Real places you just have to model

Struggling for inspiration? Richard Foster describes ten much-overlooked locations that are simply begging to be recreated in miniature.

Why is it that some locations and their railways seem to inspire seemingly endless models and layouts while others rarely get a look in? It would be understandable if the scenery wasn’t up to much or the railway operations were dull. But there are loads of stunning and interesting places just crying out to be modelled that modellers tend to overlook. In an attempt to redress the balance, we’ve found ten parts of the country and parts of their railway systems crying out to be modelled.

Obviously, with the current travel restrictions, visiting such locations is out of the question.

But why not add them to your holiday destination wishlist so that when you are free to travel, you can go and be inspired!

1North East

The world’s first steam locomotive may have made its first moves in South Wales, but it’s the North East that deserves the title ‘Cradle of the Railways’. The success of the Stockton & Darlington Railway would cement the concept of the steam-worked public railway and enshrine the names of William Hedley, George Stephenson and Timothy Hackworth in history.

2 Speyside

When you think of the railways of Scotland, it’s the drama and remoteness of the lines to Fort William or the Kyle of Lochalsh that spring to mind first. But the copious quantity of whisky that Scotland produces led to some particularly fascinating railway operation, particularly in the vicinity of the River Spey, where there are some 50 distilleries producing the ‘water of life’…

Balmenach distillery at Cromdale, just north of Grantown-onspey, is an unusual distillery. It was dragged out of mothballs in the late 1990s yet not modernised. It prides itself on making whisky the traditional way. Sadly, that hasn’t included the restoration of the mile-long Balmenach Railway. This line climbed at 1-in-45 and its Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST No. 2020/1936 was employed to deliver barley to the granaries, as well as coal and casks. The handsome little ‘Puggie’, in charge of a typical load in this photograph, would also help transfer casks around the rail-served warehouses. COLOUR RAIL

Above: Does anything sell the delights of modelling a whisky distillery more than this photograph? All but the smallest distilleries required rail access, for shipment of casks and, later, malt. Some distilleries had a simple rail connection to the nearest main line company’s metals, but larger ones, particularly those on Speyside, had their own private railways. This is the delightful locomotive shed at Dailuaine Distillery, which employed the same distinctive pagoda roof as the malting house. Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST No. 1 Dailuaine (No. 2073/1939) was employed not only on its own private branch from the ex-great North of Scotland Railway’s Boat of Gartencraigellachie line but also was given permission to work over the GNSR line to Carron station, where it shunted Imperial Distillery’s sidings. With a Hattons Barclay, what a micro layout this would make! COLOUR RAIL

3 Forest of Dean

The Forest of Dean has a character. It’s been a Royal hunting ground since before the Norman Conquest and is Britain’s second largest crown forest. Scratch beneath the green-covered surface and there’s a whole industrial past to be discovered: the Forest of Dean is full of disused coal mines and they were all linked by the snaking tentacles of the Great Western and Severn & Wye Railways.

4 Mersey Docks

Ports and harbours on the south and east seem to inspire countless layouts, but one area that’s often overlooked is the sprawling Mersey Docks & Harbour Board system that covered both the Liverpool side of the River Mersey and Birkenhead on the other.

5 Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight may only be a halfhour ferry ride from the mainland but you almost feel like you’ve travelled to some parallel universe. It seems to exist outside the rest of the country: peaceful and friendly, it is bursting with quaint villages, and a picturesque landscape that gets under the skin and is hard to leave behind. The island has a rich railway past and this too has a bewitching power.

6 Isle of Purbeck

It may not be an actual island, but this section of Dorset that juts out into the English Channel is a super place to spend some time. The scenery is lovely with some cracking local nature reserves. There’s military history that spans the centuries from nearby Bovington Garrison to Corfe Castle and, while the wonderful branch to Swanage brings to mind trips to the seaside, it’s often forgotten that this was a hugely industrialised area too…

7 Tanat Valley

North Wales has so much modelling potential that it’s easy to overlook the inspirational locations and railways on the periphery. One such area is the Tanat Valley. It starts in the rolling hills of the English border country yet, just 15 miles further on you’re in Llangynog, a wonderfully Welsh village surrounded by bare summits scarred by slate quarrying – and just over the hill is the Snowdonia National Park…

8 Isle of Man

It’s easy to forget that there’s a state-owned railway in the British Isles that’s narrow gauge, that’s never properly closed (though it has been mothballed a few times) and that’s never been dieselised… oh, and it runs through some pretty spectacular scenery. That railway is, of course, the Isle of Man Railway and coupled with its sister line, the Manx Electric Railway, it’s the only railway the island has ever had. A visit to the Isle of Man has to be on every railway enthusiast’s bucket list.

9 Ireland

There’s much to tempt the railway enthusiast to Ireland. One only has to mention the Tralee & Dingle or the County Donegal to get the modelling juices flowing. But one shouldn’t overlook the 5ft 3in system in either Northern Ireland or the Republic. With Belfast and Dublin just over 100 miles and a fun train ride apart, it makes sense to focus our attention on both cities, albeit in different eras…

10 Norfolk

Norfolk is a county full of surprises. From its rugged, heather-clad cliff tops to its gentle rolling hills and peaceful broads and wetlands, it’s certainly not the flat, featureless landscape many would have you believe. Its railway network is a shadow of its former self when the Great Eastern and M&GN vied for supremacy, building an intricate network of lines, not to mention a main works capable of constructing its own locomotives. How’s that for surprising?

