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CHELTENHAM GWR MODELLERS GROUP


MODEL RAILWAY EXHIBITION


SATURDAY 5 APRIL AND SUNDAY 6 APRIL 2008

  
 

    
  THE NEXT EXHIBITION WILL BE HELD ON
SATURDAY 26 AND SUNDAY 27 OCTOBER 2013		  
 

      
 

Click here for Introduction and future exhibition information

  


 

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LAYOUT AND ATTRACTION REVIEW

  
 

    
  CLICK ON PICTURES ABOVE RED BARS FOR BONUS MATERIAL    
 

    
  HAMMOND ST JAMES by Mick Scarrow and John Pearce

0 Gauge 7mm Scale

  
 

    
  Hammond St James had been mainly recycled from a former layout called Tipton Green. The baseboards were constructed from recycled wood which was once part of a Hammond organ in the church of St James, hence the name of the layout.  
 

      
  Hammond St James had been mainly recycled from a former layout called Tipton Green. The baseboards were constructed from recycled wood which was once part of a Hammond organ in the church of St James, hence the name of the layout.

Hammond St James was a fictitious station based on a country terminus with a goods yard. The time scale was 1950s and 60s and favoured GWR working practices.

The mechanics of the layout were designed and built by Mick Scarrow, who also constructed the locomotive stock. Buildings, scenery and rolling stock were built by John Pearce. The station building was a card kit designed and printed especially for the layout by John Seward of the Warley Model Railway Club.

  
 

    
  EAST STREET WHARF by Margaret Evans

EM Gauge 4mm Scale

  
 

    
  East Street Wharf was set during the late GWR / early BR Western Region somewhere in the Midlands. There was an interchange shed for general goods with coal and steel unloaded on the other side of the canal basin. Road transport was on the increase as the wharf was being taken over by other industrial users.  
 

      
  East Street Wharf was set during the late GWR / early BR Western Region somewhere in the Midlands. There was an interchange shed for general goods with coal and steel unloaded on the other side of the canal basin. Road transport was on the increase as the wharf was being taken over by other industrial users.

Trackwork was by SMP and points were hand built and controlled by rod and slider switches. Magnets under the track operated Sprat and Winkle couplings. Rolling stock was kit built or modified ready-to-run. Buildings and scenery were scratch or part kit built. East Street Wharf was DCC controlled and featured in British Railway Modelling magazine in December 2006.

  
 

    
  DARIUS WASHINGTON STATE by Harvey Faulkner-Aston

0n30 Gauge 7mm scale

  
 

    
  Set in the Pacific North West of the USA where the redwood is king, Darius was a backwoods engine facility for the Marten's Pine logging operation featuring Bachmann Shay and Climax steam locomotives. All structures on the layout were scratch built from strip timber and scratch built freight cars were based on Mich-Cat logging lines.  
 

    
  Set in the Pacific Northwest of the USA where timber is king, Darius was a backwoods engine facility for the Marten's Pine logging operation featuring Bachmann Shay and Climax steam locomotives. All structures on the layout were scratch built from strip timber and scratch built freight cars were based on Mich-Cat logging lines.  
 

    
  ARDLORN FERRY by Rob Newman

00 Gauge 4mm Scale

  
 

    
  Ardlorn Ferry was located on the West Coast of Scotland with a small single platform terminus serving the car ferry, distillery and Elkins fish smokery. The time was the late 1950s / very early 60s when steam was just giving way to diesel and this area was the last haunt of Caley 0-4-4Ts, "Jumbos" and other old Scottish steam types. Many of the kit built examples of rolling stock were assembled by Aidan Houlders or Peter Whyborn, the latter building the ferry - based on a Dutch narrow gauge train ferry - and some of the road vehicles too. Some of the buildings were those recovered from the original "Adlorn" exhibition layout which was destroyed by flooding some years ago. Nothing ran on Adlorn straight from the box. Even the head of the "seal" - just below the black prow of the Clyde Puffer - was made from a deer deprived of its body and antlers!  
 

      
  "Och Doctor Cameron it was terrible. This Blackburn Buccaneer came whooshing up the Loch at treetop height and took a flash photograph just as the ferry from Tannochbrae was unloading"

"Well I'll prescribe you beta blockers for your heart condition Janet but I strongly suggest you visit the dry cleaners once you've left this surgery!"

