to Harwich Continental express passes Chorlton Junction in the Old Trafford/Stretford area of Manchester. The location is unattractive nowadays, being a few miles to the South west of the city, and In the background, the house backs of Elsinore Rd appear ij the middle distance. The splendid train of teak carriages is headed by the Great Central Railway’s beautiful 3 cylinder Atlantic No 1090.

The ceremonial return of the Alacrity to it’s spiritual home.  We’ll get some proper in situ pics done soon.

Rake of 20 coal wagons, commissioned by Mike Casey specifically for Kingswear and, we are told, painstakingly researched in order to be authentic for the period and location.  Depicted as ‘pool’ wagons, as at the end of World War II, heavily weathered and made with an ingeniously simple method of removable coal loads.   We know that long coal trains, up to thirty wagons, were operated in and out of Kingswear, to supply Torbay Gasworks, with the train running into the main platform road initially, before being split in two for shunting onto the quayside for loading. So this will be an interesting operation in model form in due course.  These wagons will join the 13 we already have, beautifully weathered by Neil Podbery, to make up the required length of train which, fortunately, just fits the capacity of our fiddle yard!

More Mike Casey wagons and vans of various descriptions, mostly commissioned for Kingswear but three of which, we understand, were built for the iconic ‘Heckmondwike’ layout of the mid 1970’s, created to establish the practicality of modelling in P4. We are indeed fortunate to have inherited some real modelling history.

Also included in the stock now acquired from Ed Casey are these four kit/scratchbuilt ‘Toad’ brakevans, here in the charge of our elderly ‘Pannier tank. Come to think of it, might actually make for an interesting train!

Wharf side as seen with wagons, Toad and a local train in the platform

Sheeted GWR wagon No 3030

LMS Jubilee No. 45699 Galatea, in the disguise of 45562 Alberta crossing Hellwithbridge on the S&C. Tony Hammond

No 60007 crosses Little bridge viaduct which carries the railway over the beginning of the river Ribble on the S&C, again in pouring rain. Tony Hammond

W21W again, with the level crossing signalbox to the LH side, and various token and mailbag catching devices by the corrugated lamp hut. The cabin soon was to be extended at this end to compensate for the closure of the junction cabin, at the western end of the station.  A spare Auto trailer was often left at the end of the bay platform, by the cream coloured railings on the right, and was coupled onto the Marlow Donkey for busy periods. Neil Podbery.

Nigel is now starting to run the trains, to make sure everything works properly, and here a GWR Mogul and it’s train heads for High Wycombe.  Nigel Smith.

These terraced dwellings will go at the Cores End of the layout on the spectator side of the line, so they are at 7mm. Richard will have these available as kits, and these will be surrounded by Autumn trees. Monks Gate Models.

The crossing keeper’s cottage at Cores End survives to this day, with a large gabled extension to this side, and a coat of whitewash. Richard Ellis has made a lovely job of turning back the clock, and there are no more buildings to make for Bourne End now. All we have to do is blend them into the landscape. Monks Gate Models.

This bus stop passenger shelter used to be on the corner of Cores End and Furlong Road, and Richard has taken care of this for us. I suppose we’ll have to paste a timetable up, and get a passenger or two done. Monks Gate Models.

Tractor and figures positioned in allotment / kitchen garden. Neil Podbery

Looking North over rooftops and station canopy. New estates appear in the middle distance but without any mature trees between. Neil Podbery.

Open country with Flackwell Heath seen to distance and a cloud layer rising to the right hand side. Neil Podbery.

Here’s a quick envelope sketch of a panorama looking North and over the large curving multiple arch roof at York station. The view seeks to depict a panorama of how the area appeared to be in the 1950s, with Bootham, Shipton Road, the Tennis & Sports Fields, St. Peters School, St, Marks Abbey, Frederick Street and the famous Minster to the extreme right.

This excellent map gives us a wealth of information for the area behind Scarborough Bridge, although it is pre-war. The different terraced house footprints are clear between Dean and Hetherton streets, for instance, and there’s plenty more detail to put to use!   National Library of Scotland

A National Library of Scotland side by side map clearly shows the demolition of the terraces to the East of the Scarborough railway line, and only one row now survives by the riverside. Note also the line of mature trees either side of the railway which may still go some way to providing a handy scenic break, it’s a little early to tell, but even at this stage it shows just how useful a side by side map can be even at the very earliest planning stages.  National Library of Scotland.

The only surviving houses now are in Earlsborough Terrace, as seen here on Google ‘Street’. It’s a lucky, surviving source of reference, and I expect this view will come in handy at some point.

This was built by Morgan Lewis, who was a long-time member of the Pendeford group of Wolverhampton. He built very high quality models both from kits and scratch built, and it bears his authentic builders plate on the underside.  The model was painted by Alan Brackenborough, recognised to be the best model painter of the time. Photo by Chris Hopper

Here’s our T3 again posed at Bucks Hill. David Thomas

There’s even a 3D version of this elegant Victorian engine produced by Caledonia Works, and the real No 563 is under restoration at the Swanage Railway in Dorset.
https://caledoniaworks.com/
https://563locomotivegroup.co.uk/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1iAsg4BoD4&list=PLTGCucackKfdrbFlcx75X1Zm0c1sPTz5B

This recently completed fishing boat, “Pauline”, courtesy of Brian McCulloch is a work of art in its own right, we really are delighted with it. Paul Woodward

The new harbour tug, a stunning build from an Artitec kit, again by Brian McCulloch, of Braeside models. We are indebted to Brian for this and two other vessels which now contribute to the maritime scene at Kingswear. Paul Woodward

The third of Brian’s masterpieces is,”Bessie”, a charmingly derelict and neglected sail boat, beached on the estuary bank. Paul Woodward

Bessie again in the foreground….. There has also been a long overdue resumption of works by the fencing contractor, with another section now complete alongside Hoodown sidings. This will eventually continue along from the Fore St overbridge by the station, heading North until the path eventually reaches the Higher Ferry crossing ramp.  Paul Woodward

Brown newspaper van in Hoodown sidings, alongside the new run of fencing.

Main platform lamps now in place, contributing to the nighttime atmosphere. Still some general clutter and detail to be added, but we’re getting there!   Paul Woodward.

A pair of ‘Prairies’ drawing the Torbay up the incline towards Greenway, on departure from Kingswear. This was not uncommon practice, with the tank engines taking the train as far as Newton Abbott, where a ‘Castle’ or ‘King’ would take over for the rest of the journey to Paddington. A short video clip of this operation will shortly be on our You Tube channel
https://www.youtube.com/@kingswearinp414

Quick pencil sketch of a canal diverted beneath a four track mainline carried upon a stone bridge with retaining walls. I’ve done the riverbed and abutments so far for this extensive garage based railway system.

A very quick mock up of my new boat train diorama display cabinet, which I’ll try and get round to once the Warley demonstrator is presentable. Still quite a bit of detailing to do.

A pencil sketch visual of the original cabinet idea, with a view to distance between two moored vessels. Rather than natural coast or estuary, I think it might be better to depict another nearby wharf with cranes, warehouses, and smaller scale vessels.

On the 8th June, 44932 was captured nearing the summit at Ais Gill. Tony Hammond.

