Modelling Scotland’s Railways – Ian Futers

In Modelling Scotland’s Railways, Ian Futers has provided an excellent guide to recreating the railways of Scotland in miniature. I’ve admired Ian’s modelling for many years ever since seeing his 4mm ex North British layouts at the annual Newcastle MRS exhibitions in the 1970s and the book is everything I’d expect from someone who has captured the atmosphere of so many real and ‘just supposing’ railway locations. Modelling Scotland’s Railways is a comprehensive work and includes history, service patterns, buildings and structures drawings, prototype and model photos, and layout themes from pre-Grouping to modern day.

The book opens with a selection of Ian Futers own layouts including:

• The West Highland in 4mm Glen Douglas and 7mm Loch Side
• The North British in Northumberland: Longwitton; Newcastle NB; and Otterburn
• St Catherine’s for Loch Fyne
• The Lochty branch in Fyfe

I’m from Newcastle, and live near Otterburn, so there’s plenty of interest in this chapter for me.

Chapter two “Quintessentially Scottish Railways” looks at the architecture and practices of each of the pre grouping Scottish companies, really bringing home the things a Scottish layout needs to get right to be convincing.

Subsequent chapters cover Scotland region by region with suggested layout schemes and photographs of numerous well known layouts by the author and other well known Modellers of Scottish practice. Potential modelling locations abound, whether your interest is in small rail served industries or sprawling city terminii, Highland harbours or rustic halts, Scotland has them all. Some of the highlights served up by Ian include:

• Steele Road on the Waverley route
• Arrochar and Tarbet on the West Highland
• Killin Junction to Killin, an interesting Callendar and Oban scheme
• Ullapool
• Rumbling Bridge between Alloa and Dollar
• The Lochty branch in Fyfe
• Denny paper mill
• Angerton on the Wansbeck Valley line in Northumberland
• The Fictitious Ford Castle on the never built Northumberland Central Railway

Once again, my personal interest is taken, as I’m a huge fan of the Waverley route. I’ve studied Ian’s plans for Steele Road on many occasions. My great great grandparents and many generations before them came from Ford, so the scheme for Ford Castle has tempted me too.

Modelling Scotland’s Railways, and the follow up title Scottish Layout Projects are great books for anyone interested in modelling the scottish region. I really like Ian’s style of writing, very easy to read. interesting and informative.