Modelling Railway Stations E-Book

Ian Lamb

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

Have you ever dreamed of building a model of a favourite railway station for your layout, whether it be a modest branch line station, or a large town terminus? Have you ever wanted to re-create a beautiful station that you have seen at a railway modelling exhibition, or in a magazine, and felt that you needed a helping hand? If so, this is the book for you. Ian Lamb, a modeller of enormous experience, demonstrates how almost anybody, regardless of their modelling skills, can construct a pleasing and presentable model railway station in even a quite limited amount of space. Six specific UK stations, some real and some fictional, are selected as modelling case studies and the author provides detailed, practical information about different aspects of their construction. Throughout the book the author provides step-by-step guidance and illustrations and emphasizes how - with patience- modelling skills, confidence and ambition can all be improved over time. Moreover, he is ever mindful of how costs should be kept down to reasonable levels and reveals how materials and tools can often be the most simple and inexpensive of everyday household items.

Leseprobe

Modelling Railway Stations

A PRACTICAL GUIDE

IAN LAMB

THE CROWOOD PRESS

First published in 2015 by

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2015

© Ian Lamb 2015

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 84797 952 0

Figs 40, 211 and 213 redrawn by Andrew Green

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1   INSPIRATION

CHAPTER 2   WHAT STATION SHOULD BE CREATED?

CHAPTER 3   ENHANCING ‘OFF-THE-SHELF’ MODEL STATIONS

CHAPTER 4   USING KITS AS THE BASIS OF YOUR MODEL STATION

CHAPTER 5   SCRATCH-BUILDING

USEFUL CONTACTS

FURTHER READING

INDEX

FOREWORD

I am not too sure when I first became aware of Ian as it seems to me that he has always been there or thereabouts during my time at Hornby and most definitely after. I do remember this rather dapper gentleman turning up at the various model railway exhibitions that Hornby attended all over the country, normally carrying a carrier bag containing shortbread biscuits that he had brought down from his home in Scotland. He would hand over this parcel of joy to the girls manning the Hornby Collectors’ Club area of the stand, say a few words to them, offer his goodbyes and then leave.

I do remember that the first time that the name ‘Ian Lamb’ registered with me was when the Hornby Collectors’ Club ran a competition in respect of some simple modelling and Ian’s offering was simply outstanding; you can see his model (of Class J83 No. 68474) at the start of the Introduction. Having been advised who Ian was (‘You know, he’s the chap who brings the shortbread to the shows’) I became more aware of his interest in railways and his passion for modelling. He is also passionate about encouraging newcomers to the hobby and has proven to be a great ambassador for model railways with his regular appearances at shows, either assisting with controlling a model layout or exhibiting his own.

Over the years Ian and I have regularly met, normally on the Hornby Stand at exhibitions, and have had numerous conversations in respect of the state of the hobby and what could be done to encourage others to not only purchase a train set but also to expand their set into a model railway. Like me he believes that there are very few people who are natural modellers and that building a fully scenic layout can take time, patience and more than a smattering of trial and error. Therefore it came as no surprise to me when Ian told me he wanted to create a book that would help the novice modeller. He was very much aware that there were plenty of books and on-line information that described the basics but for him it was the station make-up and construction that he needed to focus on, which again came as no surprise to me, having seen his modelling prowess in the past.

Simon at his best.

This book has been very much a labour of love for Ian, but true to his values he has put his heart and soul into producing something that due to his eye for detail, while keeping things simple, will most definitely be of interest to not only the newcomer to the hobby but also the accomplished modeller.

If you are reading this foreword before parting with your hard-earned money, buy it – you will not regret the investment! If you have already purchased this book then well done, because what you now have to hand is a detailed instruction book that will guide you through various stages of how to create not just a station but an area on your layout that will attract definite attention by the onlookers and I am sure more than your fair share of compliments.

Enjoy your modelling.

Simon Kohler

Recipient of the BRM Lifetime Achievement Award

PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book seeks to take the reader on a journey from train set to exhibition-standard layout, and – like any good excursion – to allow them to alight whenever and wherever they want, to explore the immediate environment. Undoubtedly (as so often happens in life) though the reader may have intended travelling all the way from one terminus to another, having alighted at an appropriate station they may suddenly find it has everything they wanted,so why go further? From that experience, and achieving a skill level that satisfies their aspirations, they should still be able to appreciate the wider model railway environment.

As a child growing up in Edinburgh I loved the poems (and stories) of one of her greatest sons – Robert Louis Stevenson – and was well aware of the love he had for the railway environment, which the following verse clearly demonstrates. Hopefully in your modelling you will be able to create such an atmosphere and find your own special station – or should I say ‘Treasure Island’?