A little while later the loco is again photographed this time crossing Whalley Viaduct. One of the arches has had an extra layer of bricks added by the look of it. Tony Hammond

Classic time warp view, on the same day and the loco is seen having just left Hellifield, heading back down towards Blackburn and then its final destination of Crewe. Tony Hammond.

The train has just emerged from Blea Moor Tunnel as it continues it’s journey up the long Drag. Tony Hammond.

A marvellous study by Neil Podbery of a Victorian William Dean goods engine at rest in the Bourne End sidings.

Do please make a date in your diaries to attend the 2023 Guildex event, to be held again at the successful Stafford Showground venue.

I recently found this fascinating 3D plot of Notre Dame Cathedral and it builds into a time sequence showing the basic construction of the building along with its unfortunate recent history and the changes that have taken place over the years. The chap who produced the model can be found at the link below and it’s an interesting diversion for a while as he has also studied and drawn a good many other historically important structures, often with even more bizarre and disastrous histories than Notre Dame itself.
https://www.youtube.com/@MylesZhang

A rendered version of the updated gothic transept North east facing wall, with rose windows.

From time to time, Neil sends over examples of modelling from his many social media feeds, many of which feature other spheres of study, like military and architecture, and this excellent small interior diorama caught his eye. It’s by Andreas Rousonelis, and a quick search led me to The ‘Box Dioramas’ website, where many more examples can be found in all scales and sizes.
http://www.boxdioramas.com/

By Friday the 23rd June, the Bucks Hill documentary should be published on its own You Tube channel, so while I don’t have a direct link at the moment, be sure to search for the half hour documentary in the early part of next week. Hope you like it. It took a lot of doing! and I learned quite a bit about the process from Dave Roberts at Concept Filming of Didcot. Original by Chris Nevard/Model Rail Magazine.

This is Martin Dracup’s excellent Melchester, which is done in 2mm scale.  To the right we can see the pathway of a new 3D backscene with a bit of depth to play with. I’m looking forward to seeing how this goes as Martin is a very capable scenic modeller and it’s now a question of graduating the existing scenic work in progress into the graduated relief work of the backscene itself. Although it’s entirely convincing contour wise, it is actually freelance, so the job will be to visually describe the transition from townscape into open country. Very much looking forward to seeing this take shape.  Martin Dracup

Another view of Melchester and its new rear panel. I think we’ll need to see some portrayal of rising contour in the middle distance, as the layout surroundings have to justify the existence of a tunnel entrance, (scene), just to right of centre in this view. It should be fine to portray the townscape on its higher ground done in a series of focal layers gradually disappearing away to skyline.

Sketch of rising contour

Townscape layout on gentle valley slope.

Just a very quick sketch of a diorama layout idea, depicting the picturesque little station at Wingfield near Alfreton in Derbyshire. The original building still exists.as the only surviving as-built Francis Thompson station, He also designed engine sheds, goods sheds and other buildings along the line and so created much of the character of the North Midland Railway. Thank heavens it has recently been awarded a restoration grant to preserve it for the future, and I just thought it would make a marvellous subject. Fortunately Ian Statham agreed with me, and he’s thinking about making a small exhibition layout in 7mm.

It was situated on the line between Derby and Leeds, close to the road between South Wingfield and Oakerthorpe, and the station itself closed in 1967. The buildings still stand, but until quite recently in a derelict condition, and the line itself is still in use as part of the Midland Main Line.

Here’s a 2mm scale mockup to follow the sketch, and it works fairly well. There’s a bit of room for some sidings in the foreground and there used to be a nearby colliery which was part of the reason for the station in the first place.

Churchward’s North Star Atlantic of 1906

Another view of this from further west, and it might be an idea to include a figure or two here.

An old view of Wharf Lane without any telegraph poles or cars, just puddles and leaves in the gutter

Neil has detailed and re-worked an old brick outhouse that goes near the Brooksby kitchen garden.

A monotone study of the goods shed which still needs poster hoardings on it’s rear wall, advertising bargains at the local Mace grocers, the Bucks County Show at Hartwell, Real Dairy Cream, and Gascold fridges.

This is an ‘in progress’ view from nearer the station, and there are still loads of trees to go on. Basically, wherever there’s a green cardboard cutout, Neil will replace it with a properly modelled Autumn tree on a copper armature like the one in the foreground. These panels are nearly done, and there’s a snagging list for the last details, with TV aerials, washing hanging up, dustbins, cars, figures and so on. This end of the backscene is ready to go in, and have all the wiring done from under the baseboards.

Between the allotment fence and Wharf lane, there used to be an electricity substation, with a couple of small brick buildings, so we are just finishing off the safety fence and a DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE notice!  Neil Podbery

Donkey Lane runs alongside the railway as far as the crossing in the middle distance, with the kitchen garden in the foreground. Just a few autumn leaves to finish this now.  Neil Podbery

This view is over the Exchange sidings, looking North, and we have the river panel rested in place, just visible between Thornbie and Brooksby houses. There’s still some more work to be done on it, and the hedges, fences and trees along the towpath still need to be included.  Neil Podbery

From just above the down main platform we have a better view of the allotment plots and the beginnings of the lineside hedgerow by the post and rail boundary fence. The run around loop for the branch line is still in situ but was due to be lifted the following year.  Neil Podbery

A thumbnail of Wharf Lane, with a 1950’s detached house alongside the Victorian villas. The ‘turreted’ wooden fencing was to be found all over Bourne End and the new ‘sun’ patterned wooden driveway gates would have been a recent and very fashionable improvement. It’s actually quite interesting to include modern additions into late steam era layouts and we’ll be doing quite a bit of this with TV aerials and streamlined post war cars and vans etc.  Neil Podbery

British Railways Class 41 diesel-hydraulic locomotive D601 was one of a small batch built by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow during 1957 and 1958. Each locomotive was equipped with two MAN 12V diesel engines, with each set adjusted to produce 1,000 hp at 1,445 rpm, partly because the Voith L306r three speed transmissions available at the time were not able to accept more output. All were named after Royal Navy vessels, and the nameplates each bore a subtitle ‘Warship Class’.

An ex London, Brighton and South Coast Railway E1 Class 0-6-0T No. 32151 running light engine. These were designed by William Stroudley in 1874 for short-distance goods and piloting duties, and were really conceived as a larger, goods version of his successful “Terrier” class. 32151 was built at Brighton works in 1880 and appears in the early British Railways livery, but without a totem. Dave Thomas

Schools class Maunsell 4-4-0 No. 30926 ‘Repton’ heads east at Ewyas Harold. This engine was built at the end of June 1934 at Eastleigh works. Dave Thomas.

LSWR Adams Radial 415 class 4-4-2T No. 420 heading west with a LSWR Saloon carriage. The trailing wheels led to the ‘Radial Tank’ name, and the loco was introduced in 1882.

Pannier No. 0-6-0PT No. 1731 at the branch line signal. This Dean GWR design was Introduced in 1890, and 1731 emerged from Swindon works in 1892. It was rebuilt with pannier tanks in 1909. Dave Thomas.

A De-Glehn Compound Atlantic in lined black livery rounding the curve at Ewyas Harold. This will be one of the stars of the upcoming film clip and I’ll try and remember to group it in with the Edwardian period stock.

An in progress/workshop photo of a display diorama by Richard Ellis of Monks Gate Models, featuring a tunnel mouth to the right hand, and a surface mirror at the left hand end. It’s a good example of a mirrored cabinet, with all the elements correctly spaced to provide the right reflection continuation.

