Eaton Gomery - by Peter ThomasFor veterans of the exhibition scene, the name of Peter Thomas will already be well known. Eaton Gomery is the latest of Peters' offerings and continues in the same vein as Eaton Barrow and Church Eaton, his previous pre-grouping Great Western / Cambrian inspired layouts.
Eaton Gomery started life as part of a U shaped layout (of which Church Eaton was also a part) but difficulties in maintenance and operation prompted a rethink and a return to an end-to-end concept.
This saw the removal of Church Eaton and the retention of Eaton Gomery to which was added four new baseboards and larger fiddle yards, enabling longer trains to be run.
The main station building is based upon Montgomery whilst a similar arrangement to Dolgelly, with the Cambrian buildings on one platform and those of the Great Western on another, is utilised.
The layout is set in Welsh Border territory during Edwardian 1908, a balmy period of ornate and colourful liveried rolling stock from a variety of companies.
Eaton Gomery plays host to three such companies, namely the Great Western and Cambrian Railways whilst on a high level crossing at right angles to the other two can be found the London & North Western Railway.
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Track is SMP laid onto 3mm cork sheet with point work hand built using rail on copper clad sleepers. The landscape is built from expanded polystyrene block with an overlay of sugar paper stuck with PVA glue. Detailing of this is carried out using Puffer Grass to which are added materials from Woodland Scenics and Green Scene in order to break up the unifomity of the grass.
Buildings are constructed from mount board with a skin of embossed
plasticard for bricks / stone or glass paper for a rendered finish. All are
based upon actual buildings (the cattle market is modelled upon one in
Ulverston) and are embellished with a multitude of detailing parts. The
population of the layout is provided by Airfix / Dapol plastic figures (some
260 of them!) which have been adapted and re-detailed in period costume
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Motive power for the Great Western and the Cambrian is a mixture of scratch built and kit built locomotiveswith those of the Cambrian being painted by David Studley. LNWR motive power is also a mixture of scratch and kit built locos, built by the late Norman Heaton (borrowed from Millport Victoria)
Passenger rolling stock is again a mixture of kits (Ratio), with Trevor Charlton etched zinc sides and Laurence Scale Model detailing were necessary. The elaborate lined and panelled liveries have been captured to perfection by Larry Goddard, David Studley and the late Frank Ranger.
With Eaton Gomery seeing through excursion traffic bound for the Cambrian Coast, examples from GWR, LNWR, Somerset & Dorset, South East & Chatham, Midland Railway and North Staffs can be seen in addition to those of the Cambrian. The colours, crests and ornate gilt of the Victorian / Edwardian styling play a major part in pinpointing the period in which the layout is set.
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Eaton Gomery Photos
Eaton Gomery Station
The Canal
Coal Train
Market Place
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Last Updated: 17:12 13 Jun 2008 |
