Commission: Bishopsbourne layout…

Earlier in the week I shared a video overview of Bishopsbourne. Today a few photos to mark it's departure to it's new home...

If you cast your memory back to last year you'll recall this scheme was for a customer with an interest more in WW2 memorabilia, who happened to be rather taken with Oxford Rail's 'Boche Buster' rail mounted canon. During the war one was stationed on the Elham Valley route at Bishopsbourne, stored whilst out of use in a short tunnel north of the station.

The servicemen guarding the weapon lived near the tunnel mouth in an old grounded van, where the officers had a 3 axle coach stabled in the goods yard of the station. The story goes that when coal or other fuels were delivered this needed to be moved and shunted into the platform whilst the delivery was made. It is these human elements, these stories the were woven into the fabric of this caricature of a layout. 

In reality the station was over 700m from the road bridge, which would equate to over 9m in 4mm/ft scale. We've compressed reality, cutting out the 'green space' and creating characters of the tunnel and station. Elements of the prototype remain, but have been rather exagerated, in this case shrunk in the horizontal, to fit out available space whilst allowing the story to be told.

As I say in the video, it was an unusual commission for me, as although it is scenically complete and fully operational I have not added fine details. These will entertain my customer in the coming months and years as he enjoys the layout at home. I would focus upon some further trees around the tunnel, and by the grounded van in the foreground, I'd perhaps add some signage around the station and some telegraph poles.

In the words of my customer:

I am over the moon with how it's looking now and think you have done an amazing job - it has really come to life. I love the little pathway as it adds to the sense of depth and suggests, perhaps, a little shortcut made by the engineers (in the grounded van) when they visited the RA boys in the farm behind the tunnel. The back scene blends in very well indeed. I like the fence too, just seems to belong there. I think the station end works so well with the road bridge and I don't think I would have come up with that myself. Whilst it is ready to go as it is, I can see it also gives me a little scope to add small details over time - exactly as I requested.

This has been an enjoyable project. If you'd like some help with either the design or realisation of an existing layout project then get in touch. I offer a complete service working with you throughout the process to ensure what we deliver is exactly as you hoped whilst giving you the feeling you've been a part of the creative process through every step of the journey. In the meantime, more soon...

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