Model railways based on a preserved railway?

[nat67]

Hi folks, has anyone based their model railway layout on a preserved layout even if it does really exist?

Like for instance The Landy Valley Railway which can be seen on Youtube, or the Trundley Close railway centre.

I have based my model railway layout on 3 3/4 miles of non-fiction preserved railway with both steam and diesel operating on aa singl track with station passing loop.

It also has a jet aircraft museum next to it with Airfix / Revell Percival Jet Provosts and Blackburn Buccaneers next to the station car park.

 

[John Webb]

My own small layout is based on a preserved railway: single line coming to station with passing loop and going off again to single line, goods yard used for demo freight trains and the goods shed for wagon restoration. Reason for this was I could run anything I liked and have an intensive service that a real branch line would never have! Most of my locos are ones that are preserved, albeit on different railways, but that's a benefit - in real life they move around as well.
Haven't done much with it of late - got rather involved with a certain full-scale preservation project.

 

[alexl92]

I don't currently have a layout, just a collection of stock. But I'm collecting with the intention of creating a preserved railway when I can eventually build my own layout. I think it's a great way to run whatever you like!

 

[Cowley]

I like to model the decay and neglect of the BR blue era, but I do have a Standard 4 with a blood and custard mk1 as its support coach to run as a steam special.
It’s quite difficult to catch the character of a standard gauge preserved line in model form in some ways.
The model would have to be really good and the buildings etc weathered properly even if the locomotives are prestine. A few sheeted over coaches and the odd rusting ex Barry hulk would add to the atmosphere and be fun to recreate.
I think it’s easier to model preserved narrow gauge in a way.

 

[SCH117X]

I have a layout that can operate BR(SR) c 1960 or c1966 or as a preserved railway. In the case of the latter I use genuinely preserved locos along with visitors from the national network as too many preserved layouts on the exhibition circuit I find unrealistic as they feature long lost classes. Even then there is a balance to get to keep it realistic due to the actual periods of operation of preserved locos so for example "Evening Star" and "Butler Henderson" may appear together but certainly not along with a DRS 68.

 

[Journeyman]

I've sometimes toyed with the idea of modelling a main line/heritage interchange, something like a through station served by BR trains, with a bay platform for heritage trains. My imaginary scenario is that the station was formerly the junction for a freight-only line that was recently closed, and the heritage operation is in its very early days - a small yard could house stock under restoration, and short, simple trains could realistically be run with a range of small locos.

 

[Bevan Price]

Except on pure "branch line" layouts, there is often no reason to consider visiting motive power to be totally unrealistic, especially on passenger services. Especially in the 1950s & 1960s, railtours & excursions brought "foreign" locos onto lines where they were not often seen. Just a few examples:

LMSR Black 5's and 8F 2-8-0s visited every region - Black 5s even reaching locations such as Bournemouth, Weymouth, Sussex & Kent coasts as late as 1965/66 - on service trains.
GWR locos - including Halls & 28xx 2-8-0s reached at least as far as Southampton. And due to a series of misjudgements, a "Grange" 4-6-0 once reached Huddersfield.
LNER locos - Classes B1 reached Blackpool, Southport, North Wales, on summer extras, and also reached parts of the Western & Southern regions. Even a B16 reached Southport on an excursion.
Class V2 (and Duchesses) were temporarily used at Waterloo when Bulleid Pacifics had a "problem".
SR locos - Bulleid Pacifics were used in Northern England on 1960s railtours - and at least one "Schools" 4-4-0 worked in the area on a tour -- and was returned south on a GC Main line passenger service.

So, no reason why any "main line" layout should not include an occasional "railtour" using just about any type of loco. that existed at the time you are modelling -- and that also includes using freight locos on passenger stock (my first railtour trip involved ex-LNWR 0-8-0s...)

 

[K Macdonald]

Just today, I was looking at the Didcot Railway Centre on Google Maps.
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.6130484,-1.2451553,1168m/data=!3m1!1e3

For modelling, with a bit of poetic license, the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton line still exists.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Didcot,_Newbury_and_Southampton_Railway
So loads of visiting LMS and SR trains are passing through, as well as the local GWR.
With the mainline now being electrified, there's no end to the types of trains that could be there.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

My layout in planning is a heritage line. I only have very limited space, so a preserved line can legitimately run one or two coach trains, but with varied motive power.

I think there is great opportunity for unusual scenic details - station buildings converted into coffee shops, the obligatory gift shop, viewing areas for the loco shed, plus the line of unrestored coaches and wagons.

 

[Cowley]

I’ve just spent the evening at a friends house, he’s got various projects going and his latest one is model of Staverton in N gauge on the South Devon Railway.
It means he can run almost anything from any era (not broad gauge though ).
He’s found a printable station kit thingy online which will make things somewhat easier.

 

[GusB]

I’ve just spent the evening at a friends house, he’s got various projects going and his latest one is model of Staverton in N gauge on the South Devon Railway.
It means he can run almost anything from any era (not broad gauge though ).
He’s found a printable station kit thingy online which will make things somewhat easier.

Would that be Scalescenes.com ? I've had a look through their website, and some their buildings look quite useful, with the benefit that you pay once and print off as many as you need. There are a couple of freebies on there as well. I'll be giving them a try once I manage to persuade my printer that it does actually have ink...

 

[Cowley]

Would that be Scalescenes.com ? I've had a look through their website, and some their buildings look quite useful, with the benefit that you pay once and print off as many as you need. There are a couple of freebies on there as well. I'll be giving them a try once I manage to persuade my printer that it does actually have ink...

I think it might be but he just showed me a screenshot. I’ll have a look later, I’ve been thinking about modelling a real location which is not something I’ve done before.
Probably something for a new thread though.

 

[MarkyT]

I think it might be but he just showed me a screenshot. I’ll have a look later, I’ve been thinking about modelling a real location which is not something I’ve done before.
Probably something for a new thread though.

Something based on Totnes or Paignton could illustrate a blend of contemporary mainline operations with the heritage scene, including excursion working between mainline and heritage line.