Early Railways
By Peter Chatham, Stephen Weston
Early Railways, A Guide for the Modeller will encourage and support the modelling of the earliest period of railway history, from the very beginnings of steam traction at the start of the nineteenth century, up to about 1880; a period which for British modellers has scarcely been covered in book form. Over these few decades the railways evolved from something which at the start was markedly different, into a scene that any present-day railwayman would recognise.
It is a time with much to commend it from a modellers point of view. The trains were much shorter and therefore easier to fit into the limited space most of us have available as, correspondingly, were the station layouts, especially at the beginning of the period. Modelled at 7mm to the foot scale a modern steam express would need at least 12 or 13 feet in length and a minimum curve radius of 6 feet, whereas an 1840 express of a loco and a dozen carriages might be no more than about 6 feet long and, behind the scenes at least, able to take curves of no more than 2 or 3 feet radius, as well as being able to instantly catch the eye of the viewer.
Vintage Airfix Review:
The historical detail in this book is fascinating and the detailed diagrams of the early engines and rolling stock will be very useful to a modeller of this era. The book is aimed at the ‘0’ gauge modeller. I would suggest that this book is more aimed at the experienced modeller and, if you’re a master scratch builder, it would be a must have reference.
On the whole a really great historical reference book of long forgotten trains with stunning examples of dioramas from top modellers.
