The Kent History Forum
Travel and Transport => Railways => Topic started by: Dave Smith on February 18, 2020, 03:00:44 PM
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I've started a new thread as the previous one under Industry- measurements was becoming model railways orientated. My first train was a boxed set of O gauge, wind up engine, tender, 2 carriages & oval layout in 1938. Hornby I expect. When evacuated I added a 2nd hand GWR tank engine- in the next class up as it went forward & reverse! Over the next few years I added many trucks, including my favourite guards van. In those days, smaller scales -& particularly electric- were unknown to me. When my son was about 7 or 8 we bought a load of TT engines, rolling stock & track from a chap who was selling up. His attic was full with a layout of many loco's( 16 I think) & all the stock to go with it. Ours was GWR with the obligatory Prairie tank & Castle class. The layout was 3 sides of his bedroom. It's said that fathers buy things for their sons that they never had themselves- very true in my case!
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Dave,
For me there is an obvious connection between my love of history (in particular social history) and model railways.
There are many different aspects to the hobby as I'm sure you are aware. For me probably the most important part is researching why for example a station once stood, enjoyed its heyday, declined and is now probably completely obliterated, overgrown by weeds or buried under bits of concrete motorways. Why was it built in the first place? What changed so that it was no longer needed?
Whilst I'm no fanatic (a.k.a. rivet counters in the hobby) I do try to get some degree of accuracy on my layout. It pleases me that one of the trains that I own is a miniature (148th scale) of the actual ones I travelled to school in during the mid 1960s. I'm also happy with the signal box I've just scratch built which is my attempt at a copy of the Rainham signal box from photos. In a few years time we'll be able to tell a youngster we remember when Rochester station was moved a couple of hundred yards nearer to Chatham. Maybe he'll be fascinated, just as I was when I learned about the old stations at Rochester Common and Rochester Bridge.
I wonder whether kids will still do railway modelling in years to come?
Alec.
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IA. Scratch building, a man after my own heart. I did this with model aircraft- in wood- but afraid not with model trains. But I am interested in what people do & remember one of the KHF members-the old one- built a model of Dover harbour where the railway ran many years ago. He showed pictures & I would have loved to have seen it in the flesh.
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My brother had the original Rovex Princess Elizabeth train set (the one with the plunger pick-ups) which was later added to by Dad who bought a second hand layout with a later Princes Elizabeth and extras like a bridge, station etc. This was all with the old grey track. I remember before this having a clockwork set with just a circle of track, which I can only assume was by Hornby.
Take a look at the Hornby website these days and be staggered, not just by the incredible detail of the new models, but also the prices. It's much more of an enthusiasts hobby now, and primarily aimed at adults rather than youngsters.
Dave, I think it was actually Folkestone Harbour that was the scratch built model you remember and I'm pretty sure the builders name was CommanderChuff. It would certainly be very interesting to see how it all turned out.
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Take a look at the Hornby website these days and be staggered, not just by the incredible detail of the new models, but also the prices. It's much more of an enthusiasts hobby now, and primarily aimed at adults rather than youngsters.
Yes the detail is very very good. The daft thing is, especially if you model in N gauge, much of the detail becomes irrelevant once the loco gets more than a couple of feet away. Failing eyesight and all that! :(
I've got a really neat Maidstone and District liveried bus. Lovely detail right down to the tiniest but authentic Kent registration plate. I need a magnifier to read the plate. :-[
Alec.
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Invicta Alec, I get what you say. I saw a youtube video a while back comparing a modern 0-6-0 tank engine with the equivalent from 40 years ago from the same company. Close up you could see the finer details, but as you say, pull back to a normal viewing distance and you'd barely notice the difference.
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Smiffy. Ah, Commander Chuff- a name from the past. I would have loved to have seen that layout- I still think it was Dover but you seem certain it was Folkestone. I tried to go on the old KHF to see the list of members, in case there was a way of contacting him, but no. My nephew had a large layout of Trix 3 rail & I bought him a boxed set of ack-ack gun, searchlight, etc. waggons. Probably worth a fortune now for prices are reflected by new & as you say, they are horrendous. These all came from a little shop in Liverpool in the late 70's, that bought & sold everything model railways. Was there a shop like that in the Medway Towns?
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I think it was Folkestone as he was asking for any detail anyone had on parts of the harbour.
I think I have found him here - http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/folkestone-harbour-a-railway-model-adventure.72350/ (http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/folkestone-harbour-a-railway-model-adventure.72350/)
And here - [size=78%]http://cfv.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=700 (http://cfv.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=700)[/size]
He mentions [/size]Gauge O Guild Exhibition 2018 on the first site perhaps they have contact details for him. [/color][/size][size=78%]https://www.gaugeoguild.com/ (https://www.gaugeoguild.com/)[/size]
Hope this helps.
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Sorry, Folkestone it is. Many thanks Longpockets for those leads, they really are most interesting. The photo's posted on the CFV Forum show the fantastic detail that he was capable of, particularly the swing bridge at Folkestone Harbour & the military vehicles carrying train. And the total layout size is mind blowing; a whole shed full of the harbour around Dunkirk & D Day time & a 50' x 40' garden layout- all in O gauge, plus all the ships/boats that were there at the time. I note his mobile railway artillery gun was a 12" howitzer. When I moved here in 1968, a neighbour had been stationed in Folkestone as a gunner on the long barrel 15" or 16" gun. Housed in a tunnel in the cliff, they, from time to time ran it out, fired a few rounds & ran it back in before the Germans could fire back! Using another of the websites you sent, I've e-mailed the contact at Folkestone & Hythe Model Railway society as I wonder whether Commander Chuff ever finished the layout.
