Welcome to Belleview B.C. It's around lunch time on a Tuesday in June 1956. The daily mixed from Lakeside has just pulled in to pick up another load of shoppers and business folk on their way to Kamloops.
Things are looking up around these parts lately. The war's over and the economy's doing well. The tourist trade has started to pick up as people discover the natural beauty of the area. Each morning and evening the old Belleview and Lake Ohgopogo Railway hosts a Canadian National commuter service, normally one of those new fangled Diesel Railcar devices, but around noon the daily mixed still calls with a single combine and a couple of freight cars for Lakeside and the ferry south down the lake. Rumour has it that they're going to replace the regular old tea kettle with one of those diesels soon. Ma Smith won't be sorry if they do; it'll keep the smuts off the laundry.
In town life still follows its normal pattern. Business at the stores isn't exactly brisk, but steady enough to make a good living. This time of day though there's always a chance of a game of chequers out the back of old man McCormac's store while the lad looks after any customers who come by. Holt's Restaurant is busy though. They do the best lunches around these parts and they're popular with the locals and visitors alike. It's quiet at Angelo's at the moment but wait till they open this evening. Rumour has it that Ellington's had a new delivery of Lionel trains recently, but is it the kids or Pa who's most interested.
The Reality
This 2' x 1' diorama is a part of a planned larger layout depicting a Branch line somewhere in southern British Columbia. The terrain is expanded foam, dressed with Woodland's Scenics and SiST Ltd. Products. The foreground trees are American Hornbeams and Japanese Oaks from SiST Trees. The main structure, the depot, is a 'N' Scale Architect kit for Neil's N Gauging Trains based on a Boston and Maine prototype. The other buildings are a mixture of American Model Builders, Branchline Trains and Blair Line kits. Vehicles are from a variety of sources, some long forgotten, and the figures are by Woodland Scenics, Noch, Preiser and Faller. The hardest part of the whole thing - stringing those "£!%&$ telegraph wires.
Further segments, still to be built, will expand the business district, add a residential district, the quayside and train ferry dock at Lakeside and carry the line further back into the mountains towards Kamloops and a 'fiddle yard'.
Welcome to Belleview B.C. It's around lunch time on a Tuesday in June 1956. The daily mixed from Lakeside has just pulled in to pick up another load of shoppers and business folk on their way to Kamloops.
Things are looking up around these parts lately. The war's over and the economy's doing well. The tourist trade has started to pick up as people discover the natural beauty of the area. Each morning and evening the old Belleview and Lake Ohgopogo Railway hosts a Canadian National commuter service, normally one of those new fangled Diesel Railcar devices, but around noon the daily mixed still calls with a single combine and a couple of freight cars for Lakeside and the ferry south down the lake. Rumour has it that they're going to replace the regular old tea kettle with one of those diesels soon. Ma Smith won't be sorry if they do; it'll keep the smuts off the laundry.
In town life still follows its normal pattern. Business at the stores isn't exactly brisk, but steady enough to make a good living. This time of day though there's always a chance of a game of chequers out the back of old man McCormac's store while the lad looks after any customers who come by. Holt's Restaurant is busy though. They do the best lunches around these parts and they're popular with the locals and visitors alike. It's quiet at Angelo's at the moment but wait till they open this evening. Rumour has it that Ellington's had a new delivery of Lionel trains recently, but is it the kids or Pa who's most interested.
The Reality
This 2' x 1' diorama is a part of a planned larger layout depicting a Branch line somewhere in southern British Columbia. The terrain is expanded foam, dressed with Woodland's Scenics and SiST Ltd. Products. The foreground trees are American Hornbeams and Japanese Oaks from SiST Trees. The main structure, the depot, is a 'N' Scale Architect kit for Neil's N Gauging Trains based on a Boston and Maine prototype. The other buildings are a mixture of American Model Builders, Branchline Trains and Blair Line kits. Vehicles are from a variety of sources, some long forgotten, and the figures are by Woodland Scenics, Noch, Preiser and Faller. The hardest part of the whole thing - stringing those "£!%&$ telegraph wires.
Further segments, still to be built, will expand the business district, add a residential district, the quayside and train ferry dock at Lakeside and carry the line further back into the mountains towards Kamloops and a 'fiddle yard'.
