Choosing a region to model

[Caz]

Although I was bought up in Finsbury Park and only a few hundred yards from the railway out of Kings Cross (Eastern?) I model mainly the GWR with a hint of Southern.  The GWR and Southern was the only thing I remember when I was little in that those trains took me on holiday which was a very exciting time.    

[BobB]

I was brought up on the Southern but really only started to notice when I was travelling all over so the actual region is not that important. I don't count rivets but I do like to have a coherent looking roster albeit in a fictional location which I suppose does defeat the purpose anyway.

It was the promise of a class 108 from Farish, a class 33 from Dapol, magnetic uncoupling from Farish and Dapol (what happened to Farish's promise ?) and quite a few existing Tops blue era stuff that converted me (back) to N.

The lack of supply of promised stuff is worse in N than in 00, but I didn't realize that at the time. I think both 00 and N are suffering more now than a few years ago in terms of actual releases of product.

[Yet_Another]

Although still not as far as laying track, my layout's location could best be described as 'within 15 miles of Chester'. Firmly rooted in my memory of seven years to and from school on the train in the mid 70s to early 80s. Blue diesels all the way!

[JasonBz]

It is more  of a Time & Place thing for me than just Trains, though fortunately the two threads do tie in
Ex GW lines in the south west, specifically Cornwall, era is anytime for general interest, but each layout has to be pretty specific, I'm not really much of  a Rule #1 sort.......

I have a passing interest in all sorts of railways, but not quite to the same degree as the GWR.
Maybe a bit of Banger Blue in Sheffield, but again that is more a Sheffield Thing than a Trains Thing.....

[MJKERR]

the Western Region's Class 22s were built in Glasgow, which is definitely in Scotland, but would you consider them a Scottish locomotive?

Yes, but again you need to go to a museum to see one (well bits of one!)

[belstone]

the Western Region's Class 22s were built in Glasgow, which is definitely in Scotland, but would you consider them a Scottish locomotive?

Yes, but again you need to go to a museum to see one (well bits of one!)

There are still some bits left?  New build project ahoy! Seriously, it would be nice to see a North British diesel running, even a replica.  As far as I know the only survivor from NBL's entire post-steam output (apart from a couple of shunters) is a Class 84 electric, and I can't see that returning to the WCML any time soon.

[railsquid]

the Western Region's Class 22s were built in Glasgow, which is definitely in Scotland, but would you consider them a Scottish locomotive?

Yes, but again you need to go to a museum to see one (well bits of one!)

There are still some bits left?  New build project ahoy! Seriously, it would be nice to see a North British diesel running, even a replica.  As far as I know the only survivor from NBL's entire post-steam output (apart from a couple of shunters) is a Class 84 electric, and I can't see that returning to the WCML any time soon.

Conversely, the Western Region's Class 22s were built in Glasgow, which is definitely in Scotland, but would you consider them a Scottish locomotive? I think not. In fact I'm pretty sure that the Glaswegian manufacturers provided locomotives to the various parts of the British Empire as well as places like Argentina and Japan.

At the risk of going off topic - an NBL survivor in Japan, imported here in the 1920s as one of a small batch:

It's still preserved and has been externally restored to original condition, though apparently the internals bear very little resemblance to what was delivered. Was running excursion trains up until about 10 years ago.

[NeMo]

There are still some bits left?  New build project ahoy! Seriously, it would be nice to see a North British diesel running, even a replica.

Then the Class 22 Project would interest you...

http://project22society.co.uk

Flipping this back to the original topic, I dare say a lot of layouts have been built around the Class 22/D6300. They're the classic small West Country diesel, more strongly associated with branchlines than any of the other hydraulics, as well as typical haulage power for interesting types of traffic like milk and china clay.

One thing that the Scottish modellers may well be right about is that either a Class 21/29 or a Class 17 could both prompt similar sorts of layouts set in Scotland that aren't, at the moment, easily modelled. On the steam side of things there do seem to be a variety of 0-6-0 tender engines that you could build a Scottish branchline around.

Of course the parallel isn't perfect. West Country layouts are popular, and the Dapol Class 22 simply made it easier to do one properly. There doesn't seem to be that same level of popularity for Scottish layouts for whatever reason. It may be the lack of appropriate motive power, but then again, it might be they're just not as familiar among the majority of modellers and/or perceived to be as interesting.

