Updated 12 September 2015
When I started working in 3mm scale I quickly decided that I needed to copy a prototype because I didn't have enough experience of the real railway to create a believable but fictitious layout. I first visited Swanage as a teenager in 1966 and that is where the story began.
I started building Swanage in 14mm gauge (just Triang TT + 2mm). However on joining the 3mm Society I found everyone else was either working in 12mm gauge or 14.2mm finescale so eventually I scrapped that layout and started on Corfe Castle in 12mm gauge. That must have been in the 1980s. Corfe Castle station in 3mm scale is 12' long and 1'6" to 2' wide. The original layout required a further 6' length to complete a circle with hidden sidings at the back.
I started to experiment with 14.2mm gauge finescale which was attracting an increasing following in the 3mm Society. The circle was dismantled to produce a fiddle yard to Corfe to fiddle yard layout to make more space in the railway room for Swanage in 14.2. I started building Swanage station as an experiment (see Progress on Swanage in 14.2).
Much of the rolling stock used on the branch over the years is available as kits in 3mm through the 3mm Society and private traders (see Stock for Swanage in 3mm) and I have a large collection of "flat packs" waiting to be built. One day I hope to be able to represent the stock used in different periods from the early 1900s into the 60s.
As I approached retirement and having acquired Templot my ideas started to grow leading to My 3mm Plans.