Eventually, a row of colour matched foliage will appear above the retaining wall parapet to blend in the open countryside rear panel. Of course with a mirror it’s always best to just light the clouds directly from above, to avoid conflicting directional lighting issues.

Tony Geary joins us as 7mm Guest Tutor.

This is the other end of the townscape/depot layout idea sketch I put in the last update. The best idea is probably to do a mock up based on this for the next stage. Nigel still has to check the practicality of the track layout before we proceed any further.

A first proposed presentation sketch for a model of Rubery between Longbridge and Halesowen. This has the emphasis on a doing good presentation facia which suits the model and it’s period, as well as concealing the scenic breaks and lighting rig.

Kingswear is still making fine progress, and this shows the presentation of the lower panels, done in tongue and groove planking, or matchboarding? These will get a a lower skirting board and a coat of GWR light brown paint to finish the job. What a difference! this really is how to present a scenic model.  Paul Woodward.

The railings and stairs have been done from reference at the end of Kingswear wharf, and there will be adepiction at this point showing coal being unloaded for the ferry boat. Neil Podbery

At some point we’ll have to have a look at a backscene for Chris Walker’s fabulous Charlton Park 7mm layout. It’s likely to be a view out to mostly rolling open countryside with the odd distant feature.  Once I have the rear panel done, Neil can colour match some hedgerow to blend it all together nicely.

I recently paid a visit to the excellent Dainton Bank 7mm model to see about including some suitable building facades into the 3D backscene. This is quite a straightforward job as long as you have done a mockup to get the relative sizes right and here they are laid out flat before installation.

This marvellous scene has been modelled in forced perspective for the Dainton backscene, and it captures the look of the rolling hills to the south of Newton Abbott.  Neil Podbery

From ‘The Thames Illustrated’ a plate showing Temple Island which lies a little way upstream of Bourne End.

Another plate showing the old Anglers pub from the bridge at Marlow with pleasure boats moored.

Great Western Coaches Appendix: v. 1: Standard Passenger Stock by J. H. Russell

This carriage interior is packed with atmosphere and I suspect that due to its narrow width, it’s a third class compartment in quite an old Victorian GWR coach. The very well produced publicity photograph has had a romantic postcard view cut into the window apertures, probably at the negative stage.

The NLS side by side map shows the relatively small amount of physical change in the surroundings since the closure of the line. To the west of the station, we found evidence for a manned level crossing at Chilton Drove on the single lower line, which leads to Cossington and on to Bridgwater. The upper line heads north west towards Bason Bridge, terminating at Burnham on Sea.

It has progressed quite a bit since this one was taken, and all of the 3D blending has now been done. There’s some research to be undertaken to correctly represent the fields and pastures alongside the railway, and I suspect we’ll find that a lot of the numbered fields were livestock pasture, as this was dairy country.

It might be interesting to do a harbour background (possibly with a view out to estuary), as a rear panel for a photo diorama that Neil is working on, just with the grey outlines of dockside cranes, and funnels against a layered overcast sky, something like this.

Robinson 8K 2-8-0 in original condition, beautifully lined out with red and white, and this can go at the head of a long coal train with the names of the Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire collieries on the wagons. The first of these emerged from the GCR’s Gorton workshops in 1911 as essentially a superheated version of an earlier 0-8-0, the 8A class, with the addition of a pony truck. This both supported the greater front end weight and gave a steadier ride. The 8K was introduced to anticipate the increased traffic from the GCR’s vast new docks complex at Immingham in North East Lincolnshire and by June 1914 126 were in traffic.

Great Central Railway Class 9J ‘Pom Pom’ No. 316 in fully lined black goods livery can appear with a mixed goods train for Woodford Halse. These were Robinson’s first goods locomotive design and they were very popular with the enginemen. At various times they worked about every class of train from pick-up goods to express passenger! Unfortunately. none survived into preservation.

The ‘Stars’ were a class of 4-cylinder 4-6-0 passenger locomotives designed by Churchward in 1906. The prototype was built as a 4-4-2 Atlantic, proving to be a successful design, and handling the heaviest long-distance express trains, while reaching top speeds of 90 mph. They and established the design principles for GWR 4-cylinder classes for the next twenty-five years.
An Atlantic conversion would be interesting for this, but again, for now I’m happy to leave it as ‘Lode Star’ which perpetuated the names of the earlier broad gauge ‘Star’ Class of 1838. Quite recently, the resourceful ‘4709’ group have stated that Thornbury Castle’s chassis and other components are to be used to recreate a Star class locomotive.

The South Eastern and Chatham Railway 109 strong ‘C’ Class 0-6-0s were designed by Harry Wainwright and built between 1900 and 1908. They were designed for freight duties, although were occasionally used for passenger trains and looked marvellous in the lined green livery.

‘City of Truro’ needs no info paragraph here, I might get it changed to another member of the class under Nigel’s careful guidance, but for now I’ll happily keep it as it is.

With the backdrop of Pen-y-ghent 70000 having taken over from 34046, heads northwards along the S&C bound for Oxenholme.  Tony Hammond

In pouring rain,  and running 25 minutes late, 34046 heads up Stableford Bank on its way to Crewe with a Saphos special rail tour.  Tony Hammond.

The Camden incline…once finished

This is the London Birmingham Railway Camden Town Depot at Primrose Hill by Bourne, showing off his fantastic draftsmanship, with the unusual sliding rail point mechanism in the foreground, and a pair of Edward Bury L & B locomotives. Behind are the Locomotive Engine Houses, the chimneys of the stationary engines, with rails and eccentrics etc, looking towards London. John Cooke Bourne, 1838.

Pangbourne Station in the early years of the GWR mainline with a Gooch engine drawing to a stop. Notice the set of steps in the up platform to the left, presumably designed to trick unwary passengers into falling over when disembarking from their carriages at night!

Richard Ellis is hoping to produce a display diorama of Foxes Wood (or St Anne’s) Long Tunnel on the GWR just to the west of Bristol (seen here from the West). The line had to avoid a bend in the river Avon,which can be seen looking upstream, and diverting away from the railway to the east, so they tunnelled for over 1000 yds beneath the headland. Drawn and lithographed by J C Bourne, and printed by C F Cheffins in 1846.

The shops, now have interiors and details added from reference.

Detail of the Barclays Bank facade, with leaded panes and varnished teak panelled door. Richard Ellis

River silt in foreground, and Britannia Halt. Neil Podbery

Wartime buildings and what were presumably parts storage sheds for the torpedo installation. The Quay and jetty at the Waterhead Creek inlet was just to the right of this point, with a board crossing for the railway.

This area is now finished, with rails, signals and detailing complete. There’s a Southern Railway signal post sited in front of the tank, built in the traditional style using two lengths of old rail bolted together. The steps are done, leading up to Fore Street, just opposite the garage

Riverbank at low ebb, with a culvert below a short stone embankment. Behind this is where the contour of the original riverbank still descends to the waterline, so there’s a dip behind the line at this point. To the right, an up home signal appears, and the furthest buffer stop from the yard before the line passes Britannia crossing (which has no sidings at all).