Cheers, NeMo

[kirky]

Hi Richard
I think you might know the my anser, but here goes.
as others have said, period is as important as place. My steam era stuff is Scottish, on the GSWR in BR days. Plenty of stock for that; black 5s, royal scots, crabs, 4mts etc.
My (club) modern era layout is ECML in north yorkshire - Northallerton in link below. Loads of stock for that, in fact very little isnt available, only 185s (and that is getting 3ded) and the Adelantes and I think that is available in 3d. Some wagons are lacking, but not much.

Cheers
Kirky

[MJKERR]

There are still some bits left?  New build project ahoy! Seriously, it would be nice to see a North British diesel running, even a replica.

Then the Class 22 Project would interest you...

That is not my quote...

[NeMo]

There are still some bits left?  New build project ahoy! Seriously, it would be nice to see a North British diesel running, even a replica.

Then the Class 22 Project would interest you...

That is not my quote...

Sorry about all the inconvenience caused. I hope that I have not caused any undue distress, and once again, my most profound apologies.

Cheers, NeMo

[pctrainman]

I live and was born in Southend on Sea yet I model BR's Midland region in the late 50's /early 60's as I wanted a Canal and there are none in Essex and I also love the variety of Architecture in that region , strangely it's an area I know by having visited it not well at all , I know the Northeast and I know the West country and Southern England in general yet I chose that region not because it was easy but perhaps more because it to me was hard .

[MJKERR]

Sorry about all the inconvenience caused. I hope that I have not caused any undue distress, and once again, my most profound apologies

Not fussed, just pointing it out and give you the opportunity to edit the post to correct username

I know I was mis-quoted recently in the Press!
Equally, found someone credited as someone else in the Press, they could have checked first!

[martyn]

When I started in N gauge in 1975/76 there was little available RTR. My chosen area was, and still is, the ex GER mainline through Colchester and Ipswich.
RTR locos that were suitable were basically Minitrix  'Britannias', Farish J67s ( I still think they are J67 and not J69-look at the placing of the safety valves-and are much missed) and Lima class 31s..........and later, kit built 37, 47, and some steam classes.
I have been very fortunate, though, that I the last few years a lot of ex-LNER steam and suitable diesel locos have become available.
Martyn

[Bob G]

Well I am a southerner born and bred in Pompey, two miles from Fratton. In OO I took what I could get Dad to buy be in the 1960s, so Winston Churchill and an M7 alongside a Brush type 2, a B12 and a Britannia. But I did have some green coaches.

Then I started in N in 1970 with a Jubilee, Britannia and Warship! This evolved into Minitrix class 27s modified to look like 33s, and Ivatt 2-MT tanks, and a Spitfire BB.

Most of my stock is now 10 years or less in age, as I have kept pace with the fantastic changes in our hobby over the past ten years. I now model the Southern with a layout based on a location near Eastleigh (Bishopstoke) with an EMU shed (Fratton), a steam and diesel MPD (Fratton meets Hither Green), NO GOODS FACILITIES (Its the southern - right - we don't do goods!) and a couple of tunnels each end (Southampton central and Upwey near Weymouth inspired).

I have always modelled what I grew up with, and started to focus on the transition period. Then when I had everything I wanted in that period (some time mid 1990s) I decided to do 1970s blue grey, and now have two eras. Then this latter era stretched to sectorisation, NSE and Eurostar.  I am now cutting back this horribly modern timeline for cost and storage reasons, and a desire to go back to my roots and have more steam on the layout. the new Dapol 33s/Schools/promised Bullieds and the Farish MN and 4-CEPs are simply delightful, and as for Bullied and Maunsell coaches, well.... and then add the three UM southern locos...almost spoilt for choice.

So the 156s/158s/159s/Eurostar will probably have to go as I already have too many foreign visitors (22s/Warships/Hymeks/Westerns) and my end date will probably be mid 80s to allow me to have a 59 in original Foster Yeoman livery. I love aggregate trains. No shunting! I do bend the timelines a lot but not so much the regional bias.

Bob