LAYOUT: Splott GAUGE: P4
Splott’ is my first (and possibly only) foray into P4 modelling. Set in the late-1980s, ‘Splott’ is a fictional representation of a small transfer yard (named after the suburb of Cardiff) located next to Cardiff Tidal Sidings and Tremorfa Steelworks. The model aims to showcase the variety of freight stock and locomotives seen in the South Wales region around this time.
Building ‘Splott’ was a chance for me to try many new techniques and use ideas that had been successful on a previous layout, ‘Farkham’. It has been noted that there are some similarities in the style of the two layouts! Reading the excellent books entitled by Iain Rice and by Barry Norman opened my eyes to how layouts could be presented differently. I would recommend reading these books to anyone who is about to design a layout. Ihard could it be? As it turns out, it’s not that difficult, but it’s far more time-consuming than it looks. The trackwork looks better than OO gauge, but I found that the investment to get stock running consistently well is very time-consuming, something that my levels of patience are not well suited to. However, I’d encourage anyone to have a crack at P4 if they want to, and don’t be put off by the notion of elitism.