This hut was situated just up the lane from the Higher Ferry, and it was occupied by the linesman. It was converted from an old railway van and just dragged up and levelled by the roadside.  Neil Podbery

The single road locomotive shed is sited below the cutting, and Neil has now done all the foliage here. The rails have all been checked and weathered by Nigel, so there’s just the matter of some typical clutter to finish up with this scene. We’ll find the right balance for this by studying reference pictures from the approximate period. It’s quite important to work into these last stages by working from the back of the model towards the foreground so there’s no damage done by leaning over things and snagging them. Pretty soon, we’ll be able to fit the posts for the disused yard lamps which had a ‘T’ bar across the top, and two insulators for the power cables.

Kingswear No 2 box controls the ‘Southern’ part of the line, which Mike Casey creatively added as a fictional feature. Paul has included this as part of the original configuration, so it looks as Mike originally intended it to. The next block section would have been Boohay, so that’s what we put on the signalbox diagram.

A ‘517’ Class locomotive No1160 passes Ewyas Harold with an auto trailer. These small 0-4-2T tank engines were designed by George Armstrong for local passenger work on the Great Western, and this example was built at Wolverhampton works in 1875. None of them survived even though there were many, and I would think this would be an ideal candidate for a new build, especially given the amount of info available. Of course a Jersey Lily would be better still! Dave Thomas

The same train arrives in the platform in this fabulous photograph by Dave Thomas. This one should be done as a poster for model club rooms!

No 1731 opposite Bucks Hill cabin, taking a break from shunting the yard. The 0-6-0PT
was an 1892 William Dean design, only rebuilt with pannier tanks in 1909. Dave Thomas.

46225 Duchess of Gloucester on the up main. These Stanier Pacifics were developed from the ‘Princess Royal’ Class. This particular example was built at Crewe Works in June 1938, and it appears in late BR livery.

GWR Collett 0-6-0T No 7700 heads west, bunker first, this locomotive was built at Swindon at the end of March 1930. Dave Thomas.

This one definitely reminds me of the ‘Pines Relief’ or similar, it’s a bit like an Ivo Peters study, apart perhaps from the use of a Fowler Patriot as the train engine. No 45513 was built at Crewe in 1932, and Fowler 2P No 40659 just the year before. Dave Thomas

Maunsell Schools Class 4-4-0 No 30908 ‘Westminster’, in early B.R. lined Brunswick green passes by with bogie flat wagons. The locomotive itself emerged from Eastleigh works in Sept 1930, and were the last locomotives in Britain to be designed with this old fashioned wheel arrangement. They became the most powerful 4-4-0s ever produced in Europe, more than exceeding expectations, having extremely free steaming even with poor grades of coal. The low engines, low internal friction and perfect balance contributed to a tractive effort of 25120 lbs. Dave Thomas.

Something like quarter scale, for instance, would be fine, or just scale your model idea down to 2mm, allowing downloadable templates to be applied. This one is based on Vine St Farringdon.

This envelope sketch is the first go at a 7mm scale shed layout in diorama style, done at different levels for visual interest, and with a townscape as a backdrop. Still only a concept at the moment, we’ll see how the project develops over time.

Here’s an obvious example of view blockers arranged to partition a backscene into a visually separated diorama. They work surprisingly well, as the eye is persuaded into restricting its own view, and remaining between an arranged pair of 3D features that have been placed to distract the eye away from a continuous run.

A few years ago I put up a scan of an old watercolour landscape by my grandad, Harry Taylor Bambrick, and the other day, I found another one. It’s certainly not Coventry, where he lived at the time, signwriting the colliery wagons, but it might be County Tipperary Ireland where he had relatives. H.T. Bambrick.

An archive gem from the camera of Roy Emmett. Several sequences of the GCR ‘Improved Director’ class locomotive number 506 ‘Butler Henderson’ running on the railway in the early 1980s with sound. The screen grab is rather blurry, but I put it in for it’s comparative rarity. R. Emmett.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPpy3xtKVns

It might be possible to include this interesting old church as part of a scenic break into a OO gauge loop layout that I saw for the first time a few weeks ago. This promises to be visually effective as the configuration of the line involves standing in a central viewing position, while the railway curves around the central viewing aperture. Once there’s a bit more progress with this, I’ll post a few more pictures.

Dave Alexander gave me this 1936 GA drawing for a Metropolitan Railway Brake van a few days ago, which has a written note about installing a water tank and washbasin! This was presumably to begin modifying the van for departmental use, as goods services were to cease on the Metropolitan from 1937 onwards.

A well presented movie clip showing Semley has recently appeared on Youtube. A convincing sound track has been added to the fantastic L.S.W.R. trains using carefully chosen recordings of passing full size steam trains. The film has been produced by SDJR7F88 who also has other worthwhile railway content on his channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45MvGDAPsQY

Oblique Bridge at Boxmoor, printed by Day & Haghe in 1838. The bridge was brick faced with rusticated sandstone ashlar arch with strongly projecting moulded string courses, and a coped parapet. It had an elegant skew arch, and still carries the L&B rails over the Akeman Street turnpike near Hemel Hempstead, but nowadays, the area has a very different feel to Bourne’s drawing. This view is mostly obscured by an additional railway bridge, and a wide recent road bridge to support the recently constructed A41 dual carriageway, which crosses directly above the point where Bourne sketched the scene 184 years ago.

Watford Tunnel was built around 1837/8 at the insistence of local landowners who didn’t want to see a railway running across their estates. The line was obscured for 1 mile 31 yards at a cost £140,000. The print was produced by Ackermann & Co, Strand, London.

Wash drawing from a distance showing the portico at Euston Grove from April 1838, depicting the entrance to the London and Birmingham Railway’s London terminus. It features the Doric arch and lodge buildings, with the station building and platform beyond. Groups of people and carriages head towards the entrance. This was reproduced as a lithograph in ‘Drawings of The London & Birmingham Railway by John C Bourne with an Historical and Descriptive Account by John Britton FSA’ published in 1839. Printed by Day and Haghe, Lithographers to the Queen. Published by J C Bourne, 19 Lamb’s Conduit St and Ackermann and Co, Strand, London.

View looking west from the yard and the first run of post and wire fencing has gone in.  The gate to the Donkey lane footpath is at the lower right foreground, and there’s a view over the river to Cockmarsh and the Thames curving round towards Marlow.  This is a team effort, with Neil Podbery, Richard Ellis and Paul Rutson all beavering away.

Further along to the left, this looks over the garages to one side of Thornbie House which backed onto the the sidings. There are quite a lot more trees to go in along the towpath behind the houses, and Donkey lane can be seen in the extreme left of this view.  The small access road got its name from the Thames donkeys that were used to pull boats along, and of course, this practise also passed it’s name to the Marlow branch line.

Richard Ellis has done this 6mm scale facade for one of the many houses along Wharf lane, The leaded lights can be seen above the window panes, and Neil has now weathered it and added creepers to the walls. it just needs net curtains and interior lights and its ready to go.

Before the foliage is applied

The kitchen garden as it would have appeared in the Autumn, with only a few crops growing.

The greenhouse for the kitchen garden is sited just behind the signal box and lamp hut. The sidings and the Maidenhead line appear in the background.

The Royalty parade, in later years, and the cinema has become a furniture outlet with Donald the newsagents still there as well as Edward Gray’s estate agents.

