Commission: Leatown, change here for nostalgia...
Leatown - not Lea Bridge, not Silvertown, in fact no where in particular but definitely London and definitely 1970s...
What is even better news is that this layout is going to form a commission and I will be building it over the winter. If you'd like help with bringing your own story to life my layout design process costs just £175. Full commissions are always more focussed and engaging when we can run through this first, so get in touch using the form in the menu here on the website, the email through Facebook or the forums. Until next time, more soon...
My unique layout design process works with you to dig into what you really want from your project - but more than that, our conversation helps us both understand your story, and that's what brings these commissions to life.
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| Silvertown, Chris Morrison photo (https://flic.kr/p/2juzvEm) |
In this case memories of the 1970s and commuting in London, particularly the Western lines but drawn to those in the east for inspiration - there are only so many ways you can arrange track on a small baseboard but how the plan, location and composition are choreographed is the layout designers art.
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| Lea Bridge, photo Jim Freebury (https://flic.kr/p/2n67kDR) |
In this case we explored different ideas and soon settled upon an evolution of the Renfrew and Shades of Mountain Ash plans. By bringing the Silvertown Tramway into the equation the idea of backing off a passenger line with a run around loop before single track off stage down into the industrial or dock area means we can run believable length trains in just 140cm!
Class 25s and 31s rumble in and creep along the decrepit overgrown tramway... short loose coupled freight trains banging and clashing along the poorly maintained trackwork... glimpsed whilst waiting for the mundane blue DMU stood on the platform, itself neglected and rationalised, now served from a stripped down 'waiting room' on the road bridge.
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Hi James
ReplyDeleteThis commission certainly brought some memories. In the 1970’s and 80’s I used to commute into London on trains from the east London suburbs, although the Chingford and Enfield lines, and for a while I worked next to Lea Bridge station before its closure and then reopening. Lea Bridge like several east London stations had connection to a gas works with its own loco and Silverton had the large TW Ward scrap yard and plant depot so many industrial locos there. Also that area gives the possibility of connecting to some of the Port of London Authority railways.
Hope to see more of this
Best regards
Alan
Hi Alan, as you say plenty of opportunity for modelling a mix of mainline and industrial, freight and suburban passenger… and yes, I should be building it over the winter all being well so we should see a lot more of it!
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