I must record my due appreciation to David Coasby of The Model Railway Club, London and Dennis Lovett of the Milton Keynes Model Railway Society (perhaps better known as the Public Relations Manager, Bachmann plc) who have guided my pen – or should I say keyboard – in the production of this book. Where other modellers’ work is shown to illustrate specific points, their contribution is acknowledged in the relevant captions.

Keeping things within the family, grateful thanks are recorded to my sister Kathleen, a primary school teacher, for ensuring the text was grammatically correct, and to my brother-in-law, Eric Dale, for his time and patience over the years in producing the quality photographs that are so essential in supporting model railway writing.

From a Railway Carriage

Faster than fairies, faster than witches,

Bridges and houses, hedges and ditches;

And charging along like troops in a battle,

All through the meadows, horses and cattle:

All of the sights of the hill and plain

Fly as thick as driving rain;

And ever again, in the wink of an eye,

Painted stations whistle by.

Here is a child who clambers and scrambles,

All by himself and gathering brambles;

There is a tramp who stands and gazes;

And here is the green for stringing daisies!

There is a cart run away on the road

Lumping along with man and load;

And here is a mill and there is a river;

Each a glimpse and gone forever!

RLS

Thanks are recorded to George Dent (Model Rail magazine’s model maker) for providing an accurate image on which to base the station sign for the Dent station model, and indeed for his help with the finer parts of that model.

It is all very well being a reasonable modeller, but quite another to create clear images that others can follow. I am constantly learning, and therefore extremely grateful to Iain Fairweather (a professional photographer) for his patience and understanding in my striving to produce reasonable pictures showing modelling progress.

When it comes to ‘fine scale’ modelling – such as within Chapter 5, on scratch-building – I have called on the services and support of Steve Nall, whose speciality is the Cornish railway scene.

While Dennis Lovett of Bachmann gave me the confidence and encouragement to take on this book, the principal practical elements were only possible through the unstinting support of ‘Mr Hornby’ himself, Simon Kohler, that company’s former Marketing Manager.

And, finally – but by no means least – thanks go to all the manufacturers who painstakingly do everything they can to ensure that we modellers have the products needed and desired, and who have been only too kind in their support for items featured in this book.

Fig. 1 Some scenes never change, so all eras of railway history can be covered there. This model display shows a ‘real time’ impression, featuring Bachmann’s Class 66 in Colas Rail Freight livery emerging from Doddenham Cutting beneath the Coal Road Viaduct, with a southbound train of timber wagons.

INTRODUCTION

As the title suggests, this book is primarily how to go about modelling railway stations. It does not show how to make baseboards, or how to select the best paint or the ideal adhesive to use. There are plenty of sources of literature available to give such advice. Nevertheless, most of the stations illustrated within these pages are set as part of a completed layout to show them off to their best advantage, and my personal choice of modelling products beyond those used for modelling just the stations is mentioned where appropriate. New materials are regularly coming onto the market, and it is up to the modeller to try them out and determine the ones best suited to their requirements.

From a modelling perspective OO gauge is my primary interest, and all my creations are based on sites known personally to me in childhood or which have a specific reference to family members. In particular, my Great Uncle John spent most of his working life simply shunting coaches in and out of the east platforms of Edinburgh’s Waverley station, usually in the perennial gloom of ‘Auld Reekie’ (the nickname for the city due to the heavy chimney smoke from surrounding buildings).

It is fair to say that the vast majority of railway modellers are probably quite happy simply to create a layout with whatever they purchase from their local shop or through mail order, a layout that is not necessarily representative of any specific era or company. In many respects that is the main attraction of our hobby: it can be whatever the modeller wants it to be. My railway interests go well beyond the limited scope of the models I possess. Consequently, it is my hope that ideas developed over many years can be used by others, regardless of what era they may be modelling.

Fig. 2 14 May 1952 and Class J83 0-6-0T 68474 on station pilot duty at Edinburgh Waverley. This vast amphitheatre forming the Scottish capital’s main railway station can really be appreciated here with the dramatic backcloth of St Andrews House (Government offices) providing the perfect scenic break for the modeller. The mass of tracks around the tank engine gives some idea of how much space would be required if a model of the railway station was seriously being contemplated.BRIAN MORRISON

Fig. 3 My model of the locomotive in the previous picture. While this book is not about detailing locomotives, such an item is obviously an essential part of the scene. There is little point in being as accurate as possible in constructing or enhancing a railway station if the items running through it are not also given such attention. ‘Out-of-the-box’ or bland basic models without any detail enhancement could spoil the illusion that is intended.