Still have the interiors to do, but this is Richard’s excellent facade.  Bourne End was the last town in Buckinghamshire to have a purpose-built cinema.  The Royalty was opened on 1st January 1934 with Margot Graham in “I Adore You” and Bette Davis in “Ex Lady”. The auditorium ran parallel to The Parade, and was hidden behind this parade of six shop units. Seating was all on a single raked level. There was a small stage and a cafe, and boasted a car park at the rear.  Always independently operated, the Royalty Cinema was eventually closed on 14th December 1957 with Yul Brynner in “The King and I”.  After some redecoration, it re-opened on 6th January 1958. It finally closed on 30th May 1959 with Bob Hope in “Alias Jesse James”.

Lloyds bank overlooks Penny Corner to this very day. Richard Ellis has made the facade, and we will be fitting this into place in the next few weeks.  Amazingly at the time, the land behind this and the Royalty Parade just to the left was still just pastures, meadows, hedgerows and footpaths. In the middle distance of the backscene, we’ll be showing the new estates just after their construction in the early to mid fifties.

One of the Victorian semi detached pair of houses ready for Wharf Lane with a creeper growing around the nearest bay and a darker ivy climbing the side wall.

One of David Lane’s marvellous period photos of Bourne End, featuring a series of large poster hoardings on the rear wall of the goods shed. We’ll be scanning these in and re-setting the images and copy here to replicate the posters in colour.

Part of the formica signal box diagram using a very similar font to the GWR signalling diagrams of the mid to late 30s along with as much similar graphic detail to the panels of the period.  The holes are positioned to take indicator lights…..2mm for route, and 3mm colour changing for signals.

Neil has now taken care of the goods yard entrance, and although you can’t see it from the normal viewing position we have a post and wire GWR boundary fence receding in scale and a simple yard gate.

Mike Casey’s version of Kingswear always included a fictitious Southern Railway platform face and Paul has decided to keep this feature as part of the restoration of Mike’s original layout.  In order to finish the job, we have included a number of changes to make this look authentic, and among these are the inclusion of rail built signals.

Weathered opens resting on the quayside.

Dart riverbank in 4mm with an old careening berth visible to the left,  long disused but still present at the high tide mark.  The two uprights were used to tie the boat around it’s mast or gunwales, and there would have been a platform between them and the footpath.

Here’s a good ‘in progress view of the layout RH end with a section of 3D backscene in place, and a trial rear panel to see how it’s all going to balance.

A few house facades for the continuation to the left, towards Waterhead Creek.

It’s coming along very well indeed and it’s time to start adding the distance layers such as areas of woodland and buildings onto the far hillside. Andy Glover

A quick look at Hadleigh as it used to look just after the turn of the last century… this is David Bousfield’s magnificent 7mm scale model of the terminus station near the Suffolk market town, and I’ve got a few drawings to make of the locality. These will eventually address the lack of any historic photographs from certain viewpoints, filling in a few historic ‘blind spots’ of recorded visual information, and so we’ll see what can be plotted from reference, including one aerial view. The period is about 1906 and we do have period map reference to help things along. Original by Chris Nevard/Model Rail Magazine.

This is a GWR 70ft Diagram L trailer beautifully etched in 12 thou brass sheet. The passenger section of the coach is divided into two open saloons – originally for smoking and non-smoking I think, with a lobby in the middle separating the two. Running numbers for these were 1906 42-8, and 1908 53-8, and 59-70

One of these could be super detailed to go with the trailer, perhaps with a quality EM/P4 chassis, but perhaps a finescale brass kit built example of an Edwardian 0-4-2T would be a worthy companion instead.

We have placed an order for a Sonic Models Great Central Railway Robinson A5 class tank locomotive in the Great Central Railway green livery. We’re looking forward to that, and by the way, if you do have any 4mm scale GCR stock you don’t need anymore, give me a call or email.

We also have one of these beauties from Locomotion Models, and it should look good eventually with a rake of teak carriages.

For any modellers who are interested in the Brill tramway, I do have a few old 7mm models for sale including wagons and carriages so by all means get in touch and I’ll send you an illustrated list.

34067 Tangmere taken at Penrith on the 14th May pulling the Northern Belle.

35018 British India Line climbing to the summit at Beattock taken on the 19th March.

We might use this old postcard image I did a few years ago as an introduction frame for the forthcoming Bucks Hill ‘movie’.

I’m hoping some of the early stock will be filmed in monotone, and this is the slightly faded look I’m after. No 3405 ‘Empire of India’ appears in the un-lined early 1930s livery, gently weathered by Martyn Welch. Original by Barry Norman.

The famous Armstrong 4-4-0s were nominal renewals of four of Dean’s “experimental locomotives”, Nos. 7, 8, 14 and 16, thus explaining the early numbers.  Had it not been for the recent derailing of one of his 3001 Class 2-2-2s in Box Tunnel, they would probably have been rebuilt as unremarkable 2-2-2s, but the adoption of Dean bogies and double-curved running plates resulted in an exceptionally handsome design.  This engine will  appear along with a Dean Single, double heading a Down Express train consisting of a set of pristine bogie clerestory carriages.  

This overview shows the Thames curving round towards the North West and Marlow. It’s a little blurry once enlarged, but it has still helped a good deal in plotting out the surroundings of Bourne End Station.

Looking North this time, showing the junction quite clearly. The houses and gardens backing onto the line are visible, and I have now worked out the other roads behind as part of the backdrop.

A British Railways 20T Brake van, (B952978), all weathered and ready. Neil Podbery

Lloyds Bank overlooked Penny Corner in 1955, and the building does still survive today. Perhaps the oddest thing was that apart from the new Royalty Parade situated just to the West, directly behind and around these buildings were just open fields and orchards, with footpaths between.

This was Wharf Lane as it used to look, and practically all of this has survived the years without major alteration. This does make backscene research much easier!

Cliveden Reach, looking north along the Thames in a miniature painting I did some years ago. This magical place remains unchanged today and it appears about two miles down stream of Bourne End.

Here’s the backscenes and scenics department in full swing! It turned out to be a very good weekend, with a number of test sections and dioramas making progress. Chris Hopper.

Terry Kempton did a test section for his new layout, taking influence from a romantic english landscape postcard

Simon & Claire Hepher Davies did quite a bit of work on their diorama, including this test section.

I have been pestering modellers to look at the exterior presentation of the layouts and dioramas and while of course it doesn’t make any difference to the content, it has all sorts of effects on the overall presentation, whether it’s on the dining table at home or on show in a museum setting. It’s often nice to see a sympathetic ‘picture frame’ helping to enhance the display.

Not a corner of Rickmansworth locomotive sidings in the 1930s, but a collection of marvellous 5 inch gauge Metropolitan railway Metro Vick electric locomotives. Dave Alexander lent me this photograph and I’d thought I scan it in to show you.

Dave’s stunning ‘H’ class 5″ gauge Metropolitan railway 4-4-4T.

Cloud Walker is a newly established drone filming and photography service, offered by my good friend and colleague Richard Chetland who has done many photo sessions at Bucks Hill, and Westcott. If you would like any of this kind of aerial recording undertaken, for backscene, or promotional work, do please get in touch…… either here, or via e-mail.
RichardChetland@hotmail.co.uk

This photo of No 6233 Duchess of Sutherland was taken on Saturday the 12th March 2022 and has just left Moorcock Tunnel and is crossing Lunds Viaduct on the Settle & Carlisle Railway whilst working the Cumbrian Mountaineer, having joined the train at Hellifield that morning. Tony Hammond.

