STROLEY CENTRAL / STROLEY INTERNATIONAL
My 00 - Scale "MODEL RAIL FEATURED" Modern Image Model Railway Layout ... and its successor.
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These two websites are dedicated to my
M O D E R N I M A G E
00 - G A U G E
M O D E L R A I L W A Y
L A Y O U T
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In November 2007, I took early retirement from the firm to whom I had committed the previous twenty-five years of my life. At the same time, my wife and I made the momentous decision to have a complete life-style change and go to live in Spain.
As our last house move in 2001 to Cambridgeshire was supposed to be our final move, STROLEY CENTRAL was born six months later, and under these circumstances, built to be a "layout that never leaves home".
With all these facts in mind, a major decision had to be made; does the layout stay or go!
Unfortunately the layout lost! It was subsequently broken down and disposed of during that month, as we were due to leave for Spain on 22nd November 2007. Our plan was to live on the Costa Blanca in the family apartment whilst we found a villa including a garage or underbuild that would be suitably converted into a railway room. We were unable to secure a purchaser for our Cambridgeshire property prior to our departure, and with the continuing worldwide economic downturn, plus the dire Pound / Euro exchange rate, we have now been forced to rethink our future plans.
We are now having to keep our UK bungalow in Cambridgeshire as our permanent residence.
We were hoping to have the "best of both worlds" by alternating, every few months or so, between living in the UK and Spain. Due to personal family circumstances, these plans have been scuppered. The new layout will have its home, not in Spain, but in a purpose built shed in the back garden here in the UK.
STROLEY INTERNATIONAL is "rising from the ashes" of its originator. I have saved the vast majority of the scenes and cameos plus most of the buildings including the motorway bridge and all associated accessories. The trackplan will be very similar; the layout itself will be generally improved in conjunction with my increased (?) expertise. The layout size has been decided, subject to the appropriate space being available! The trackplan has been designed; the control panel has been constructed and the station throat has been started. Now with enforced permanent UK living, and once the railway room is built, I shall be motoring on with the baseboards then layout construction.
I had been mulling over for ages whether I ought to have revealed on my website that STROLEY CENTRAL had been broken down.
One school of thought said that knowing this spoilt the illusion whilst viewing the photos. Others were interested in knowing all about the reincarnation.
To the former camp I apologise, but hope that you still enjoy the original section of the website and the layout for what it was. There are plenty of photos and commentaries to enjoy throughout that original section of my website.
To the latter camp, I hope STROLEY INTERNATIONAL will whet your appetite for more over the coming months.
To view the website of your choice
please click on the appropriate link below.
Thanks and kindest regards to all from ....
STEVE BOLEY a.k.a STEVIE B
For the original layout please click:-
or
For the new layout please click:-
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A BIG THANK YOU to ALL
the people who have signed my
I'm sincerely flattered by your favourable comments ....
Please be kind enough as to read the "Header Note" on that page
BEFORE signing.
Thank You
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Please Enjoy ....
Surf Back Often
&
Thanks for Visiting.
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Site Hits to Date.
Total Hits Since site conception on 01 / 11 / 05
Stats:-
3,055 hits on 04 / 03 / 06 when first Era / Area started.
16,050 hits on 27 / 04 / 07 when original site finished.
25,740 hits on 21 / 05 / 08 when site split between the layouts.
My Favourite Model Railway Layouts on the Circuit and / or Online. Not in any Particular Order.
OO / 4mm etc. Gauge Exhibition Layouts:-
A North-East fictional town during the period 1987 - 1993 is the inspiration for this ECML diversionary route layout. It's nice to see this layout back on the exhibition circuit after a refurbishment. My long time favourite layout.
Permission has been granted for the use of my photos of their layout on my website.
The first Stafford Railway Circle layout is an ongoing project. This layout features a five platformed station (one through line and four terminating) plus a junction. Each of the diverging routes, one with OLE, dive into cuttings before disappearing into tunnels. The main scenic attraction is the abbey ruins high above the station.