Fig. 4 Chalford GWR station; a Prototype Models building kit made to order. The station itself was situated on the Swindon– Gloucester main line. It was the terminal point of a railmotor service from Gloucester. A shed and yard existed to accommodate this train, later replaced with the conventional 14XX auto-train.

Fig. 5 Dent station today; a setting that has changed little since it was created in 1876. The construction of this station and its immediate surroundings is described in Chapter 3.

Traditionally, model railway aspirations come from a basic train set, but options are limited if your first set is that of the ‘Flying Scotsman’ rather than a small goods or suburban train. To be effective the former will need a great deal of space, whereas the latter can produce much fun and satisfaction at a smaller size: this is why branch lines tend to be so popular. Over the years the Great Western Railway branches proved ideal prototypes for such models, especially as the model manufacturers tended to mass-produce fine specimens for such a situation. However, if – like me – you want to model a specific location, then you may have no option but to ‘scratch build’, as I did with my model of Leven station in Scotland.

In my case, trains had to run through a realistic station (especially as many were headed by express engines), and it took me many years to choose Leven as an ideal solution for a compact station with relatively long trains when required. This place was reasonably familiar to me because of family day visits to the seaside, but it was not until I took up a teaching post in 1965 with Fife County Council that I really had the opportunity to study the station and – fortunately – take lots of pictures of the buildings as the ‘East Neuk’ line was about to close, followed by the remaining Leven–Thornton Junction section a few years later. With only two platforms, a simple track format and prototypical trains to and from Edinburgh and Glasgow, at no time is there a sense of not achieving a realistic setting in a station occupying a 15 × 72in (38 × 180cm) baseboard.

Fig. 6 Dava station changed little in over a century of service, and is shown here in its LMS days in the 1930s. Sheets of set scenes can be obtained from most model railway retail outlets, but on this occasion – not least of all because it was essential to create the desired Highland atmosphere – there was no better method than to stand on the remains of the station and photograph the open moor, pasting these images onto the back scene, carefully joining them up to form one long view. In planning a specific location there is often no option but to scratch-build; however, an enhanced Hornby footbridge works well here. Accuracy of locomotives and rolling stock is so important if you want to create a truly realistic scene. The two trains shown here are an amalgam of kit-built and off-the-shelf.ERIC DALE

By the same token, exhibition viewers of my Dava layout find it hard to believe that the model covers an area just 11 × 7ft (3.34 × 2.13m). The primary exhibit is the station, yet within the overall size there are also steam and diesel locomotive servicing yards, carriage sidings and a goods depot. Models made both by me and by others will be used by way of examples throughout this book, but I feel obliged to emphasize that the ideas themselves are not dependent on a specific choice of scale or prototype.

David Jenkinson – best known for his involvement with the establishment of the National Railway Museum – was so right when he said ‘The acid test of whether or not a historical model railway has atmosphere is the extent to which it can stand inspection without any trains in view.’ The moment a train – or other prominent vehicle – is put on display, they ‘date’ the setting, thus reducing modelling options. Stations like Dava and Leven changed very little during their existence over a century. Even Dent – still in use after more than 150 years – has had little real change to its structure over that period of time.

Fig. 7 A selection of magazines for the railway modeller. Study them all to determine the one most suited to your needs and tastes.To a certain extent there is a great similarity between one magazine and another, which inevitably means choosing the periodical ‘off-the-hoof’or because a particular issue has content that is of relevance to what is being modelled at the time.

Railway modelling techniques are much the same regardless of what era is chosen, and a considerable number of excellent books are available for reference and support. Supplement modelling enthusiasm by subscribing to an appropriate model railway magazine in order to be kept up-to-date and pick up new ideas.

Before determining what station would best suit your requirements, do give a lot of thought to the illusion you wish to create, as disappointment could arise should your results not match expectations. Too many people have given up on the hobby when things have not gone as planned, and that is very sad indeed for what should be a life-time pursuit. As for whether or not to scratch-build a station, construct it from a kit or simply purchase it ready-made, this is very much a personal choice, and in the following chapters we will look at various options open to the modeller.

Once the excitement and enjoyment of seeing your first model railway in operation has been achieved, you may well give thought to expansion and development. That is the moment when one’s love for the hobby either comes to an abrupt halt or continues maybe for a lifetime. It will surely include a personally unique ‘centre of operations’ – your special railway station. You should remember to have fun and a sense of pride as your ‘masterpiece’ evolves towards exhibition standard. I hope that the latter is what you will aspire to, and that this book helps you along the way to create even the most modest part of our rich railway station heritage in model form. Happy modelling!

CHAPTER ONE

INSPIRATION

ESTABLISHING A MODELLING STRATEGY