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Books > Sport & Leisure > Hobbies, quizzes & games > Models & model-making
John Ryan's model railway at Over Peover, Cheshire is a story on
continual development. He first became interested in model railways
at the age of five when his father took him to see A4s, A2s and A1s
hurtling through Doncaster railway station on the East Coast Main
Line. At Christmas 1955, he acquired his first train set a
Hornby-Dublo three-rail `Duchess of Montrose'. Other train sets
were acquired and layouts constructed - all OO gauge - until the
fascination for O gauge took control. This was in the early 1980s
and when, a little later, success and finances became available all
his OO gauge locomotives and rolling stock were sold or swapped for
O gauge models and he began constructing one of the largest layouts
of its type in the country. The switch to O gauge coincided with
his teaming up with Norman Solomon, an expert track-builder, who
has been involved in the various stages of John's present enormous
layout. Other people have supplied stations, goods sheds, coal
hoppers, viaducts etc. John runs models of the locomotives he saw
whilst a youngster in Doncaster during the 1950s and many are
illustrated here. He also has a keen interest in the LNER
locomotives built at Doncaster so that the layout can be operated
in two periods - 1930s and 1950s. Carriages and wagons also fall
into these two periods. Some of John's most impressive carriages
include the `Silver Jubilee', `Coronation' and Pullman sets. Text
within the book follows the development of model railways in
Britain, Doncaster Plant Works' association with locomotive,
carriage and wagon building, John's various railway layouts as well
as touching upon his business interests. Photographs in the book
show in fine detail and from different angles all aspects of the
layout to such an extent that the viewer almost believes they are
part of a real railway.
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