With the curtain fitted to Half Acre there are only a couple of things to add. A lamp for the further platform and a running in board. Though I'm putting this off. Should it be GWR cast letters or a WR brown enamel sign? Both are a fiddle. I managed to use up up most of the 'layout in a box' items though there are spare sides for the carriage shed should anyone need them.
What next is the question. I am typical in that there are three layouts: one built, one being built and plans for the next. Conversations with Mr.Hill have thrown up many of the usual suspects. These are in the main small two standard board essays in the 11' o/a length bracket. These are biased to what we have combined in stock for motive power and are for a stater:
- GWR terminus using the AoTC stock.
- Late 70s/early 80s South Wales using the Rhiw stock. Through terminus.
- Kent/Sussex border terminus. There are a brace of older Terriers, M7s,H, P, C, Q1, 33 to hand between us, plus plenty of stock.
- The left field would be something 1980s germanic. Exhibition wise this would tick the managers 'different' box. Mind you there aren't the GWR BLTs around like there used to be.
To a certain extent all of these do the same thing in that they operate as a branch terminus. Nothing wrong with that, and means they fall into Plan A. What's Plan B? I have a hankering for something more a) operationally challenging b) something more representative of British railway reality and c) may need more than the usual one on/one off crewing. There is a Plan B.1; don't build it for an exhibition at all.
Plan C is don't build anymore layouts, just do some modelling... there is a difference.
I think I'd go for brown enamel as it would perhaps convey the period of the layout better. I expect someone, somewhere can produce such things with a computer and photo quality paper.
ReplyDeleteFor Fidley I made up a running board from plastikard and letters though that's a much more rural location. Having said that, cast letter running boards survived quite late at some stations (pretty sure places like High Wycombe still had them into the 60s).
Looking through your list of BR(S) motive power, all of those with the possible exception of A1x and P would have been regulars through here in the 50s and 60s. I've sometimes thought about modelling something based on the Ashford-Hastings line though Appledore has been done, Rye would need quite a bit of space and the others lack operating potential. Think a Welsh border branch line is more likely for me...
1980s Germanic sounds interesting, I take it you're thinking H0?
The picture looks very atmospheric, if a little underpopulated? Who's DMU?
ReplyDeleteAndrew Knights (Unknown)
Enamel signs for preference :-)
Farrish
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