The West Midlands in the 1980s is the setting for NEIL WOODBINE and SUE FARMER’S ‘OO’ gauge layout -which captures the feel of those ‘blue and grey’ years brilliantly. Photography, Trevor Jones.
Gauge: 'OO', 16.5mm Scale: 4mm:1ft Size: 8ft x 1ft 8in Region: Midland Period: 1980s Control: DCC, NCE Powercab
Above: In a busy moment, Class 40 40106 in faded BR green collects wagons from the wagon repair depot in the company of a Class 25. In the station a Class 47 has arrived with parcels stock.
Farbine Road was inspired by my childhood memories of rail trips into Birmingham from Bescot station passing Duddeston Wagon Repair Depot which used to be a busy facility keeping on top of maintenance for the civil engineering department of British Rail. Many trips were had with the trusty West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (WMPTE) Daytripper ticket (which cost just 75p!) to ride the various trains of the early 1980s in the West Midlands area.
The layout idea began when we were kindly given a second-hand baseboard from our good friend Ron Peach from Telford who we knew from our time as members of West Bromwich Model Railway Club. After the success of our first layout, Franwood TMD (HM117), we thought we'd have a go at creating a la…