  
 

    
  Ardlorn Ferry was located on the West Coast of Scotland with a small single platform terminus serving the car ferry, distillery and Elkins fish smokery. The time was the late 1950s / very early 60s when steam was just giving way to diesel and this area was the last haunt of Caley 0-4-4Ts, "Jumbos" and other old Scottish steam types. Many of the kit built examples of rolling stock were assembled by Aidan Houlders or Peter Whyborn, the latter building the ferry - based on a Dutch narrow gauge train ferry - and some of the road vehicles too. Some of the buildings were those recovered from the original "Adlorn" exhibition layout which was destroyed by flooding some years ago. Nothing ran on Adlorn straight from the box. Even the head of the "seal" - just below the black prow of the Clyde Puffer - was made from a deer deprived of its body and antlers!  
 

    
  ASHTON DEPOT by Neal Mansell

00 Gauge 4mm Scale

  
 

    
  Ashton was a medium sized diesel depot with a refuelling point and stabling sidings behind the locomotive shed, set in the east Midlands of the 1970s and 80s as monastral blue yielded to large logo and Railfreight markings. Vans full of spare parts, ballast hopper wagons and DMUs also appeared.  
 

      
  Ashton was a medium sized diesel depot with a refuelling point and stabling sidings behind the locomotive shed, set in the east Midlands of the 1970s and 80s as monastral blue yielded to large logo and Railfreight markings. Vans full of spare parts, ballast hopper wagons and DMUs also appeared.

Representing Brush Type 5 locomotives among Neal Mansell's beautifully detailed locomotive fleet were a number of Class 56s, including large logo 56 084 seen here at the rear of the depot building along with examples of Classes 25, 47 and 20.

Assembled at BREL's Doncaster works in October 1980, 56 084 was initially allocated to Tinsley. At the start of 2008, 56 084 was still on capital stock at Immingham painted in BR Loadhaul black livery with orange cabsides, although coded as WNXX - EWS locomotives stored unserviceable.

  
 

    
  BEMBRIDGE by Mark Pretious

00 Gauge 4mm Scale

  
 

    
  Bembridge was the easternmost station on the Isle of Wight located some two and three quarter miles north east of Brading Junction. the line opened in 1882 and closed in 1953 due to declining traffic. During the 1920s the sector plate was increased in size from 16' 5" to 25' to accommodate longer wheelbase Adams Class 02 tank engines and in 1935 the Southern Railway decided to make the line one train working so there was no need for signals. The signal box was thus effectively a ground frame and was operated by the fireman of the sole locomotive to allow it to run round the train.  
 

      
  Bembridge was the easternmost station on the Isle of Wight located some two and three quarter miles north east of Brading Junction. the line opened in 1882 and closed in 1953 due to declining traffic. During the 1920s the sector plate was increased in size from 16' 5" to 25' to accommodate longer wheelbase Adams Class 02 tank engines and in 1935 the Southern Railway decided to make the line one train working so there was no need for signals. The signal box was thus effectively a ground frame and was operated by the fireman of the sole locomotive to allow it to run round the train.

The line was mainly operated with Beyer Peacock 2-4-0Ts, Terriers and 02s and included a push pull working. During any quiet period of the day the allocated engine would leave its train at Brading or Bemberidge and perform shunting duties at St Helens Quay. Coal wagons would also be propelled from St Helens to the coal siding. The long siding was used to store rolling stock when no other space was available locally.

  
 

    
  Mark Pretious also delighted visitors to the show with these two live-steam 2 1/2" gauge models of locomotives from the Isle of Wight. The Adams designed ex LSWR O2 Class 4-4-0T is at the rear of the picture with the Stroudley designed ex LBSCR Class A1X "Terrier" in front.  
 

    
  Mark Pretious also delighted visitors to the show with these two live-steam 2 1/2" gauge models of locomotives from the Isle of Wight. The Adams designed ex LSWR O2 Class 4-4-0T is at the rear of the picture with the Stroudley designed ex LBSCR Class A1X "Terrier" in front.  
 

