The Forest of Dean Railway

I purchased what looks to be a rather good book at Warley - "BR Steam in Dean - the photographs of Ben Ashworth" published by Lightmoor Press (a publisher I've not been all that familiar with until now). From the quick flip through I have had so far it features some of what are, to my eyes at least, the most atmospheric and evocative scenes of the closing years of steam on the Forest of Dean railways.

This once complex rail system serving the communities and industries of the Forest of Dean has only recently come to my attention as being a worthy subject for my modelling focus. Particularly in this period of decline it sums up the very essence of what, to me, makes the perfect subject for a model railway - ex-GWR steam, goods, rural industry, overgrown and decaying railway infrastructure, decrepit and worn out locomotives and rolling stock, and a kind out of the way, half forgotten sort of feeling.

In fact, it has pretty quickly demonstrated itself to be a perfect subject on which to settle for my current, albeit rather 'in limbo' micro-layout. It may well be that having a clear prototype focus like this may just be the spur into action I've needed.

(Oh, by the way, if you're interested in the book, I was told that the copy I bought was the very last one, meaning it is now officially out of print, although there may be a few still floating around in shops here and there!)