Urban legend
‘‘OO’ GAUGE LAYOUT BIRMINGHAM MOOR LANE
David Robinson’s layout reminds him of many happy times, but before he could take a trip down Memory Lane he’d have to build it all from scratch.
Words: Chris Gadsby
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David runs seven-car sets with the main line BR Standard, Great Western coaches (Collett and Hawksworth), a coal train, a fitted freight train which is vacuum‐braked and assorted Great Western coaches for parcel trains. The buses are Birmingham Corporation and Midland red. The fire engines are Dennis F12s.
Photography: Chris Nevard
What makes this layout great?
"To set out with the intention of scratchbuilding almost everything is a huge undertaking in itself, but when you also decide on an urban scene with lots of buildings to construct, it would be easy to lose your way. David avoided that potential pitfall, and the result is a bustling scene in which the trains still take centre stage."
2 The larger factory is based on several buildings David recalls seeing in the 1950s, and he then adapted it to fit with his vision for the Birmingham layout.