Latest project from the ex-C&S shops The Tidmouth Engine Shed
Hi All,
While awaiting the sale of my old house and the funds to further pursue the Little River RR in Large Scale the ex-C&S shops have been doing some modeling.
We have a fairly active Museum RR layout done mostly in Lionel O Guage tinplate here in Clarksville Tennessee. Some of these museum members have visited the C&S RR when it was in its prime. Now that I live just 1 mile from the museum, in town, these same members approached me about making several models for their large Lionel layout.
Bill, calls this "The Toy Train layout" but it is fun seeing all the kids go wild over this interactive museum layout. Especially the growing collection of Thomas and friends locomotives and rolling stock.
Seems the enterprising museum crew wanted to depict some of the scenes from The Island of Sodor, Thomas' and crew's hangout. Of prominence is the Tidmouth Engine Shed and this is what I was asked to model.
Now mind you they did not want "the roundhouse version" that was in the TV show and movie but rather the original open shed with 4-6 tracks as found in the original book (see attached illustrations). Heck I didn't know much about Thomas and friends as my kids where in to High School shenanigans when the story got popular here in the US. I had heard about Thomas from Bill Nelson and his sweet son Joey.....but that was about it.
So to build this structure I had to do research.... which is always fun in model railroading. I was AMAZED at how much stuff is out there on the Thomas and friends Railway. In fact there are maps of the entirely fictious Island of Sodor (see Below) and the fictitious town of Tidmouth where the shed is located has its own coat of arms!!!!
So here are some pictures of my latest creation the Tidmouth Shed in O scale. I will later get some more pictures with Thomas and his posse when the structure is planted in the "Toy Train Layout."
Dr Tom