Hello, I'm Nevile Reid, creator of Scenic Model Railways.
Please use the email provided on the Contact Us page to contact me at any time.
I'm told that this is the page for a 'potted history', so here goes.
Grandfather Reid.
Along with my name (I am the 6th consecutive generation of Nevile), I inherited my love of railways - real and model - from my Grandfather. A wine shipper by trade, he was a life-long railway enthusiast and an authority on the LNWR. When the history of the LNWR came up as a specialized subject on Mastermind, he scored 100% and insisted, correctly as it turned out, that the official answer to one of the questions was wrong! He modelled LNWR and LMS in 00 and three-rail 0 gauge; the latter layout, in a large purpose built shed, was modelled on Rugby Station and measured 80' by 40'. I remember it well - a small boy's dream! During his long and active retirement in the North of Scotland, when not "playing railers" as my Grandmother called it and pursuing his interest in local politics, he spent much of his time researching and collating our family tree which goes back to the 12th century and which is now something of a family treasure.
 My Grandfather, Nevile Reid IV, enjoying his 75th birthday
present - a footplate pass on the Bluebell Railway.
The loco is a BR Standard 4MT Tank, probably 80064.
'Emily Street Shed'
I built my first model railway - with my Father's help - when I was just five. Over the following 30 years, I built a number of layouts culminating in 'Emily Street Shed', a small 00 gauge layout, which, during the 1990s, I exhibited all over South East England. Emily Street Shed was a late-Victorian LB&SCR loco shed 'somewhere in South London', with scratch-built buildings based on actual prototypes and kit-built stock in full Stroudley livery.
Some of my Emily Street engines on a diorama. Classes A1, C1, D1, D3, & E4 are present.
'Operation Kingscote'
By 1995 I had collected a wife and three (soon to be four) children, and exhibiting Emily Street was becoming less compatible with family life. I sold the layout (a decision I have regretted ever since) and developed another interest of mine - military vehicles. I restored and displayed first a 1944 Jeep and then a 1942 British Army Fordson WOT2H V8 wireless truck (modelling in 1:1 scale!). I became involved in WW2 re-enacting , and was a founder member of the group that organized the Bluebell Railway's 'War on the Line' weekends, being personally responsible for the putting Kingscote Station on a war footing for the first two years that the weekend was held. In
2003, again in the interest of family sanity, I made the decision to
sell the truck, and I handed over Operation Kingscote - by now a major
annual project - to friends. My 'modeller's eye' proved most useful for 'Operation Kingscote' and, conversely, the knowledge I gained about railway operation and infrastructure is now proving invaluable - as is the large garage - now my workshop - that I built to house the truck!
My 1942 Fordson 15 cwt. wireless truck on parade
at Military Odyssey, Detling, August 2003.
The guy ropes are from one of the roof mounted aerials.
Working for a living
In 2004 I was approached and asked if I would be interested in helping make some dioramas for a catalogue. Since then, I have provided dioramas for three catalogues and this has formed a substantial part of my workload.
2004 Scenic Model Railways' first diorama
Present Projects
I have completed several assorted layouts including an 'under-the-bed' N gauge layout on casters, and 'Dunwich and Old Sarum', an 8'6"x4'6" 00 gauge LMS layout. Looking ahead, I have a number of commissions for layouts of varying type and size.
Model Railway Signalling
In the near future I hope to be able to offer model railway signal building and operation as a specialist service, in conjunction with Heathcote Electronics, and
I am currently using my own workshop 'test track' to experiment with automatic
signalling systems.
Shop Window Dioramas
I am interested in building some display dioramas with the emphasis on scenery
and detail, so if any of you model shop owners out there are
interested, please give me a call !
My ambition...
...is to model for myself an actual location, possibly Tonbridge (c. 1960), with it's interesting buildings and track plan, and it's varied traffic — The "Golden Arrow", continental boat trains, hop pickers' specials, Hastings DMUs, etc. All I need is time and space....
www.scenicmodelrailways.com
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