Here, No 7029 Clun Castle is approaching Cosford Station on the morning of the 5th March 2022 whilst working the Welsh Marches from Tyseley to Hereford. Tony Hammond.

Detail of the driving wheels of a Lee Marsh Castle, (this is still just an unpainted example).

Coal has been neatly added to the tender, and cab crew (driver/fireman) are provided but not currently fitted. The prototype was one of a class of 50 locos, entering service in December 1901 from Ashford Works. It was subsequently rebuilt as one of the more powerful class D1 in 1913 or later by Richard Maunsell (with a Belpaire firebox). It eventually became Southern Railway No. 1736 and BR number 31736 (one of 28 passing into BR ownership), subsequently withdrawn from Ashford shed in December 1950. Number 737 is preserved in the National Collection. Steamline Models.

This stepside truck would have been a modified fibre glass reproduction of a fifties Chevy pickup, but lowered, stretched, sectioned, and channelled over a tubular space frame chassis.  Before the days of air canister shifted transmissions, cars like this had to be gear shifted by hand at lightning speed, using a separate lever for each of the three or four ratios.

This one never came to be, but it was based around the ill fated Ford Cougar sports coupe, which never caught on as a production car.  It actually lent itself quite well to become a good ‘Pro Modified’ once it had been re-configured though, and you can see the supercharged big block sketched in, positioned to fit within the rules of the class.

Here’s a recent build by Nigel Smith, and I thought this came out very well in black and white. The locomotive is a Hawksworth Modified Hall No 7918 ‘Rhose Wood Hall’, which was built at Swindon, and finished at the end of April 1950. It was based at 84E Tyseley shed, and it’s seen here on the well known 82G layout by the Warley M.R.C.  Ian Rathbone.

B.R. Standard 2-6-4T at 82G. Nigel Smith.

The first stone of the Chapel had been laid by the 25 July 1446, and by the end of the reign of Richard III, five bays had been completed. Various crises in the royal finances caused multiple delays, and for several decades it stood only partially built in the heart of Cambridge. Henry VII visited in 1506, paying for the work to resume, even leaving money so that the work could continue after his death. In 1515, under Henry VIII, the building was complete but the fine medieval stained glass great windows had yet to be made. It features the world’s largest fan vault, constructed by master mason John Wastell.

This is by ‘History in 3D’ and it appears to be the most extensive, detailed and accurate virtual 3D reconstruction of Ancient Rome. You can see the whole centre of the Eternal City from the air, as well as other significant areas, such as Campus Martius, or Trastevere (Transtiberim). You can also see the Forum, The Colosseum, The Imperial Forums (Fori Imperiali), as well as famous baths, theatres, temples and palaces. About 40% of all Rome, as it looked in IV AD, has been plotted so far.

I’m really not a huge fan of aircraft, especially commercial ‘airbuses’, but the level of realism presented in this flight simulation is just superb.

A Lee Marsh large prairie tank loco, recently weathered by Neil.  it has a relatively clean boiler barrel ring nearest the smoke box, and then the other part of the boiler has been left untouched and grimy – including the safety valve cover. Thanks to David Thomas (the loco’s owner) for the photograph taken as the engine runs light on the up main at Ewyas Harold.

Double headed G.W.R. Moguls in late British Railways days.  John Edwards.

Southern Railway Urie N15 King Arthur class No 30740 ‘Merlin’ from 71A Eastleigh shed is seen here in early B.R. livery, heading west with wooden vans.

A view to distance at Kenderchurch. View blockers like the large trees at either side make it easier to go convincingly round a convex curve on a rear panel, as they help to distract the eye from any foreshortening to either side.

A colleague of mine recently phoned and pointed out that my book was available on the well known American Micro-mark hobby website, so if you do happen to reading this as an American / Canadian resident it might be a convenient shopping opportunity.

3D progression in progress on the next panel, looking NNW from station. The foreground will rest against these layers, partially obscuring some of them and there’s plenty more to do, but what we’re basically looking at here is the 1955 extent of the Chalklands Estate seen to the extreme left, and the detached houses along Blind Lane from there to middle.  The municipal housing of Roman Way, Evenlode Road, Waborne Avenue, Cherwell Road and Loddon Road.  The new Spring Gardens lock up garages are layered in, and the south facing buildings along the parade will appear in front, progressing to Wharf Lane and the Marlow donkey station loop.

View looking North East over the wharf

‘No. 4283 brings a rake of suburban stock, (including one carriage freshly re-painted in the new BR livery), through Britannia on a local passenger service bound for Kingswear.  Apologies to anyone who spots the incorrect loco head code – we promise eventually to get the correct locos pulling the correct trains, but our excuse is that until now we’ve been too busy building a railway!

Looking South East with station and Royal Dart Hotel in foreground.  The goods depot at the back of the station was under the charge of Mr Penwarden receiving all the incoming and out-going goods and luggage. In those days, it could be dispatched in advance by GWR to your destination anywhere in the district, and delivered in the two lorries and three vans based at Kingswear Station.

Waterhead Creek on backscene.

The water surface has now been done by Neil, and the scenic break is basically ready. There’s a run of fencing still to do, and maybe some children playing near the Bath house.

‘It became common practice for railway and ferry staff, and probably some employees of the Royal Dart Hotel, among others, to park their personal vehicles alongside the coaling sidings’.

Having delivered empty coal wagons onto the quayside ready for loading, Dukedog No. 9003 moves the brake van onto the adjacent siding, to await eventual re-attachment to the departing train once loaded. The trains took coal to Torquay Gas works and Newton Abbot Power Station, and a barge went over to Dartmouth Gas works.

Greenway Bath house.

Whilst our understanding is that the layout was originally intended to depict the scene as it was in 1947, we’ll give ourselves a little leeway around this date, say from 1947 to 1951 or ’52, which does allow for the introduction of some early BR stock.  A Pannier tank engine is ready to depart.

A simple 2D test panel is an ideal exercise for a weekend, like this insert backing card for a small cabinet display.

There’s no reason for a backscene to remain anonymous if you want to make a statement about the surroundings of your railway. This painting by George Cole could easily inspire a model with narrow gauge wagons on a quayside.

This 2D rear panel was worked out from a period Ordnance Survey map, and as long as we have a horizon line datum for your project and some reference, it’s often a good idea to do a short test panel to gain a bit of practice and confidence before setting out on the full set of panels. Philip Hall/ Model Railway Journal.

It’s fine to plan a diorama at Missenden, either as a static display such as this example, or a wired up working scene that can go to exhibitions in the back of a normal car.  If you do like the look of this one by Richard Ellis of Monks Gate Models, I’m told it is for sale.

For those who prefer the pillar drill and the soldering iron, there’s always expert advice to be taken from the experts in locomotive construction. This is a chassis by Kevin Wilson for an M.O.K. De-Glehn Atlantic.

In the fire up road queue.

When it rains , there’s time to polish all the fuel spills and scratches!

GWR Atlantic below new bracket signal.

Modelu figures painted by Detailed Miniatures and arranged like a station staff photograph.

Chiseldon platform.

Dean Saddle Tank no 997 resting on shed .

A Tony Reynalds ‘King’ engine with it’s tender below a coaling stage.

Close up of a Tony Reynalds saddle tank cab.

