Bachmann Scenecraft Contemporary Gwr‑style Platform Shelter

◆ GAUGE ‘OO’ ◆ MODEL Bachmann Scenecraft 44-001X Contemporary Gwr-style platform shelter ◆ PRICE £34.99 ◆ AVAILABILITY Kernow Model Rail Centre Tel 01209 714099 Web www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com

One of the great success stories of the modern railway has been the revival and uplift in passenger numbers of those West Country branch lines that escaped the Beeching closures. In particular the Cornish branches to Newquay, Looe, St Ives and Falmouth and the (mainly) Devon branch to

Gunnislake are attracting record passenger numbers.

That success has been due, at least in part, to some upgrades which have reversed the run‑down and neglect of the Beeching era. One of those improvements, under the auspices of Network Rail, has been the construction of attractive, modern brick‑built waiting shelters to replace life‑expired halt shelters and the austere glass bus shelters erected by post‑beeching BR. Camborne‑based Kernow Model Rail Centre has commissioned Bachmann Scenecraft to produce a ‘OO’ model of one of these distinctive shelters as an exclusive product. As one would expect from Bachmann Scenecraft, the shelter is a resin casting comprising the walls and roof. The three columns and the seat are separate and require fixing in place by the modeller. Indeed, the columns are very slender and would be vulnerable, even in the level of polystyrene packaging supplied. The columns are a butt joint to the roof beam of the shelter but flat locating points are provided and fitting the columns with cyanoacrylate (Superglue) proved easier than expected. You just have to ensure that they are vertical from both front and side views, and that all three are aligned. The brickwork is nicely coloured and the mortar lines are well defined, while the underside of the awning includes the detail of beams and rafters.

The traditional wooden valancing around the awning is part of the resin moulding and inevitably this is a bit on the thick side, but it’s not apparent from normal viewing angles. This is a delightful building which will be ideal for those seeking to include a small station (they aren’t called halts these days) on a modern layout. You could stretch a point and use one as a waiting shelter on a Gwr‑era station, too, as they are similar to those provided by the original GWR at some smaller stations. (CJL)