    
  CAPITAL WORKS by Alan Drewett

00 Gauge 4mm Scale

  
 

    
  Capital Works by Alan Drewett, 00 Gauge 4 mm  
 

    
  Click on picture for more information  
 

    
  EAST BRIDGE MPD by East Grinstead MRC

00 Gauge 4mm Scale

  
 
    
  Eastbridge shed depicted a small but important depot situated at a busy junction in southern England. The layout itself was partly based on Redhill and consists of three baseboards, two for the shed with a third for the fiddle yard giving an overall length of 10' 6". The shed had three roads, the same as Redhill, the other trackwork being adapted to fit in the space available.  
 

      
  Eastbridge shed depicted a small but important depot situated at a busy junction in southern England. The layout itself was partly based on Redhill and consists of three baseboards, two for the shed with a third for the fiddle yard giving an overall length of 10' 6". The shed had three roads, the same as Redhill, the other trackwork being adapted to fit in the space available.

The main building was constructed of styrene sheet covered with brick paper and weathered with an airbrush. Weathering powders of various colours were also used. The roof was a typical Southern type found on various sheds throughout the southeast. Water tower details were similar to the one at Three Bridges shed (the water tank at Redhill being high up on a cliff adjacent to the Redhill-Tonbridge line). Inspection pits were provided within the shed on Eastbridge and in the yard outside, as well as on the ash and coaling roads.

The coaling stage was not an exact copy of the one at Redhill, the original being covered in asbestos sheeting.On Eastbridge it was brick built. The turntable was of the open pit type, scratch built mainly of styrene sheet with details including vacuum tank and pipe work. The drive unit was mounted under one end, a small can motor and gearbox driving a geared rubber wheel on a spring loaded sub-assembly which presses on the side of the pit to move the table round.

Eastbridge, being situated at a busy railway junction, from time to time receiveed engines from other parts of the country, but Southern locomotives predominated. Locomotives arrived on shed, were coaled, watered and turned if required then stabled to await their next duty. It could become quite hectic in the fiddle yard supplying and receiving locomotives to and from the shed.

A breakdown crane is normally attached to the shed, and went off the depot and returned later during operating sequences, adding variety to the scene. Another stock movement occured when coal wagons were pushed up the incline to the coaling stage.

The fiddle yard, covered from public view, consisted of a five road transverser each road being able to hold two locomotives. Among those on display at Cheltenham was N15 "King Arthur" Class 4-6-0 782 "Sir Brian".

  
 

    
  OAKLEY by Sutton Coldfield Model Railway Society

00 Gauge 4mm Scale

  
 

    
  Scenic detail was particularly noticeable at Oakley. Notice both the grille on the chicken coop and the two cats whisker to whisker on the Stationmaster's garden path!  
 

      
  Scenic detail was particularly noticeable at Oakley. Notice both the grille on the chicken coop and the two cats whisker to whisker on the Stationmaster's garden path!  
 

    
  Oakley is an imaginary location set in Shropshire's valley of the East Onny river during the 1930s. It was served by branch lines from Craven Arms (LMS ) and Montgomery (GWR ) and the rolling stock of both companies are detailed and modified proprietary items. Buildings were scratch built or heavily modified kits. A central console with mimic diagram and route setting also controlled interlocking semaphore signals, although the operating programme is more intensive than most rural branches to keep trains constantly moving.  
 

    
  THOMAS by Cheltenham GWR Modellers 00 Gauge 4mm Scale  
 

    
  BAD CARDHU by Brian Silby  


   
  Bad Cardhu was a small town near Aachen whose bahnhof saw only a handful of passenger trains a day, interspersed with equally small amounts of freight - mainly beer and sawn timber from the brewery and sawmill respectively.  
 

      
  Bad Cardhu was a small town near Aachen whose bahnhof saw only a handful of passenger trains a day, interspersed with equally small amounts of freight - mainly beer and sawn timber from the brewery and sawmill respectively.

In fact with the brewery opposite Ardlorn Ferry's distillery, Bad Cardhu made this Cheltenham show the most alcoholic ever! And stranger still, Cardhu began life as a Scottish branch line in 1995 only to be converted to German practice with DCC ( Fleischmann LokBoss ) controlled Fleischmann stock fitted with MBM couplings actuated by permanent magnets set between the rails. The brewery with its two distinctive towers was scratchbuilt, the sawmill a Walthers kit and the station a slightly cut down Faller kit.

