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Old 27th January 2007, 23:01
meurglysIII meurglysIII is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: golborne, warrington
Posts: 249
Makerfield, my 1970s North West UK layout

Well, you learn something every day. Today I learned that stuff you've made, which looks perfectly good to the naked eye, looks not quite so good when you photograph it.

I intend to put together a web page/blog thing detailing the progress of building my attic railway,"Makerfield". It's set in the late 1970s in the area between Warrington and Wigan, hence the name, which is that of the surrounding Borough. In reality, by that time the railway was electrified with overhead wires, but I'm not ready to add those yet.

This is a project which has taught me the basics of woodworking, electrics and modelling in card and plastic. Until I get the web page together, here's a few pics of progress so far.

Over the past week or so I've been building a row of houses based on terraced rows typical in this area. Here's a pic of them nearing completion. Interior lights are fitted to all buildings made so far. I still need to add drainpipes and touch up the painting:

http://www.clockworkcommunications.c...out/houses.jpg

Here they are in position on the layout. As you can see, the council needs to come back and finish the pavement.

http://www.clockworkcommunications.c...ut/layout2.jpg

Another shot of the station area. As this is the 1970s, a period when the railway was in a state of extreme dilapidation, I'm aiming for a kind of drab, skronky northern feel, which is how I remember it. At a later date I will add some station signs, people, and maybe a couple of billboards advertising the latest movies (Star Wars, Grease etc) or XTC's White Music / Drums & Wires LP (to make up for the lack of publicity they got from Virgin at the time....)

http://www.clockworkcommunications.c...ut/layout1.jpg

Motive power is currently Bachmann class 40 and 24, which are excellent performers, plus a load of not-so-great Lima and Joueff forties, etc. which I bought second hand but rarely use. More Bachmann stock will be added, plus one of the forthcoming Hornby 56s and a class 108 for the bay platform service to Liverpool, when they release the all-blue, full yellow ends version. (available cash permitting).......

I'm enjoying the process of photographing stuff then modelling it. The houses are based on those alongside the railway near here, the station building is a shortened version of the one at St. Helens Junction, the bridge is based on that at Golborne and my next project is a small industrial building based on this reference:

http://www.clockworkcommunications.c...ut/joinery.jpg

It's a hobby and it keeps me off the streets.

By the way, the station lamp you can see is obviously not of the corrrect period. It's a Veissmann kit. It should really be the "T" shaped BR station lamp, if anyone knows where I can get working models of these please let me know. I need about ten!
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