Au revoir to the Isle of Stoner…

I first visited John Wooden’s wonderful 009 model railway, the Isle of Stoner in 2019. I think it feels as if it was longer as I was familiar with John’s modelling from 2016, when I started modelling in the scale and joined NGRM. John used to update a blog himself, sadly not for a couple of years…

Always a pleasure to see him, and he mentioned at the Porthmadog show when we caught up there that he had sold his house so a final visit became more pressing. I am honoured to be the last visitor, and despite some of the layout already having been removed it was a great deal of fun to run a service from Upper Bay to Underhill. 

John’s layout was inspired by layouts like Dick Wyatt’s Dovey Valley (another friends defunct blog shows some photos). It is deeply enjoyable to run trains between two places, through scenery… even nicer in good company, with warm conversation and rather lovely and characterful modelling.

For whilst it isn’t hyper realistic, it is all consistent. The locomotives , the stock, the scenery all of John’s hand, his palette, his art. It is amusing and fun of course, but even whimsy is grounded in some form of reality which gives it just the right degree if believability, it was a slightly meloncholic feeling to be here to celebrate the layouts life, whilst contemplating its inevitable end…

This isn’t the end of the Isle of Stoner - just this incarnation. I have seen photos of John’s mew office / workshops / model room which will allow a reasonable model railway to live in the warmth and comfort of ‘the inside’ and not be banished to the garage. What that model portrays and how it treats the history and story of the island to another installment will be followed by many of us with curiosity and enthusiastic encouragement…

I took two trains with me - a first and a latest. My Narrow Planet O&K hauled a train from Creech Bottom (top photo) and my EuroNG Jung Bn2t a collection of more recent models. A fitting book ending of my models, of similar time period as the layout itself.

As usual John ran some eclectic models. The smooth and powerful Kerr Stuart using the Minitrains F&C reminded me of a simpler time in the hobby…

… whereas the Bachmann N gauge ‘James’ a completely delightful curiousity, Scratchbuild and bashed uppers, a wonderful and narrow locomotive - reminding me in part of Colonel Stephen’s ‘Gazelle’.

The last train to Upper Bay was hauled by one of John’s older models - and he thought this might be the actual end, the last train, beginning to dismantle the layout, with a heavy heart this week. Saving structures and trees, but this incarnation will be no more. 

The only thing certain in life is change, and I am pleased to have been able to enjoy a good friends company and celebrate something of the life of his magical model railway here on the blog. I hope to report on a visit to Port Lucy in the near future, but for now, let us remember this model from these photos and until next time, more soon…

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