Eaglescott & Middle Moor Railway

[trebor]

   Returning member after many many years, thankfully there are still some familiar names and face I recognise, certainly have been some changes and improvements in my absence, have some catching up to do in my spare time.

   Without further ado, introducing the Eaglescott & Middle Moor Railway, a purely fictional and freelance layout based on an idea I have had fermenting within the brain cells for the last twelve months or so.

   Living on the outskirts of Exeter and bordering East Devon and within sight range of the helicopter base at Middlemoor of the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary Police EC 145  helicopter along with one of the two EC 135 helicopters belonging to the Devon Air Ambulance, the  other resides at Eaglescott Airfield in North Devon.

   I see and hear these on a daily basis, either from home or whilst doing my day job driving a bus  in the county, and on many occasions the RAF Search & Rescue Westland Sea King HAR.3  from 22 Squadron from Chivenor in North Devon, as they pass over within view to land on the helipad at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital, the Sea King is a tad large for the helipad it usually has to set down at the Army Barracks just down the road, causes quite a stir!

  I have wanted for some considerable time to create in model form these helicopters, many hours have been spent in researching and collecting information, and am indebted to Eurocopter UK in answering and supplying the answers to my queries.

  Whilst in conversation with a work colleague, who was just starting out to model in 009, why not put the two together, and that's how it all started.

  The fact and fiction intermingled, Middle Moor has been relocated within the Ludwell Valley Park, which in reality is on the outskirts of Exeter and is a working farm, scope for all manner of passenger and goods traffic.

  Eaglescott will now become the main helicopter base, even greater scope for modelling, vehicles, buildings plus  all manner of goods traffic, along with passenger traffic to connect to Middle Moor.

  The layout itself will be a continuous run do like to watch the trains rumble by, also with the ability to operate as a point to point, originating to destination stations.

  Still working on a finalised track plan, more or less there. Constructed two boards one 4' x 21

[Mike Griff]

Welcome Trebor,
Sounds as you said like lots of scope. I am enjoying creating a freelance railway myself, its great to have the freedomof choice and imagination that doesn't impose the "Ah but you can,t do that."
Will you try modernistic or slightly historic?
Looking forwarrd to seeing the developement. Rgds Mike

[trebor]

Hi Mike,

I agree that going down the "freelance" route does have the advantage of "freedom of choice" and the ability to use one's imagination does shoot down in flames "Ah but you can't do that"
Doing my best to avoid "nit pickers, purist's and rivet counters", work on the basis it's my railway and I'll model it how I see fit.

Interesting point, modernistic or slightly historic, will be a mixture of both, mainly leaning towards modernistic.
For example the structures at Eaglescott, one of the original wooden buildings from the second world war is still standing and in use, to the newest structure built from modern materials the new helicopter base for the Devon Air Ambulance.

Certainly spoilt for choice for kit bashing, scratch building, been studying and making reference notes from the following manufactures, Airfix, Dapol,Wills, Ratio, Peco, Knightwing.

Developments will be gradual, working my way through the mountain of information that the members of this forum have freely contributed, many thanks to all for supplying the information, has helped me to avoid several wrong decisions.

Regards

John

[pilotfriend]

How nice not to have 'Yet another Welsh freelance layout'. If you are using a backdrop, remember not to have 'sky corners' (that is unless you can show me one)

[Mike Griff]

Yeah, wish I,d observed the sky corner rule. Still, I,m just happy modeling :)

[pilotfriend]

I always prefer freelance.

This is an example why

At Doncaster, someone complained that I had not modelled the water duct on top of the bridge parapet. I explained that it was not visible because of snow cover. That was not enough. He had seen the the 'under construction' photos so he knew it was not there. He then complained that the locos were the wrong way around. I explained that it made a better composition but he thought it was disgraceful that we were allowed to call it Bratton Fleming!