Does your Garden Railway have a ficticious history?

[alan2525]

When it comes to narrow gauge railways and 16mm, I'm in the group that thinks, if you look at enough photos of NG railways you'll find a prototype or an example of a train with a massively diverse range of stock and pretty much anything goes in that there's no standardisation.

So when it comes to modelling do you think, "great anything goes - I can model and run just the stuff I like the look of"

or are you in the school of thought where your railway is based on the workings of an actual railway, down to mix of stock, period detailing of carriages, livery and loading gauge etc.

I've seen a lot of railways where the history seems to be so extensive it's often hard to tell if they are referring to an actual 1:1 scale railway or a indoor layout in the garage.

[mhlr]

http://www.freewebs.com/mhlr/history.htm is mine...

[ACLR]

mine is thrown together with not much thought lol

[SLRmidge]

Mine's based on a 'what might have been if...' scenario, then I can run what I fancy.

[Matt]

I don't have a railway at the moment, but when I do, it will be called 'The North Western Fells Railway', and it's fictional history would be that it was built to carry slate from hig up in the North Western Fells (If you think I'm making names up, there is actully a region of the Lake distric called 'The North Western Fells') to the main line railway at Cockermouth.

[SillyBilly]

Yes and no, my railway is based present day and is built using the same priciples as the West Lancs, where there was a group of lads who fancied building a railway in their backgarden. We sometimes operate a staff an ticket system, but this is only when my good friend Harry is round, because when there's two or more of you there's a point in doing so.

[MuzTrem]

Well the Misbourne Valley does have a fictional history; it started out as a bit of fun to fill up our rather-empty website. But there are two problems with it. Firstly, it has to be updated to take account of new developments; but more importantly, it has to take account of some un-prototypical features. For a start, the MVR is circular, unlike most "real" railways, and we don't have any sidings or sheds. Furthermore, we run two models of real world 2' gauge prototypes on a scale 3' gauge, one of which still survives today. Coupled with my personal desire not to change real history more than I have to, how on earth do you explain all that? The result is that the history is now very long and convoluted and probably completely implausible - and it's also full of spelling mistakes

Still, if you care to read it it can be found at http://www.freewebs.com/mvr/routehistory.htm .

[riveresk]

My brother can give more accurate details about his line but I have used the line myself as a basis for a piece for my crative writing class last semester. We had to write the history of a character and then then show a scene from that person's life. I chose to write about a boy who ended up working on the Afonglas and Nant Llwyd. The scene I chose was the grand reopening of the line after it had been closed for years.

[SillyBilly]

Would the boy have been Gag Torton had he exsisted then???

[riveresk]

Hmm, looking back at my files, I called him Dafydd Jones. In fact, here's the first paragraph, if anyone is interested.

Dafydd Jones grew up in the town of Afonglas, Wales. From the age of five he used to look out of the small window that was in the corner of the room that he shared with his two brothers, looking down at the two foot gauge railway track that ran by the side of the house. Everyday a freight train would pass, carrying wagons loaded with slate that had been taken from the workings up above Ty Pren station. When he was ten his father gave him his first model railway that he set out to run around his bed. His older brother Geraint was finishing school at this point, getting ready to follow their father into the slate mines. Dafydd had already made the decision to not follow in his father’s footsteps; instead his head was filled with boiler pressure, regulators and pistons. Dafydd was going to be an engine driver. He spent his time round the station peering at the two steam locomotives with their gleaming brass work and shiny green paint. He made friends with the driver and his fireman and gained special permission to go into the signal box where he would change the points under expert supervision when there was shunting to be done in the yard. When it was his time to leave school he went straight to see the General Manager about getting a job. He was made a porter that afternoon.

[ACLR]

great story there

[steamyjim]

The Whitchurch Light Railway Company employed a historian to do a first draught a while ago. The board of officials weren't very happy with it as it didn't go into enough detail.

On a serious note I shall probably re-write it when I have built the railway so I can fit it in with what I have built.

I will post the old version of it if anyone is interested

[laalratty]

great story there  :D

Yep, better than I can come up with, and i've got afeeling that some bits are based on mine and riveresk's own experiances when we were younger at Ravenglass (did Uncle Graham ever let you work the leavers in the signal box Kathryn?, I remember he did for me couple of times)
As for Gag Torton, I was of the impression from his obituary that he got into railways quite late, and would be more interested in sailing when he was younger.
The ANLR of course has a bit of a history, being a welsh slate railway, its reason for being there is the same as the Ffestiniog, Tallylyn and Welsh Highland railways. However, I can't decide whether to model the line as a working railway with a slate quarry, or as a tourist line with a slate museum! I think im happy enough for it to be in a state of limbo, not really caring for the history and just happy to play trains!

[riveresk]

Yep, I have happy memories of the time that I got to play with the leavers. I remember that the people on either Shelagh of Eskdale or Lady Wakefield wanted to know why they hadn't changed yet. I don't they minded too much.

[SillyBilly]

I remember playing on Welsh Pony!

just thought I'd add to this conversation of railway engines that children could play on before some people decided that any injury can be turned in to a cheque.

[MoelygestLR]

I remeber being able to work the points from the signal box on the Bala Lake railway at Llanchellin (sorry dont know how 2 spell it right!) It was great fun pulling the levers and watching the engine whistle when it was clear of the points and wanted them changing back!

Ah well if it wernt for 'elf n safety eyyy

[laalratty]

yeah, the memories, for me and Kathryn at Ravenglass 2 of the drivers and Graham the controller became honourary uncles, I had my first full line footplate ride with "Uncle" Ron Clarke at the age of 2
Oh dear, my post has sent this rather off topic. But remenising is nice. I was rather sad when Welsh Pony was removed as well, fun to imagine you were driving it, although with the points at Ravenglass, it was really controlling trains (I was strictly told which leavers to pull though )
Wow, quite off topic, do I get a bungle point

[riveresk]

I remember playing on Welsh Pony, as well. In addition, whenever we arrived at Porthmadog for the hols we always said hello to her and goodbye as we left. The superstition was that if we didn't do this then we would have rubbish weather.

[laalratty]

And the first year that Welsh Pony wasn't there, it poured with rain!

[SillyBilly]

whenever we arrived at Porthmadog for the hols we always said hello to her and goodbye as we left.

I have a feeling you are going to regret saying that really soon.

I have to admit i was disapointed when it went, but I'm now able to appreciate that it should have moved before then because it is now conserved for me to appreciate for a lot longer.