A pair of Andrew’s wonderful 7mm scale locomotives rest in the new shed interior diorama. The Armstrong designed 0-6-0 ‘850’ class saddle tank No 997 was from an extensive class built at Wolverhampton between 1874 and 1895. They proved to be extremely useful and popular locomotives thanks to their lively performance and wide route availability. In light of this, they had an incredibly long life, with the last of them being withdrawn as pannier tanks as late as 1951!  The model was built some time ago by Tony Reynalds, with a three panel water tank, and it’s shown here in the Swindon dark Brunswick green livery, lined on cab, with Indian red lower detail and no company insignia. It shares the display cabinet with an Adams 0415 class radial tank No 415. Originally rostered for London suburban traffic, the class was soon displaced to the countryside by Drummond’s M7 class. Most were scrapped around the end of the First World War, and were due to be withdrawn by 1929. However, they turned out to be ideal for the severely curved Lyme Regis branch line, and three were retained for this duty until 1962, when suitable replacements became available. One has survived and can be found on the Bluebell Railway. Andrew Cowie

Another view of the 1882 built Beyer Peacock Adams Radial 4-4-2T. These were initially outshopped in early LSWR passenger Yellow Ochre/Brown livery with the initials ‘LSW’ on the water tank sides but it’s not a commonly modelled scheme. The later ‘Passenger Sage Green’ livery is usually adopted, with brown edging and black and white lining. Numbering was done in gilt.  Andrew Cowie

The Swindon, Marlborough and Andover Railway obtained a single example of a Fairlie 0-4-4T to augment the three existing 0-6-0T engines already at work. After a short trial period, the locomotive was bought for £1000, and began work as No 4.  It was quite a success at first, but there were a series of reliability problems later on, as well as high maintenance costs and coal consumption issues. It makes for a fascinating model though, and it’s seen here in the platform of the Chisledon Station diorama. Andrew Cowie

I rather like the lighting on this photo, and it shows the left hand end of the Chedworth diorama including the local stone built village school house which still exists today.

This GWR King Class 4-6-0 was recently finished by Tony, and I arranged the diorama so that the locomotive could rest in a comfortable viewing position while have its tender replenished from the drab looking coaling stage. Andrew Cowie

The Midland South Western Junction 2-6-0 engines were built by Beyer Peacock to the same basic drawings as a class supplied to the New South Wales Government Railways. The first of two engines was delivered on 31st May 1895, and the cramped footplate conditions became unpopular with crews. Apart from the cab, the engines were perfectly good and able to pull trains of up to 60 wagons along the steeply graded line, but the small wheel diameters made these two goods engines quite unsuitable for passenger work Andrew Cowie

In December 1881, the board of the Swindon Marlborough and Andover Railway Company recognised the need to source three new engines, and a standard Beyer Peacock design was deemed suitable. They were to be numbered 5 – 7 and were delivered the following year. They turned out to be quite satisfactory in service only suffering from some poor riding, particularly when running bunker first. Not surprisingly, there are a great many similarities to the Metropolitan and District Railway 4-4-0Ts of the same period, and this particular locomotive is displayed in the later lined lake livery of the MSWJR. Andrew Cowie

A Metropolitan Railway Beyer Peacock ‘A’ class 4-4-0T as they appeared in their later years.

Richard Ellis has recently built a new diorama, and it features a bit more of an ‘open country’ feel. Neil has done the natural scenic cover and I came up with a rear panel to lend a bit of distance. By all means have a look at Richard’s FB page using the link below if you like the look of it.
https://www.facebook.com/monksgatemodels

Detail of gate and backscene.

We can prepare and paint a short test section of backscene for your layout at a Missenden Spring Weekend. This is a 2D example, and it’s blended into the scale scenery to get the job done in a small space.  Philip Hall/Model Railway Journal

Now and again, I come across interesting CGI animations more or less by chance, and with an eye for realism this Spitfire simulation beckoned me. The chap who narrates the animation clearly knows his stuff and I found myself swept away by the knowledgeable and enthusiastic narrative as well as the very convincing portrayal. By all means give it a try using the link below. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyhZljn4vC8

Ex GWR Dean Goods Engine recently weathered by Neil and ready for work at Bourne End. Neil Podbery.

Another wagon ready for the sidings weathered by Neil Podbery

Autumn trees appear along the skyline behind Cockmarsh and the Thames, I’m having to co-ordinate the colours to match Neil’s 3D work which appears in the foreground but that’s fine, it’s all part of the job, and it’s quite entertaining because you don’t see many layouts rendered in autumn colours.

It’s possible to display a period map alongside a modern day satellite view using the National Library of Scotland reference page, which automatically splits the screen showing the OS building outlines (shown here as solid black), and compare it with a companion cursor to pinpoint which buildings were in existence at the chosen layout period and which newer additions hadn’t appeared yet. The feature is a very useful tool when you’re trying to date a particular building and check it against your chosen layout period.

The house backs, gardens, washing lines and gutter pipes appear behind the kitchen gardens and allotments, and in the ’50s, there were far fewer houses on the North facing side of Wharf Lane.

This large 3 gabled house now forms the Bourne End Medical Centre near the High Street end of Wharf Lane. We are fairly close to finishing this particular row of facades, the building was scaled into the diorama as a mock up, slightly under sized of course, and armed with this as a guide Richard Ellis has produced the facade beautifully for us in all its well researched detail.

The beginnings of a few boats for the 3D river section.

High Wycombe’s Market Square has managed to escape the sweeping changes that have completely altered the rest of the town The ex GWR station is fairly near the square and has been brilliantly modelled by Tim Peacock. Maidenhead trains via Bourne End used to depart from a bay platform to the South of the four track main lines.

A quick sketch of the view over High Wycombe looking North West. The contours and skyline can be set to the horizon datum, and Amersham Hill appears quite clearly on the ‘Generate a Panorama’ profile, looking North.

Here’s an up to date view of the scenic break, including Greenway’s famous bath house, now nicely bedded into it’s scenic cover.  This, along with a small stone rubble boathouse adjoining it, was constructed in the late 18th, or early 19th century to the south-east of Greenway House.  The bathhouse comprises a lower storey, also of slate rubble, with arched round brick openings containing a rectangular stone-lined sunken plunge bath with an iron balustrade and steps down.  This was built into a jettied stone basement at beach level with three round-headed sluices allowing sea water to enter the bath by a sluice at high tide.  A rendered and shingled upper storey, with arched brick openings to the north, south and west facades provided a sitting room above, built with a small chimney piece to fireplace on it’s side wall, and an open balcony facing the river.  The building was formerly thatched. but now has a shingle roof over single gable and balcony.

Coal wagons loaded and ready for transfer to Torquay Gasworks, in the charge of ‘Dukedog’ Class No.9003, now beautifully weathered by Neil. We are extremely fortunate to have acquired the exquisite dockside electric cranes, built by Gordon Gravett specifically for this layout, but will delay their installation until all detailing work has been completed around the station area.  Paul Woodward

Peter Silvester has been a Godsend to the project, and this is a ‘Grange’ class engine still in progress, having all it’s P4 equipment aligned and fitted.  Kingswear did see a lot of these engines during the 40’s period, so it’s a vital addition to the ever growing fleet. Peter Silvester

‘4283’ having perhaps unusually brought the ‘Torbay’ into Kingswear (possibly an engine change at Newton Abbott as a result of technical problems?!!) prepares to reverse back over the engine release crossover to run round its train. Note the newly installed station canopy, still awaiting final weathering. Paul Woodward.

