Buildings in ‘O’

Peter Marriott dips his toes into the world of modelling in the senior scale with his adaptation of this European-style goods shed kit.

Peter Marriott dips his toes into the world of the senior scale with this goods shed kit.

Regular readers will know that I generally model in ‘OO’, but the recent explosion in new ‘O’ gauge models reignited my long-term ambition to have a go at something in this scale. So when this Busch goods shed turned up for review, I saw my chance. Busch is a German manufacturer, and my first impression of it was that it was a bit too ‘European’. Regular readers will know of my passion for European railways, but the problem with the kit was that it wouldn’t suit all those wonderful new Dapol models. I popped the goods shed on the shelf and went off to the Peak District for a long weekend with Mrs Marriott. We popped into Matlock Bath station and, lo and behold, what did we find but a very Europeanlooking station! Matlock Bath was built to resemble a Swiss chalet, as this spot was known as ‘Little Switzerland’. Once a station on the Midland main line to Manchester, the buildings now stand sentinel over a weed-infested single-track branch. The goods shed, with its external timber and herringbone pattern bricks, is now home to the Whistlestop Discovery Centre. I returned home full of inspiration to build the kit! Busch, based in Viernheim, Germany, produces a huge range of model railway building kits. This prototype for this one is a historic goods shed in standard style – meaning fancy brickwork. A well restored goods shed in this style, called Fachwerk/ Ziegelbauweise (or wood and brick) can be found at Schnheide South station in Germany.