Measuring only 4'6" by 1' 9", Bad Cardhu also featured Seep point motors.

  
 

    
  LOOSELY WARREN by Ann Silby

Z Gauge 1.5mm Scale

  
 

    
  Loosely based on the seaside sandstone strata of Dawlish Warren, this Z gauge layout used polystyrene and plaster rock formations to frame an SD Mouldings N gauge sea wall laid with Marklin track powered through Marklin controllers. Class 47 diesels provided much motive power although a number of anglicised German vehicles also appeared!  
 

      
  Loosely based on the seaside sandstone strata of Dawlish Warren, this Z gauge layout used polystyrene and plaster rock formations to frame an SD Mouldings N gauge sea wall laid with Marklin track powered through Marklin controllers. Class 47 diesels provided much motive power although a number of anglicised German vehicles also appeared!  
 

    
  MODELLING DISPLAYS

by Andi Dell, Rob Owst, Steve Harrod and Trevor Hale

  
 

    
  Split headcode "Peaks", "Syphons", a "Gronk" and a lone Presflo - or Classes 45, 37, 08 and a cement wagon - took centre stage on this simple but effective 4mm scale display stand custom made for the show.  
 

    
  Split headcode "Peaks", "Syphons", a "Gronk" and a lone Presflo - or Classes 45, 37, 08 and a cement wagon - took centre stage on this simple but effective 4mm scale display stand custom made for the show.  
 

    
  MODEL BUS FEDERATION represented by Paul Mellor 4mm Scale  
 

    
  As well as some fresh low-emission buses at Brocklecote, their all-over advertising forbears from the 1970s and 80s were the centre of attention on The Mellor Brother's stand. Bound for Cheltenham on a fictitious 250 service was front entry double deck Alexander R type bodied MCW Metrobus G223ADG in wrap around Target Truck Gloucester livery, Images of the wares of the Bristol Road based firm included Iveco vans and Ford built Daily, Cargo and Turbo Star trucks.  
 

    
  As well as some fresh low-emission buses at Brocklecote, their all-over advertising forbears from the 1970s and 80s were the centre of attention on The Mellor Brother's stand. Bound for Cheltenham on a fictitious 250 service was front entry double deck Alexander R type bodied MCW Metrobus G223ADG in wrap around Target Truck Gloucester livery, Images of the wares of the Bristol Road based firm included Iveco vans and Ford built Daily, Cargo and Turbo Star trucks.  
 

    
  NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ROAD TRANSPORT MODELLERS

represented by David Mellor 4mm Scale

  
 

    
  Among the work in progress at Cheltenham was this Christian Salvesen tractor unit coupled to a trailer with streamlined fairings around the underframe and wheels.  
 

    
  Among the work in progress at Cheltenham was this Christian Salvesen tractor unit coupled to a trailer with streamlined fairings around the underframe and wheels.  
 

    
  TRAVEL 2000 LTD by Andy Peckham 4mm Scale ( Sunday only )  
 

    
  The top front end of one of the Travel 2000 double deck school buses received expert attention before being let out on the road.  
 

    
  The top front end of one of the Travel 2000 double deck school buses received expert attention before being let out on the road.  
 

    
  MODEL FAIRGROUND by Roger and Robert Webb  
 

    
  Sandra's Hot Stuff? if that's her in the little black dress I'd be inclined to agree!  
 

      
  Sandra's Hot Stuff? If that's her in the little black dress I'd be inclined to agree!  
 

    
  Also in attendance were Iron Horse DVDs and Videos, Clive Reid (RCSW Second Hand Railways ) Stewart Blencowe ( Railway timetables, photos and slides ) Mark Pretious (Railway Artist ) Robbie's Rolling Stock ( 00 and N gauge wagons ) Cheltenham Model Centre ( Saturday ) and Castle Trains ( Sunday ).

DVDs of the Cheltenham GWR Modellers Exhibitions from 2006 onward are now available from Richard Pretious of Iron Horse Video Productions based at 77 Tilney Close, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 2BG.