1 - 1973 - Bowcester & Vayne I

Bowcester & Vayne Mark 1 used the track plan from the PECO book "60 Plans for Small Layouts". The baseboard measured 48" x 30", and was made from 3" x 1" wood topped with a sheet of Sundeala board. The different levels and inclines were built up with scraps of wood and Sundeala offcuts.

The track was PECO 009 flexitrack with Grefar N-gauge points. These points had frogs that were folded up from sheet metal and had, at my hands at least, poor running characteristics. The points were operated by wire-in-tube, and there were little switch panels at the front corners for isolating sections.

The scenery was built up with expanded polystyrene blocks that I scrounged from work, carved to shape and painted with ordinary emulsion, in the vain hope that it would look like rocks. Ground cover was from the limited range of scenics on offer at the time - sawdust dyed green and grey cork ballast. The trees were made from twigs and lichen, with some bits of green rubberised horsehair as bushes.

The buildings were made from card, and they and the retaining walls and bridge abutments were mostly covered in brick-paper. The loco shed and Baigent's shed were planked with card strips, and the Miners Arms pub was covered in "pebble-dash" wallpaper - a idea from the C&M. The station building was based on one of P D Hancock's, too.

Looking at the layout now I wonder how I could believe that black was a realistic colour for the roads!

Last edited 28 Dec 2020