A layout at last weekend's Spalding Model Railway Club Exhibition had a section which was just a double track passing through a great scenic area. The layout has a terminal station at the right hand end, a locomotive depot and freight yard, then the countryside section before entering an off-stage fiddle (staging) yard on the left end. This is an overall view of the country section. The fiddle yard is just through the bridge which acts as a scenic break The signal box
The locomotive shed roof (with all the smoke stacks) can be seen above the bridge. The station is beyond. A couple of pics of the "allotments" area where locals are tending their crops This layout which is 00 scale, won the shield for the best layout in the show.
Hi Alan, nice pics. The name of this layout is Westford, I've seen it a couple of times at shows, some very nice modelling, and it's a well thought out & run layout. They have a website at: http://www.tbowden.freeserve.co.uk/ I've dropped a note on their guestbook so maybe they will "drop in for a chat" at some point.
There is just something so visually pleasing seeing a layout like this. It looks just the way a prototype would look. I think a lot of todays layouts try to squeeze far too much trackage into as much space as possible.
Thanks for the website link, Martyn. I could not remember the name of the layout Good website of an excellent layout.
Hi Guys, thanks for your kind comments. Its great to hear that other people appreciate the overall effect that we were trying to achieve. Once again, Many thanks. Westford Homepage
Fenton, Welcome to the TrainBoard, it's great to have you aboard!! The Westford is truly Fine Scale if the photos on your website are anywhere close to being representative .. ! [ 16. November 2002, 03:45: Message edited by: Hank Coolidge ]
Welcome to Trainboard, Fenton. You have done a wonderful job with the layout, it really brought back good memories for me, from my "train spotting" era It is certainly a big commitment to transport a layout that size around to exhibitions. Thanks for giving us a lot of pleasure. It runs as good as it looks
Great photos of a beautiful looking layout, i really like the green! It looks so real! One day i hope my modeling skills reach that level.
Hello all, I'm pleased to hear you liked the layout. Nice pictures Alan, digital camera I guess. Paul, the part of the layout in the pictures is simple but the station is a little more complex, see the pictures on our web site. Fenton, only 10 weeks to the next outing, so get those coached finished. Thanks all Gary
Alan, Hank & Ironhorseman, Thank you all for the welcome. Alan, it all fits into a Transit van (I dont know the US equivalent, sorry) so it is not too much trouble to move around, and due to Westford being 51 feet long we dont get to play trains at home. BTW your DMU built for your Canadian customer looked wonderful. Hank, Alan is correct about 4mm being close to HO scale but being British we have to be awkward and use HO (3.5mm/foot) scale track with OO(4mm/foot) for everything else. This is something to do with manufacturing problems many years ago. I dont know the whole story. By the way, Gary Stone in the post above is another Westford man. Westford Homepage
(QUOTE)Hank, Alan is correct about 4mm being close to HO scale but being British we have to be awkward and use HO (3.5mm/foot) scale track with OO(4mm/foot) for everything else. This is something to do with manufacturing problems many years ago. I dont know the whole story.(/QUOTE) Sorry Hank, I meant Bill.
Hi everyone, Thought I ought to introduce myself, didn't want to be left out I am the third member of the Westford team, I didn't have a lot to do with the building of the layout, but I have built a lot of the rolling stock & locomotives. I am also the one responcible for the Westford Website . I would like to add my thanks to you all for the kind remarks posted. Terry Bowden Westford Modellers Group
Hey Fenton ... don't sweat the small stuff. We don't get hung up with details ... even if we aware of them. BTW, please tell your compatriot Terry, that down here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast the phrase he used is not pronounced "you all". It's pronounced "Y'All", unless you mean 3 or more, then it's "All Y'All", roughly translated as "A Whole Bunch"!!! [ 17. November 2002, 01:45: Message edited by: Hank Coolidge ]
Hello Gary, welcome aboard Yes, a small entry-level digital, but it does a good job! I can not fit your names to faces, but I am the person who mentioned that a dmu had run over an adverse point in the station I wish now that I had taken photos of more of your layout, it has a good balance between a busy station and locomotive area and that wonderful open countryside. By the way, that animated gif of the Blue Pullman on your website is amazing! Who needs video.
Alan, on the Sunday at Spalding I was running the fiddle yard, Gary is the clean shaven one and Terry is the taller one with the tash, both at the station end.
Ah, Fenton, then it was you I spoke to about whatever is on the layout, visitors want to see what is in the fiddle yard It would have been Terry I told about the dmu.
