Spirit of Swindon Layout

longbow · March 29, 2018, 11:29:42 AM

First outing for Will Heath's superb N Gauge rendition of Swindon station in 1959 - "Spirit of Swindon" starts at 3:06 on the video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV9qnAmKKUI&t=1623s

tutenkhamunsleeping · March 29, 2018, 11:40:38 AM

Lovely, thanks for the link

CarriageShed · March 29, 2018, 01:16:15 PM

That certainly is very impressive. Is there a build thread anywhere...? Can't spot one on a quick Google.

longbow · March 29, 2018, 08:35:29 PM

There is a newly created blog here but with little yet to see:

https://spirit-of-swindon.com/

Hailstone · March 30, 2018, 12:23:28 AM

I look forward to seeing/hearing more about this layout

Regards,

Alex

Bealman · March 30, 2018, 12:36:43 AM

Excellent layout. The buildings are very well modelled.

The BP (Brown Pullman, not Blue) did have a problem in one of the shots, though!

BoxTunnel · March 30, 2018, 12:41:08 AM

What an impressive layout. I'm sure I caught a brief glimpse from behind of my old watering hole The GW, just opposite the current station entrance.

kerrcophony · March 30, 2018, 01:08:39 AM

Remarkable. It really does capture the spirit of the place. Thanks for sharing.

I'll be in town on Saturday, so will look at the station in a different light now. The line is undergoing unsightly gantrification now...

Chris Morris · August 26, 2018, 04:45:12 PM

This is a brilliant piece of work and shows what can be done in N gauge. Awesome.
There is a downside however. I don't want to be a killjoy and I can see the builder has clearly put in a huge effort. In order to get the layout just right I respectfully suggest the owner does a little more homework on what stock goes with what locos. In the RM this month there is a photo of a maroon Warship which did not exist until 1966 pulling a train with some crimson and cream coaches which would have all gone by then. The train of mixed maroon, chocolate and cream and crimson and cream coaches is great and accurate but only up until 1960 or maybe 1961 at a push on the main line. Likewise on the video the milk train has a Warship with a yellow warning panel hauling a milk train with a crimson and cream brake. Yellow panels did not begin to be applied until 1962 and although there may have been a few crimson and cream brakes still around it is a unlikely combination and itge livery would be so faded and dirty as to not be recognisable as crimson and cream. This might sound pedantic but when so much brilliant work has gone in to creating such a great scene it seems a shame to let it down by something that is relatively simple to get right.

Chris Morris · August 26, 2018, 04:49:45 PM

I hope the above comments are seen as constructive. I am very much looking forward to seeing this layout at the Swindon Steam show in a couple of weeks. I expect it will be the star of the show.

trkilliman · August 26, 2018, 07:15:20 PM

A miscarriage then. It's one of those slight time errors that can often be seen on layouts if you are looking. That said what one person will pick up on another will miss, and vice-versa. You are correct though Chris Morris it is a brilliant piece of work.

Southerngooner · August 27, 2018, 10:57:22 AM

It's been in Railway Modeller for the last three months so there is a lot about the build there if you are interested. Nice layout!

Bealman · August 27, 2018, 11:14:05 AM

Yeah, just been looking at episode three. Nice work - I'm not that much of a perfectionist to worry too much about train consists.

AlexanderJesse · August 27, 2018, 12:38:03 PM

Quote from: Chris Morris on August 26, 2018, 04:45:12 PM
This is a brilliant piece of work and shows what can be done in N gauge. Awesome.
There is a downside however. I don't want to be a killjoy and I can see the builder has clearly put in a huge effort. In order to get the layout just right I respectfully suggest the owner does a little more homework on what stock goes with what locos. In the RM this month there is a photo of a maroon Warship which did not exist until 1966 pulling a train with some crimson and cream coaches which would have all gone by then. The train of mixed maroon, chocolate and cream and crimson and cream coaches is great and accurate but only up until 1960 or maybe 1961 at a push on the main line. Likewise on the video the milk train has a Warship with a yellow warning panel hauling a milk train with a crimson and cream brake. Yellow panels did not begin to be applied until 1962 and although there may have been a few crimson and cream brakes still around it is a unlikely combination and itge livery would be so faded and dirty as to not be recognisable as crimson and cream. This might sound pedantic but when so much brilliant work has gone in to creating such a great scene it seems a shame to let it down by something that is relatively simple to get right.

True and false...

What are the percentage of observers that can spot those "errors" in train composition? If you show such a layout to the public where most do know these timeline issues... but the train pleases the eye, then the "errors" are no errors. If you know that almost everybody will recognize them, then,... the errors are errors.

Funny that in the german 1zu160.net forum a similar discussion happened this weekend

Jerry Howlett · August 27, 2018, 03:13:56 PM

Well I liked it!

The buildings on the "downside" thats adjacent to the tracks as the trains were moving right to left, were great representations of the swindon I remember.
I had even forgot about the platform closest to the camera. Didn't look closely as he has probably missed off the "fresh milk" vending machine that my brother and I would take sustance from....

I would love to see this model in the "flesh" even if it had a Class 66 towing a rake of clerestories....

Jerry