RAIL ONLINE

RAIL PHOTOPRINTS Right: Birkenhead docks, on the Mersey’s south bank, may not have had the tunnels that Liverpool’s dockland railway boasted, but its 4½ miles of railway from Rock Ferry to Bidston was packed with modelling potential. Some of the tracks ran through cobbled streets and there was a branch line across West Float that used the rolling bascule bridge on Duke Street. Whether it was ‘9Fs’ hauling ore to Bidston, big blue diesels bringing in grain or coal or ‘03’ or ‘08’ shunters pottering about, a Birkenhead docks layout would certainly stand out from the crowd.

ALEC POPE/IAN POPE COLLECTION Above: Today, a pair of rails curving away from the Dean Forest Railway’s Parkend station and across the B4234 road are the only remains of the Marsh Sidings branch, a short stub that connected a loading bank to the railway. It survived until 1976, as stone and coal were delivered there from nearby quarries and mines. This photograph shows exactly why this stretch of railway would make a perfect model. The line between terraced houses and the Fountains Inn public house shared its space with a road, and the sight of Class 22 B-BS and Class 14 0-6-0DHS – and later Class 25s and 37s – squeezing their way between the buildings is what makes the Forest of Dean such a fabulous source of modelling inspiration.

DAVID C. RODGERS Above: Prestigious boat trains and expresses from London had to access Liverpool Riverside by almost three miles of tunnels and then the dockside tramway at walking pace, passing along cobbled streets, beneath the Liverpool Overhead Railway, threading between dockside wharves and warehouses, before crossing a swing bridge to reach it. Located only a stone’s throw from Liverpool’s ‘Three Graces’ – the Royal Liver, Cunard and MD&HB buildings – any layout of Riverside would be immediately recognisable and would also be a fabulous opportunity to dabble in serious maritime modelling too.

PHIL METCALFE/ALAMY Below: Who would ever have thought that this delightful wooded glade was once a railway junction where three routes diverged? This is Tufts Junction, between Norchard and Whitehead, where a short branch left the main Severn & Wye route (then double-tracked!) for a colliery, whereas a short distance further on, the mineral loop to Drybook Road headed south. Whether you model Tufts Junction with the sea of tracks it had in its heyday or as a charming spot that’s occasionally disturbed by a passing Dean Forest Railway train, there’s no denying its modelling potential.

DAVID MITCHELL/HOLNE PUBLISHING Below: There are loads of modellable locations on the island but one that really lends itself to a layout is Ventnor station. Those steep chalk walls make a perfect backscene and you can imagine hundreds of navvies blasting away at the rock to provide a home for the Isle of Wight Railway’s southern terminus, sometime in the mid-1860s. However, Ventnor’s classic look occurred by accident, for the railway simply adapted an old quarry that had created a hollow in the cliffs of St Boniface Down which overlooked the town of Ventnor itself. Whether you model the whole site or just a portion of it, you’ll certainly be able to recreate all of its trains in ‘OO’, using your choice of ‘Terrier’, Kernow’s ‘O2’ 0-4-4T and our forthcoming ‘E1’.

Above: The end of steam didn’t bring an end to the island’s railway individuality – if anything, it added to it. Like other parts of the Southern Region lines, the Ryde Pier-shanklin line was electrified, but the only suitable electric multiple units available were ex-london Underground trains. The 1938 Tube Stock – or Class 483 – are the oldest trains in regular use anywhere on the national network but they’re due to be replaced by Class 484 EMUS. However, these new trains are actually heavily rebuilt D-stock EMUS so you’ll still be able to travel on former Underground trains over the sea! PATRICK EDEN/ALAMY

PHILIP HINDLEY Left: The Tanat Valley line might have closed to Llangynog in 1957 but the stub from Llynclys to Blodwell Junction remained busy with limestone traffic from the quarries at Nantmawr until the 1980s. Therefore, this rural branch line became a regular haunt for Class 25s and Class 31s. Operating was fun too, as trains had to reverse on a loop at Blodwell Junction for a trip up the Nantmawr quarry branch. Heavy stone trains in rural locations crossing ungated level crossings – what’s not to like?

CHRISTOPHER NICHOLSON/ALAMY Slighting: to deliberately damage a highstatus building to reduce its value as a military, administrative or social structure. ‘Timeless’ is a description used far too often. One place where it certainly fits, however, is Corfe Castle on the Swanage Railway. Beautifully restored, even without trains, the place just oozes atmosphere. Traffic thunders through the quaint Dorset village, but move away from the station environs and you could be forgiven for thinking that you’d stepped back in time. Narrow twisting streets perfectly complement the delightful buildings which have been overshadowed by the ruined bulk of William the Conqueror’s castle that was slighted by Parliamentary forces during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. After returning to the station, there’s nothing left to do but enjoy the wait for the next train. It’s almost as though you were back in the 1950s. Timeless? Definitely!

