Commission: Urban Switching Shelf…

I really enjoy working on commissions. In the case of design work it often introduces me to prototypes and locations I’m unfamiliar, and this example is no different…

My customer is a life long modeller currently working on a larger project. Feeling stale and hankering after something more, perhaps a chance to model a different period or railroad, perhaps just a place to play trains - working through the layout design process we identified a deep emotional connection to t channel through the project as well as some potential locations to draw upon for inspiration. When you consider a 6 foot long shelf that are only so many ways to arrange track and turnouts, so rather than hours spent on operation and track plan design this was a exercise in dressing the scheme with period architecture to evoke semi-urban Chicago.

Discovering this prototype, enjoying found videos on YouTube, period photos on Flickr and imagining myself watching the switching operation on a busy suburban street on any typical weekday has been a wonderful experience. My customer and I are separated by the Atlantic Ocean, but as I remarked to him towards the end of the work, I would love to come round for a beer and help him build then operate this little scene. 

If you’d like to work with me on developing your own dream model railway my layout design process starts from just £180. You can get in touch via the contact form here on my website, or via email (which is listed on my Facebook page, you don’t need a Facebook account to find that). I love being exposed to a diverse range of prototypes, scales and gauges, layouts large and small. Working together we build a relationship that results in a scheme that feels as much you as me. 

In this specific case, I hope Joe is happy to share photos as he progresses with the build. However, until next time, more soon…

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