Holmesian railway?

[Will Thomas]

I'm in the beginning stages of building a garden railway in H0/00 scale of Fulworth, East Sussex, circa 1907, including Holmes's retirement villa. I'm hoping to eventually produce a model in plaster of the villa that I can make castings of. I also may include other Sussex buildings from the Canon on my layout, such as Cheeseman's. Thoughts?
-Will

[Will Thomas]

I do believe that Holmes's retirement villa is somewhere near Seaford, but it is interesting that five miles WEST of Eastbourne, near the town of Hooe is a piece of property clearly marked on most maps as Holmes Farm. It looks a nice, snug little estate:

www.geograph.org.uk/photo/700958

[Will Thomas]

Here's another building I'd like to make in miniature, the Brambletye Hotel, wher Holmes and Watson stayed during the Black Peter affair:

http://www.infotel.co.uk/images/brochure/16774/main/0_1.jpg

[Bob Cassady]

Have you committed anything to paper yet? I would like to watch this grow if you don't mind sharing. It sounds like a lot of work. The Brambletye Hotel has character coming out of it's doors. The Master would be pleased with the idea not to mention the work to come, I am sure. Maybe it would be a good commercial idea while sharing Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson with visitors. No matter what, every good idea starts with someones dream. Walt Disney was just one man with a dream and so was a fellow named AC Doyle. Take your time!
Cactus Bob

[Will Thomas]

With Scott's permission, I'll just use this site until it becomes too unwieldy. Building shall be slow because I'm on deadline for my next novel. A website I found online says not to build an outdoor railway too fast, as it will lead to burnout. Therefore, I'll work on a 10' by 4' layout of Fulworth/Seaford, and extend in both directions later.

[Will Thomas]

To begin with, I'm building an outdoor railway in 00 scale, which is 1/72. Outdoor railways are rarely built in this guage, particularly in the US. In the larger guages, the focus is to stand out, with large bridges, trestles and engine. In 00, the intent is to blend in. The layout is low to the ground and invisible until one comes right up to it.
The layout is circa 1907, the day LION begins, which is also the day Arthur Conan Doyle and his new bride are moving into Windlesham, their new home, which I am dragging down from Crowborough to place on my layout (the thing about building a layout is that one develops almost godlike powers). I also intend to bring in Cheeseman's (SUSS), Black Peter's home and hut (BLAC) and possibly the Green Dragon Inn (SHOS). Naturally, I shall include the Gables, Tom Bellamy's home, and Holmes's retirement villa.
I am currently building the villa, which I consider the focal point of the layout. If I've a mind, I may drag in Bateman's from Burwash, Kipling's home, so Doyle can have a fellow author to talk to. Naturally, I'm open to suggestions from the group.