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CHELTENHAM GWR MODELLERS GROUP


MODEL RAILWAY EXHIBITION


SATURDAY 25 OCTOBER AND SUNDAY 26 OCTOBER 2008

  
 

    
  THE NEXT EXHIBITION WILL BE HELD ON
SATURDAY 30 AND SUNDAY 31 OCTOBER 2010		  
 

      
 

Click here for Introduction and future exhibition information

  
 

      
 

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LAYOUT AND ATTRACTION REVIEW

  
 

    
  WORCESTER ROAD by Steve Harrod

Gauge 1

 
 

    
 

Although still in maroon livery with the later "ferret and dartboard" British Railways crest D838 "Rapid", a "Warship" class diesel hydraulic built by the North British Locomotive Company in October 1960 as works number 27967, had also acquired the full yellow ends and cabside data panel consistent with BR blue livery. First allocated to 83D Exmouth Junction, D838 was withdrawn from 83A Newton Abbot in March 1971 and cut up at Swindon Works in July 1972. Click picture for more details

  
 

     
  Although still in maroon livery with the later "ferret and dartboard" British Railways crest D838 "Rapid", a "Warship" class diesel hydraulic built by the North British Locomotive Company in October 1960 as works number 27967, had also acquired the full yellow ends and cabside data panel consistent with BR blue livery. First allocated to 83D Exmouth Junction, D838 was withdrawn from 83A Newton Abbot in March 1971 and cut up at Swindon Works in July 1972. Click picture for more details   
 

     
  Worcester Road Diesel Depot was a Gauge 1 ( 1/32 scale ) straight road shed operated from the front and measuring 2’ wide by 10’ long, of which 6’ was the scenic section, deliberately presented to the viewer from the side rather than from above to give the feeling of actually being inside the shed with the highly detailed locomotive models. Everything was scratchbuilt apart from the barrels, lathes and oher tools which were sourced from Italeri, Verlinden and Accurate Armour 1/35 scale military kits. Worcester Road was located in Hereford and was used to oil, fuel and water locomotives – mainly Warship Class diesel hydraulics - arriving on London trains although rolling stock could also be serviced when carriage and wagon repair shop were full.  
 

      
  HARLYN ROAD by Crawley Model Railway Society members Peter Beckley, John Smith and Bob Middleton.

O Gauge 7mm Scale

  
 

    
 

Harlyn Road depicted an ex LSWR branch line terminus in North Cornwall west of Padstow. The track plan was typical of the London & South Western Railway and the buildings were scratch built models of actual structures – the only exception being the kit of Swanage signal box. Kit or scratch built rolling stock was from either the 1924 LSWR era or from British Railways Southern Region around 1960 and run on an intensive and very entertaining sequence.

  
 

     
  With a tractive effort of 14 650 lb generated by the application of steam at 140 psi to twin 16" x 22" pistons, the London & South Western Railway's B4 Class were among the most powerful 0-4-0Ts ever built in Britain. Designed by William Adams in 1891 for dock shunting, numbers 100 and 89 - later 30100 and 30089 - 3' 93/4" wheels.    
 

     
  With a tractive effort of 14 650 lb generated by the application of steam at 140 psi to twin 16" x 22" pistons, the London & South Western Railway's B4 Class were among the most powerful 0-4-0Ts ever built in Britain. Designed by William Adams in 1891 for dock shunting, numbers 100 and 89 - later 30100 and 30089 - 3' 93/4" wheels.   
 

     
  Harlyn Road depicted an ex LSWR branch line terminus in North Cornwall west of Padstow. The track plan was typical of the London & South Western Railway and the buildings were scratch built models of actual structures – the only exception being the kit of Swanage signal box. Kit or scratch built rolling stock was from either the 1924 LSWR era or from British Railways Southern Region around 1960 and run on an intensive and very entertaining sequence.  
 

     
  LYNTON ROAD by Duncan Croser

O Gauge 7mm Scale

 		  
 

     
 

The fictional Swimbridge and Lynton railway was a triumph of optimism over reality. Funding ran out before Lynton was reached, leaving a short route from Swimbridge to Arlington ( named Lynton Road ) which was soon sold to the GWR. Fortunately passengers and freight could still continue on the better known Lynton and Barnstaple narrow gauge line. The railway connections caused Arlington market to expand rapidly and on market days the passenger railmotor was supplemented by a rake of elderly coaches - and additional freight services. Tourism also swelled passenger numbers and on this particular market day in 1927 unusual motive power brought out the trainspotters!

  
 

    
  The fictional Swimbridge and Lynton railway was a triumph of optimism over reality. Funding ran out before Lynton was reached, leaving a short route from Swimbridge to Arlington ( named Lynton Road ) which was soon sold to the GWR. Fortunately passengers and freight could still continue on the better known Lynton and Barnstaple narrow gauge line. The railway connections caused Arlington market to expand rapidly and on market days the passenger railmotor was supplemented by a rake of elderly coaches - and additional freight services. Tourism also swelled passenger numbers and on this particular market day in 1927 unusual motive power brought out the trainspotters!  
 

     
  GAMLE CARLSBERG by Tony & Kate Bennett

O-16.5 Gauge 7mm Scale

  
 

    
     
 

    
  In 1847 JC Jacobsen established Denmark’s first industrial lager beer brewery at Valby, just outside the old ramparts of the capital, Kobenhavn on a hill was named Carlsberg (Carl’s Hill ) after his son Carl. After four years of travelling Europe and learning new ideas Carl Jacobsen started as brewer himself in 1871 and opened his own brewery, New Carlsberg, in 1881. New Carls berg and Old Carlsberg ( Gamle Carlsberg ) merged in 1906 as Carlsberg Breweries.

