My previous layout, ‘Monkchester’, was started in 1972 and took almost 50 years to complete. I gave it to the Newcastle and District Model Railway Society in 2005, and there we extended it twice, and it became an exhibition layout needing a crew of four and a LWB van to move. I wanted to build a new exhibition layout for myself, and the criteria were that it should be on one board, would fit in the back of my car and be interesting to run.
Looking for inspiration, a fellow club member suggested a North Eastern terminus station such as Alston. Realising what a wonderful station building was there and what a nice and challenging model it would make, I looked no further. From the outset, it was clear that compromises would be needed. An exact model of the station and sidings would need a bigger baseboard than I was planning and wouldand the position of the coal drops and goods shed was changed. The former turntable was reinstated, but the biggest change of all was to relocate Alston High Street to be next to the station, rather than some distance away. Every building was based on an actual Alston building, with a view to creating a sense of place and to try to catch the atmosphere of the town.
