Welcome to Buckden
Welcome to Buckden, and an insight into what inspired a Derby Lad to have a go at railway modelling.
My interest in railways began at an early age, no doubt shaped by the fact that I was brought up in a railway town and all my family worked at Derby Carriage and Waggon Works.
I followed in a similar vein but my general interest in steam drew me to the Derby Locomotive Works where I was an apprentice for 5years.
Buckden
Buckden is based on the supposition that the Skipton & Kettlewell Railway, sponsored by the Midland Railway, successful constructed a line through upper Wharfedale and Bishopsdale entering Wensleydale at Aysgarth. Buckden sits at the confluence of Wharfedale and Bishopsdale and is the largest community served by the line.
I will be periodically uploading photographs of Buckdens development. Please feel free to click on
to check how Buckden is progressing.
Inspiration
During my childhood, holidays always started with a train journey, invariably steam hauled. Derby 4 shed was passed daily on my way to school and I was able to witness the gradual decline of steam and the emergence of the first generation of diesels throughout the 1960s.
Ready access to the Derbyshire Dales soon led to a life-long love affair with the hills and open spaces.
The juxtaposition of the railway and the magnificent scenery of Derbyshire and Yorkshire is my inspiration and hence my love of both the Midland main-line through the Peak District and the Settle & Carlisle line.
Previous Layouts
My first trainset comprised of a clockwork 'O' gauge LMS Princess, a couple of coaches, a few wagons and a circle of track - what I would do to have that loco now.
In the early 70s Norman Simmons book ' How to go Railway Modelling' was my guiding light and my first layout followed his plans of Ashburton, a simple station / fiddleyard layout.
Family and life in general then took over and I didn't model again until the early 90s when I built Sturston, a station / traverser fiddleyard layout, based on Wirksworth in Derbyshire.
This was followed by the Marston & Evershead Railway; a double track mainline loop with a junction station. Loosely based on Garsdale Junction and Hawes, on the Settle and Carlisle line, this model incorporated the Sturston station layout.