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It would be great to see current photos of the layout.
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Would be also be nice to see him back on this new forum.
Dave Smith, as far as I know there were no shops in Medway that dealt solely in model railways but there were plenty of other model shops that sold them.
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Dave Smith, as far as I know there were no shops in Medway that dealt solely in model railways...................
There used to be Smiffy. The Signal Box in Rochester. Closed 2013.
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/model-shop-closes-as-firm-5905/ (https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/model-shop-closes-as-firm-5905/)
Alec.
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Invicta Alec, yes you're right and I do remember the Signal Box. I had a look in there a few times but I was assuming Dave meant before that, like the 1960's/70's.
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There were a few shops that sold model railway stuff ,any one remember le-core brothers,had a shop on the banks Rochester plus one bottom of slykates ?hill Chatham ,Doughtys ,mainly sports stuff was a tri - ang agents, and laterery a shop in Chatham (Rochester end)had quite a good selection.
Had lots of model railway stuff as a lad,started work a Gillingham loco as an engine cleaner,moved to Torrington Devon as a fire man when Gillingham closed,finished my days as a signalman at Barns west London ,did most of the railway jobs ,cleaner, fireman ,passed fireman,platform staff,engineering shunter, depot shunter area managers assistant,crossing keeper .class 1 signalman ,things just went bad when privatization took over glad to be out of it.
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Hi Colin,
Yes I remember LeCores, the one near the Regent was actually at the bottom of Cage Lane (now Upbury Way). They had a coin slot outside where you could insert a penny and watch the train come around. I worked with one of their sons for a while (Chris) and he told me that when he was a boy he had no interest in model railways or anything like that - his hobbies were all of the sporting variety. When I was a kid being let loose in one of those shops would have been like a dream come true for me!
There was also Gee's (bottom of Clover street) and Bakers which I think was in Canterbury Street Gillingham, but I think they may have had a shop in Rochester as well?
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HI Smiffy,I bow to you sir,as you say ,it was cage lane not slykates hill, I apologize ,but it's a long time since I left Medway ,looking for work,that's why I love the fourum ,very informative ,but lots of nostalgia keep publishing guys.
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Yes, I remember Le Cores at the bottom of Cage lane right opposite the Regent. It was near the bus stop back to Wayfield so it was a stop off before getting on the bus back from Town.
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I used to go to Sittingbourne for a modeller`s club, held then in a school, may have been in Milton.
they made railway engine, bought in a kit. I did learnt a little bit about welding there.
The reason I stopped going, one ( nightschool ) -- a lad & I got back to Sittingbourne station,
boarded a `non smoker`carriage, sat down, then I noticed smoke coming from two area`s of the
carriage. Then one drunken Scotsman sat up & said ` do you mind if we smoke, then the other one sat up. `Yes I do` I said `there`s a smoker`s carriage next door `. The lad looked on, said nothing.
`You must be a bloody `TORY ` one said, then he said `shall we chuck him off the train, Jock`.
I signaled to the lad `lets move `. We moved to the `smoker `. I would not challenge, these day`s.
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I've contacted the Folkestone Model Railway Club & the sec. has asked around & no one knows of the O layout of Commander Chuff. Have now e-mailed the O Gauge Society, so fingers X'd! He must be somewhere! Nice to know that there were several model railway shops in Medway, some where you dream of being let loose for a day!
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From my previous post
Commander Chuff mentioned the Gauge O Guild Exhibition 2018 on the first site ( [/color][size=0px]http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/folkestone-harbour-a-railway-model-adventure.72350/ (http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/folkestone-harbour-a-railway-model-adventure.72350/)[/size][/color][/size] )perhaps they have contact details for him.[/font][/size][/color] [/size][size=0px]
[/color]https://www.gaugeoguild.com/ (https://www.gaugeoguild.com/)
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Looks like he is still around if the last line below means when he was last seen on the forum?
I think his first name is David. Profile from the WW2 Forum/
CommanderChuff (http://ww2talk.com/index.php?members/commanderchuff.7306/)
Senior Member
Male, 68, from Warwick (http://ww2talk.com/index.php?misc/location-info&location=Warwick)
Member Since: Nov 4, 2008 Messages:
CommanderChuff was last seen: Feb 23, 2020
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Restarting this old thread as my current project of getting my 65+ year old Hornby Dublo 3rail train set running again (in much enlarged and enhanced form) has led a friend to donate an ancient controller. I don't think that I'll be poking 240volts into it anytime soon, but in the box with it were two Triang pamphlets. One is a how to use your train, and maintain it with quite detailed instructions on lubrication and even cleaning the commutator.
The other one is a list of service agents and overseas importers.
I have attached the Kent listing, doubly kentish as they were by then based in Margate. Not sure of date, maybe mid 70s?
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I could be wrong, but he appears to be David Lionel Austin. See http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/americas-cup-in-the-solent-new-photo-book-with-military-history.68760/