Commission: Rushcliffe Halt in OO...
I really enjoy working with customers to develop meaningful layout design with them. The journey from uncertainty to story telling being rewarding for both parties…
The design process, although structured around some fairly logical questions really focuses upon both customer and myself teasing out the story that fuels their passion for model railways. In this instance, Rushcliffe Halt, inspired by memories of early vague memories of train spotting with a grand parent combined with later tangible memories of a specific location the blend of plausible reality could be overlaid on a specific space constraint and desired time period.
These design sketches show a scheme based upon part of the old Great Central. A double track has been rationalised to single and signalling massively rationalised. A loop retained at our location for running around trains serving the off stage industry (which could be gypsum, equally and MOD dump). Shadows of the former glory are illustrated by naked signal posts and the foundations of a signal box.
Design work goes beyond making things look pretty and a meaningful connection - I also consider how operation balances my customers needs despite any space limitations. A layout needs to not only look good, have a personal connection but be entertaining too - in this case sectors help keep things moving in a shorter length and alllow a freight and passenger working to be included.
If you would like to work with me to bring your own layout to life the design process starts at £175. You can contact me on the form here on the website or via email on Facebook (no account required, link in the Modelmaking Commissions page) or the forums. In the meantime, until next time, more soon…
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Hi James
ReplyDeleteHope you had a good weekend and are feeling a little better. I saw your YouTube on the Continental cameo. As you said even in the plywood bahn version it can give pleasurable switching. The only thing missing, which seems strange now, is sound but I imagine the mind can fill that in?
I do like your design another for another cameo commission. I would think your customer will be very happy with that. Having an offstage plant such as a gypsum plant is a good idea. I never visited Rushcliffe but did get to another British Gypsum plant at Hawton in Nottinghamshire. It was rather overgrown, as my notes, say with tall grass and willow herb growing through the tracks and there were some old Victorian brick buildings and some much newer ones which, my notes again say, were probably the gypsum mill and store. Maybe of interest to you and your customer was that in 1970 the works had a Sentinel steam ( one of the standard 100hp models) in steam and a stored but un-photographable 0-4-0ST Peckett.
I visited a couple more British Gypsum works in the very late 1960’s. These were on the edge of the Lake District and I was lucky to see a couple of 0-4-0ST Barclays at work. I can scan some photos if you or your customer are interested.
Best regards
Alan
Thanks Alan, always lovely to see your photos but don’t go to too much trouble.
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