Rear panel, looking out to sea, with One Gun Point, St Petrox Church and Warfleet Creek to the right. The cleared fields rise up from Warfleet creek over Weeke Hill (at centre).

Some activity now at Greenway House with new figures and vehicles.  Paul Woodward.

Higher Ferry now with tide mark included at riverbank and ramp. The ferry guide cables are now in place and this section of the line has been re-ballasted and tested, so it’s pretty much ready to go from here to the scenic break.  Paul Woodward.

The crossing keeper’s house with it’s kitchen garden. Neil Podbery

Slamming the van door for the last time before we set off. The van is loaded to the roof with oil, fuel, tools and everything else needed to get the three of us through a long race weekend. Now did I remember my toothbrush?

Between our allotted race time slots, and during waiting periods for either rain showers or track oil downs, visitors to the strip are encouraged to visit the pit side of the track. This is a good thing, as it encourages members of the public to learn about the workings of the various types of quarter mile vehicles.  Now and again, it’s fun to let kids sit in the car to experience the view from the hot seat and show them the differences in control systems to normal cars. Here’s Harry Jennings doing just that, and who knows, maybe one day he’ll have his own dragster..

LH Brake 3rd. Trevor Pott

Another one showing a pair of carriages coupled, Cleverly, the wire for the train hoses actually does the coupling job. The sides and ends for these were drawn and etched by Carl Legg. Mr Trevor Pott.

GWR 517 Class No 832 resting in the bay platform.

This marvellous City Class engine has just been weathered by Neil and I’m looking forward to getting a few snaps of it and some appropriate stock when we all get back together at Bucks Hill.  I had to miss the last one, but hopefully there won’t be any more date clashes in the near future.

The footbridge steps and kitchen garden.

The large aluminium rear panels are seen here, pretty much ready for skyline painting, and it’ll be one of the priority jobs to get these done so that we don’t end up to having to lift them into position over a load of delicate foreground modelling.

Looking upstream, as the Thames curves around to the west, it passes Spade Oak, and approaches Marlow, which can just be seen in the distance. Winter Hill rises above Cockmarsh to the south, and the trees break the skyline, some with bare autumn branches against a pale sky with clouds to distance.

A ply insert has been done by Richard, to match a foamboard mockup, and this will eventually become a removable 3D ‘river’ section. We’ll be able to drop it in below bank level, and represent moored boats and landings. A series of building facades can be included on the opposite bank, and these have been mocked up as card patterns. This section will appear as a middle distance 3D layer below the painted rear panel shown previously. Richard Ellis/Monk’s Gate Models.

A similar oblique view of the southern riverbank, with bungalows and moorings. Cockmarsh and Spade Oak are in the background.

An old gouache picture of Marlow regatta with people messing about in boats, and crowds of onlookers lining the banks. 

This impressive facade luckily still exists today and it graces the south facing row at Wharf Lane. At this stage all the houses are just outer shells and we do have the lighting to install. It’s going to look fine once Neil has blended it into the scene with hedges, pavements and so on.  Richard Ellis/Monk’s Gate Models.

Another example of a large, detached property made for us by Richard, which also faces south near Wharf Lane’s Eastern end. All these are done at about 6mm scale, to help the illusion of distance, and the subsequent focal layers behind, progressively reduce in scale.   Richard Ellis/Monk’s Gate Models.

At the back of Wharf Lane, a small electrical supply substation was tucked in between the back gardens and I have opted to use one of Andy Duncan’s transformers. It’s actually tucked in between two small L shaped brick outhouses.

Seen from the river level, here’s a view of the Greenway Bath house, with the ferry crossing further along the bank.

From the same location, but higher up, a train passes Britannia Halt, and the river silt has now been represented with the tide out, as far as the water line. Notably, the Britannia shelter is missing in these views, just temporarily removed to allow better access for imminent ballasting and the final track detailing.

The Sea wall is now done, as well as most of the silt, seaweed and tide mark, so it’s just a question of keeping going with the detailing work like telegraph poles, fencing and footpaths.  A disused careening berth appears in the foregound.

Only telegraph poles, fencing, water surface, figures and boats to add for a finish then…… aside from a Star class engine to burst out of the tunnel of course!

So far, an embryo ‘Torbay Express’ has safely negotiated the line in both directions, and undergone trials of shunting into its overnight accommodation on Hoodown Sidings.  We’ll need to get some more weathering sorted, probably starting with this Hawksworth rake, and it’s quite possible they will also require some more detailing as well.

This shows the Dart Valley western bank, with the ferry approach road climbing up between the trees in the background.

A short train of ‘empties’, most of which have now been beautifully weathered by Neil, heading for loading at the quayside before a return working to Torquay Gasworks.

A recently completed Torbay Express, running as a Down train.  The weathering will be left off  for a while, wishing to see it pristine on the layout for a while, sorting out the couplings, sidings and
trains and getting it all running with no problems.  T. Pott

Churston now has it’s three most important trains, the Torbay, the Torquay Gas works coal and the Brixham Auto train.  Mr T.Pott.

The engine is of course John Hayes work, with lining by Alan Brackenborough, and it’s
about fourteen years old now. The Dining Twin is by Rocar (Rodney Cooper)
and is about twenty years old. The painting and lining of the other coaches is by Ian
Rathbone, and the lettering is Methfix transfers.  Mr T. Pott.

Our old Plymouth V8 on a Dynamometer. See all the dozens of sensors and other measuring devices that enable the correct adjustments to be made.

Just for fun, here’s a picture of my very first car which I saved up for until I was 15. I bought it for £350 as a complete wreck, and modified it with a 289 inch Ford small block V8, a super T10 four speed, and a narrowed 9” Ford rear axle. This photo came from a fairly recent advert, and I’m pleased to see it’s still out there looking better than ever.

The left hand end of the Chiseldon station display, with a ‘station staff photograph’ underway.

Looking to the right, the gents is also mirrored

Chiseldon shelter left hand end, with brick cottages mirrored.

Chiseldon shelter right hand end, with thatched cottage mirrored.

Looking up into the roof lights of the shed interior diorama, which is based on an old stock shed at Swindon.

Chedworth station platform uses half a building, mirrored down the middle to save space.

Weathered Lee Marsh G.W.R. Large prairie No 4105.

G.W.R. 4-4-0 No 5267 ‘Cornishman’ alongside the down platform.

This one is from ages ago, when we were still working on the backscene, so there’s no detail layering in the middle distance yet. I quite like the effect though, with the backlighting on and the darker area to the right.

One of the best Bucks Hill photos taken so far was this Chris Nevard study of Dean 32xx 2-4-0 with the Golden Valley branch engine in the sidings behind. The Dean engine is a direct descendant of the Gooch era, but it also clearly points the way to the bogie front 4-4-0s that came soon after.  Original by Chris Nevard/Model Rail Magazine.

Cattle vans rounding the curve on the up main.  Original by Barry Norman.

Small prairie No 4508 passing Ewyas Harold.

Standard gauge G.W.R. saddletank engine in the platform road. Tony Reynalds

A Lee Marsh passenger brake no 1095 at Temple Meads

No 3242 in arrival platform.  Tony Reynalds.

Part of a new relief panel just rested in place.  Adrian Norman.

The brick overbridge needs embankments, bu it’s all taking shape nicely, with sidings full of wagons and vans.  Adrian Norman