A few photos from the Derby model railway exhibition from a couple of weeks ago. The first two are of Netherwood, an O gauge layout based on the final years of the Woodhead elecrification, set in south Yorkshire, with coal traffic predominating.

The distinctive class 76 electric locomotives unique to that line are the obvious signature item, but I also liked the class 123 DMU, former Western Region trains that spent their final years on the South Trans-Pennine route, and occasionally ran over Woodhead on Sunday diversions. The model is made from cut-and-shut Lima Mk1 coaches.

Like Netherwood, Barton Road oozes atmosphere, and although not based on any specific location, it has a very definite sense of time and place. It was predicted that the excellent recent N gauge diesel-hydraulic locomotives from Dapol and Farish would inspire a lot of 60s/70s Western Region layouts, and this is one of the first such new layouts I’ve seen.

Although neither has a steam locomotive in sight, both of these layouts are historical models, capturing a railway scene long since gone. Which is why using the dated term “Modern Image” to describe them is just silly.