MR COLLECTION Below: Llangynog was one of those branch line termini that lends itself perfectly to a layout: single platform with loop, two goods sidings and a short spur to a locomotive shed. But unlike other chocolate box GWR branch lines, Llangynog sits in the shadow of rugged mountains and slate quarries, the slate traffic being complemented by granite. A short freight-only spur continued beyond the station to reach the stone loading dock, which even had a tarmacadam plant on the site. Couple such operating potential with a classic Welsh village high street and you have all the ingredients for a GWR branch layout with a difference.

KEITH JAGGERS The Isle of Purbeck is not usually high on the list of locations associated with mining and quarrying, but its last mine closed in 1999 and there are still quarries active in this pretty part of Dorset. What’s being extracted is ball clay, a very rare substance much favoured for tableware and ceramics manufacturing. With the quarries and mines came a network of narrow gauge railways, which hauled the clay either down to the sea or to the Swanage branch at Norden, just to the north of Corfe Castle. These lines were still used in the 1960s/1970s and their weathered, neglected look would make a very different narrow gauge layout.

COLOUR RAIL Sun, sea and narrow gauge steam! This fabulous panorama shows everything that makes the Isle of Man Railway such a modellable system: beautiful scenery, interesting infrastructure and unique trains. Sadly, Glen Wyllin Viaduct on the Manx Northern Railway from St John’s to Ramsey is just a memory – it closed in 1968 and was demolished in mid-1970s. But the photographic record of this, along with the closed Douglas-peel line, will not only inspire but provide enough research material to enable you to build a really accurate model.

TONY MIROLO Left: Long freight trains running down the street is a scene reminiscent of North America or Australia. Any sort of street-running captures the imagination and makes you want to model it, but since the demise of the Weymouth Tramway or the East Anglian docks, for example, there’s nowhere you can see this any more. While that might be true for Britain, a quick hop across the Irish Sea to Dublin will reveal freight trains and street running is a regular occurrence. Liner trains and ore trains from Tara Mines leave East Wall yard and run down the middle of Alexandra Road towards the docks, being flanked by cars and lorries. With suitable models available from Murphy Models and Irish Railway Models, there’s much potential for a micro layout, or even a room filler!

COLOUR RAIL Left: A wonderful 1957 photograph of Castletown station, on the Douglas-port Erin line. Could you imagine a Nevardesque diorama based on this scene? The Morris lorry, the buried rails and lack of platforms suggest that closure may be imminent. Happily, aside from a few unstable years in the 1960s/1970s, Castletown remained open and is now one of the key stations on today’s railway. Peco makes suitable 12mm gauge track (for 3ft gauge in 4mm:1ft scale) but the only ready-to-run offerings of the famous Beyer Peacock 2-4-0Ts is Oxford’s static die-cast model. Hopefully, one manufacturer will pick up the Isle of Man mantle in due course…

GEOFF PLUMB Above: August 11 1968 is a date burned in the memory of most enthusiasts. But far from being the end of UK steam, it marked only the retirement of BR’S last tired survivors. How many people after this last sad day knew that, within the British Isles, LMS 2-6-4Ts, designed by LMS chief mechanical engineer H.G. Ivatt and built at Derby Works, were still hard at work on Northern Ireland’s network. Seven EX-LMS (Northern Counties Committee) ‘WT’ 2-6-4Ts, nicknamed ‘Jeeps’, were still in action in early 1970 and No. 4 was not withdrawn by NIR until June 1971. Happily, it is still in working order.

RAIL ONLINE Below: This seemingly innocuous curve was, at the time, one of Britain’s newest stretches of railway. The Wroxham & Reepham Light Railway (Extension) Order was made on March 9 1960 to link the disused GER line from Reepham to County School to the freight-only, former M&GN branch from Melton Constable to Norwich. When the M&GN shut in 1959, the only way to get coal from Norwich City to Norwich Thorpe yards was on an 80-mile journey via Cromer. To shave 20 miles off the journey, 518 yards of new railway, dubbed the Themelthorpe Curve, was built to enable freight trains to run via Wroxham instead. For those who feel that train set curves aren’t prototypical, Themelthorpe proves that there’s a prototype for everything as it was apparently the tightest curve on BR and had a 10mph speed restriction. Why not dig out some second radius curves to show off Class 15s, 31s and 37s?

COLOUR RAIL Left: Who would have ever expected such scenes in the middle of North Norfolk? The arrival of what would become the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway turned the small village of Melton Constable into what became dubbed ‘the Crewe of Norfolk’. Here was the hub of the M&GN system, a four-way crossroad, with routes to King’s Lynn, Great Yarmouth, Cromer and Norwich. The works was capable of building and heavily rebuilding locomotives. Under LNER ownership, it became a wagon repair facility and the buildings still survive. 32G was home to an impressive allocation including, as this 1958 photograph shows, ‘D16s’, ‘J69s’, ‘J17s’ and many, many Ivatt ‘4MTS’! BRUCE CHAPMAN COLLECTION/