This has the beginnings of a highly entertaining exhibition layout of the future and ranks very highly on my list of favourites.
The second of two layouts from the SRC is Littleton (formerly Littleton Junction) and consists of a two track main line running round a continuous circuit. At one end of the frontage of the layout is the station which gives the layout its name, and a branch line runs off into the large fiddle yard from there.
Permission has been granted for the use of the SRC Logo & my photos of their layouts on my website.
A DCC and computer controlled and operated layout.
Another excellent modern image layout this time based on a container terminal which is DCC operated .... including the cranes!
Based on a ficticious area in central England, heavy freight dominates on this busy through route mainline. Passenger traffic is also included.
The layout depicts a quarry somewhere in the Peak District of Derbyshire and comprises of a double track main line with the associated quarry sidings. The latter are operated by the quarry's own fleet of locomotives in the livery of 'Valley Aggregates'.
Set in the conurbation of West Yorkshire, this layout portrays the approaches to a large station within an urban landscape in the 1970s.
Set in the present day, this end - to - end layout represents a popular seaside terminus on the south coast of England.
MOSSBANK YARD, WESTCLIFFE CCE YARD HOLLYBANK DEPOT
Three modern image layouts from the New Forest Model Railway Society that, when joined together, have a viewing length of 52 feet. They were displayed like this at the BRM Alexandra Palace exhibition in March 2007 - Mossbank Yard being my favourite of the three.
Permission has been granted for the use of my photos of their layouts on my website.
This represents the WCML in the southern uplands of Scotland during the decade between 1983 and 1993.
Permission has been granted for the use of my photos of their layout on my website.
The Great Eastern Mainline is represented on this layout during the mid 80s, complete with stock that could actually be seen back then at Ipswich / Stowmarket / Peterborough.
Permission has been granted for the use of my photos of their layout on my website.
Whilst BR geared up for electrifying the East Coast Main Line in north London during the late 70s, is the setting for this excellent layout. Iain Hunter of the EM Gauge society, based his modern image layout around "The Cross."
Permission is sought for the use of my photos of their layout on my website.
00 / 4mm etc. Gauge Non Exhibition Layouts:-
Now retired from the exhibition circuit, but still a brilliant layout. It's set in the present day Teeside area of the North-East of England and I never tire of viewing this layout and always spot new details I've missed before.
Excellent UK modelling and DCC controlled modern image layout in 00 gauge, housed in a loft. The owner / builder Simon, runs on his layout exactly what he wants to run - a man after my own heart!!
A DCC controlled modern image layout based on the ECML in Yorkshire.
Plenty of action on this layout - look for the night time photos - very impressive.
This is a ficticious setting, but somewhere in the West Midlands; designed for the builder's enjoyment and not run prototypically. Modern stock from the last fifteen years can be spotted.
A DCC controlled "work in progress" from the Netherlands in 00 not H0 - looks good.
Set on the East Coast of Scotland, running mostly full length trains - another entertaining layout.
Another DCC controlled layout based loosely on the South London area. Some more excellent night shots.
A 00 gauge modern image layout set in the Plymouth area of Devon. Great layout full of intricate details ... and Rachel Stevens too!!
A small 00 gauge "trial" layout on which to practice before attempting the big loft layout. Very well detailed and explained on an entertaining website.
This is a garage railway in sheffield! It is being planned at present and consruction will commence in October 2008. Track laying Josh hopes will be finished some seven or eight months later around mid 2009. The station will have 8 platforms; the TMD will be at the north side of the station complete with a city scene to the left of the station.
N / 2mm etc. Gauge Exhibition Layouts:-
This layout comprises a four track mainline which has dedicated passenger and freight lines. The large railway station is also a junction for a single line branch. The diesel depot above the main line, accessed from the branch, ensures that engines can refuel prior to performing their duties. The locos and stock run on the layout represent the modern era of a typical English mainline.
Set in the modern era and based on the WCML in the Midlands.
This layout is based on the real location of Drem on the ECML in East Lothian and featured in Model Rail Issue 118 "June '08".
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