A couple of months ago, I mentioned that my photos of Rev W Awdry's layout "Ffarquar Junction" were appearing in BRM. Well, while in Wales, I had the chance to shoot another of his models, the 009 "Ulfstead Road of Mid-Sodor".
To be honest, I didn't know this layout existed until the custodians of the OO model mentioned it would be there, but obviously, I wasn't going to miss out on the chance to grab some images.
These photos are now in the Jan-Feb 2022 issue of Narrow Gauge World.
Better still, the words to accompany them have been writen by Richard Awdry - grandson of Wilbert - and someone I hadn't met for many years. In fact, the last time we talked, Richard was a young boy who accompanied his dad sometimes to whereever we were exhibiting the L&WMRS Thomas layout. It was a shock to realise just how much time had passed...
Ulfstead was built in 1970, the year I was born, and is a very traditional "rabbit-warren" style layout. A type of model railway that had fallen out of favour, but is enormously entertianing for the general public, and can be built in a very tiny space.
Like Ffarquar, this is a model of it's time as well as being interesting because of the builder. I'm not sure it will be seen in public very often, so it you want to know more, you'll have to buy the magazine.
Dear Phil,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for Covering this layout with such detailed Photos. Since I saw this layout back in 2007 on a now defunct website (The Real Lives of Thomas the Tank Engine by Martin Clutterbuck?), it really started my modelling in 009, so I build "The Duke" in paper back in 2008. Never stopped dreaming about the Mid Sodor and the narrow gauge marvels of the British Isles, so I visited many of them when I finished school on a backpack holiday, the best journey ever! Perhaps I will tackle a rabbit warren as a next project, thank you for the great photos again, can't wait to read part two. Luke Ryan recently covered the Mid Sodor Layout on his youtube channel:
https://youtu.be/86-HoxZ8YJw
All the best and keep up blogging! (Your blog entries always put a smile on my face at the tea breaks)
It's nice to hear about people being inspired to get modelling by a layout. I was really pleased to have the chance to photograph the model for the magazine - it's not one many people will know about.
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