7mm Stroudley Park

[SouthernFan Ian]

Situated somewhere in the Croydon area in Southern Railway days, this layout is slightly shy of eight feet long without the fiddle yard. Although small and somewhat cramped, Stroudley Park provides enough entertainment for me at home shunting a few wagons about.
Behind the station is a suggestion of a park entrance with a statue of William Stroudley keeping an eye on the railway. The station building is scratchbuilt, inspired by Streatham Hill and my building features the station name on the roof to aid pilots to find their way to Croydon Airport.
Welcome to Stroudley Park, exLBSCR in Southern Railway days......

 

[3 LINK]

Looks amazing Ian, are you or have you installed a third rail ?

Martyn.

 

[SouthernFan Ian]

Third rail has been installed ready for the electric service to the city and the coast. The layout is DCC and there will be much Westinghouse pumping and 2NOL compressor running!
One aspect of 7mm modelling I really enjoy is creating and photographing believable cameos. In the past, I dabbled in military modelling and military modellers have a very different approach to us railway modellers, that experience influences my approach to model making and I enjoy creating scenes that 'tell a story' as in: Naughty schoolboys William and Anthony have snuck through the fence on 'Chalk Bank Terrace' to see a rare sight at Stroudley Park, one of Mr Bulleid's three cylinder beauties, a yet to be named West Country number 21C116.

 

[3 LINK]

Brilliant, look forward to any updates, more pictures or videos the better .

Martyn.

 

[cbrailways]

Yes. excellent stuff. As with my layout, its supprising what you can squeeze into a small space in 7mm providing you are happy to accept the short train lengths (which I am). Could you share a trackplan with us all?

 

[SouthernFan Ian]

Not so much a trackplan Chris, more of a concept drawing.
í

 

[cbrailways]

Hi Ian. Thanks for that. I assume you can just fit a 2-Car NOL EMU in the platform(s)?

 

[SouthernFan Ian]

Just Chris, a push-pull trailer and loco fits much better. Such are the compromises with small layouts. I do have plans to run my West Country with a twelvè wheeled exLBSC directors saloon. Here's the West Country to be going on with. Inspired by a couple of pictures in the Irwell Press Book of the West Countries of a very grubby un-named Wilton. Here's my interpretation - 21C116 Bodmin.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Not tempted by a 2-Wim (ex-LBSC) electric set as used on the West Croydon - Wimbledon services?

o-43-2WIM-driving-motor-brake-composite by rue_d_etropal on Shapeways

o-43-2WIM-driving-trailer-3rd by rue_d_etropal on Shapeways

 

[SouthernFan Ian]

Very tempted Dave, is it 7mm scale? Ideally, I'd like a 2BIL but there's nothing out there that I believe, matches the accuracy and quality of the Roxey 2NOL and 3SUB.
The 2WIM looks promising.

 

[john lewsey]

The houses on the back look superb any chance of so close ups

 

[SouthernFan Ian]

Hello John, not sure which houses you mean. The houses featured in post number 3 on 'Chalk Bank Terrace' are from Peter Smith's Kirtley Models backscene range. The low relief building behind the station are Petite Properties , here's a detail picture......


and here's a general picture of 'Parkside Row'

 

[john lewsey]

Very nice indeed

 

[SouthernFan Ian]

My Approach to Creating a Layout
You will notice that all the track in my photographs of Stroudley Park has had no ballast laid, yet the scenery is progressing.
The reason for this, my preference is to be completely happy with the whole visual aspect, as opposed to laying track and then fitting in the scenic elements afterwards. All the scenic elements created so far that are visible in the panoramic shot (all eight feet) are completely removable. I'm now getting close to to completing the basic elements but need to tackle the backscene.
When the warmer weather arrives, the whole layout will taken outside minus the scenery to airbrush the track and complete the tidying up of the under baseboard wiring looms.
Stroudley Park is wired for DCC so it's really just a case of neatening the feeder wires from the main bus.
So, there's my reason for no ballast.......yet!

 

[BrushType4]

Ian, I see you've got some nice buildings on your layout

 

[SouthernFan Ian]

I have Phil, I wonder where they came from?

 

[SouthernFan Ian]

Today, I had half a day off work so I grabbed my Box Brownie and had a wander around Stroudley Park. I risked the wrath of Mr Sparks by entering his coal yard, there was a coal wagon still lettered LBSCR, which was too good to miss...


Luckily, Mr Sparks was in a good mood.

The scenic work continues, more soon.

 

[john lewsey]

That..... is a nice photo

 

[SouthernFan Ian]

Thank you John, I find photography to be a very satisfying adjunct to modelmaking. The right lighting plays a huge part in creating the right image. I remember being greatly influenced by a lovely, small layout in MRJ called 'Weekday Cross'. It was superbly modelling and beautifully photographed. All very tastefully restrained. My kind of modelmaking.

 

[SouthernFan Ian]

As this section is entitled 'Layout Progress' I thought I'd post tthe latest progress pic on Mr Spark's coal yard.
I'm just waiting for some coke to be delivered to be dumped into the third bay along. I never reaĺised that so much detail could be put into a coal yard, it's all been very theraputic and I'm reaching the end of creating this area of Stroudley Park. The S & D Models cast whitemetal and nickel silver Suggs gas lamps really add character and the coal bins are another Intentio product.
Remember: For a real fire, you need Sparks.
Regards,
Ian