Probably inspired by the Guinness brewery in Dublin, Carl Jacobsen linked his two sites with a narrow gauge railway that was able to negotiate tight curves and replace horses and cars with minimal change to infrastruc ture. Construction started in 1909 with imported German rolling stock and Krauss steam locomotives, although an 0-4-0T was also acquired from Britain and from France in 1912 came a Punney steam railcar to transport visiting guess and dignitaries.

The first internal combustion locomotives arrived in the 1920s and the 0e (7mm to the foot scale and 16.5mm gauge track ) layout Gamle Carlsberg represented the system at its zenith in the early 1930s. It was replaced by road transport in 1957 and the real Gamle Carlsberg is now a visitor centre. All the Fulgarex point motors and Kadee coupling fitted Fleischmann locomotives on Gamle Carlsberg were DCC operated and at least two engines needed be used to solve the shunting puzzle that the sidings presented. The buildings had foam board shells and are covered in Howard Scenics embossed English Bond brick paper.

  
 

    
  MORFA MAWR (ABERATH) by Trevor Hale

EM Gauge 4mm Scale

    
 

      
  EM gauge Morfa Mawr measured 12’ x 18" with an 8’ scenic section and a 4’ sector plate fiddle yard at the southern end. Another northern fiddle yard would be a future possibility and he layout could be controlled either by traditional dc or by DCC.    
 

      
 

Morfa Mawr was originally planned as part of a narrow gauge line by the Vale of Rheidol Railway and despite later plans for a standard gauge railway submitted by the LA&NQLR it would only be built by the Cambrian Railway – albeit with a few deviations including running the line into Newquay crossing the Lampeter to Aberaeron line at Crossways. Work finally started in 1911 with completion just before the Great War and operations by the Great Western Railway. The layout was based circa 1970 on the coast of Cardigan Bay near Llanon between Aberystwyth and Aberaeron and consisted of a small single platform station with run round sidings for goods and coal. The later additional siding accommodated the provender shed.

  
 

      
  Morfa Mawr was originally planned as part of a narrow gauge line by the Vale of Rheidol Railway and despite later plans for a standard gauge railway submitted by the LA&NQLR it would only be built by the Cambrian Railway – albeit with a few deviations including running the line into Newquay crossing the Lampeter to Aberaeron line at Crossways. Work finally started in 1911 with completion just before the Great War and operations by the Great Western Railway. The layout was based circa 1970 on the coast of Cardigan Bay near Llanon between Aberystwyth and Aberaeron and consisted of a small single platform station with run round sidings for goods and coal. The later additional siding accommodated the provender shed.

EM gauge Morfa Mawr measured 12’ x 18" with an 8’ scenic section and a 4’ sector plate fiddle yard at the southern end. Another northern fiddle yard would be a future possibility and he layout could be controlled either by traditional dc or by DCC.

  
 

     
  THOMAS by Cheltenham GWR Modellers 00 Gauge 4mm Scale   
 

     
  CARLTON METALS by Mike Elton

00 Gauge 4mm Scale

  
 

    
 

Carlton Metals was the winner of a 2003 competition held at an annual meeting of Diesel and Electric Societies and is based on a Nottingham scrap works dealing with expired railway vehicles. Trackwork is SMP apart from a central diamond crossing by Peco.

  
 

    
  Carlton Metals was the winner of a 2003 competition held at an annual meeting of Diesel and Electric Societies and is based on a Nottingham scrap works dealing with expired railway vehicles. Trackwork is SMP apart from a central diamond crossing by Peco.

For me the scenery, rolling stock - and especially the snow - brought back memories of the Derwent Valley Light Railway in York during my student days during the winter of 1981-2. 20 052 was renumbered from D8052 in February 1974, the 1 000 bhp Bo-Bo having been built by English Electric at the former Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns Ltd works in Darlington as number 2961/8213 of April 1961. First allocated to 41A Darnall ( Sheffield ), 20 052 was withdrawn from Toton in November 1990.

  
 

    
  CLAYTON WEST by Mark Lambert

00 Gauge 4mm Scale

  
 
    
 

Clayton West – which made its debut at Cheltenham in October 2008 – was based on a station that closed to traffic in 1983.However, Mark Lambert imagined that government renewal funding allowed the construction of new housing, businesses and a shopping village on the former colliery site. Electrification of the branc line in the early 1990s would have allowed through services from Manchester and Leeds although for cost reasons only the bay platform of the new station – built on former colliery sidings - was energised.

 
 

    
  A blue liveried Class 31 makes an interesting contrast to Trainload Coal liveried 58014, built by BREL Doncaster in April 1984 and named "Didcot Power Station" in June 1988. First allocated to Toton, Nottinghamshire, it was stored at the Training School there by 2008    
 

      
  Clayton West – which made its debut at Cheltenham in October 2008 – was based on a station that closed to traffic in 1983.However, Mark Lambert imagined that government renewal funding allowed the construction of new housing, businesses and a shopping village on the former colliery site. Electrification of the branc line in the early 1990s would have allowed through services from Manchester and Leeds although for cost reasons only the bay platform of the new station – built on former colliery sidings - was energised.

The shopping complex behind the station was a combination of Wimbledon’s "Centre Court" and Clark’s Village in Street while the distribution centre could handle palletised goods, parcels or finished steel. There was also sufficient siding space to accommodate engineer’s vehicles, locomotives resting between duties and spot traffic flows.

Clayton West used a Lenz Compact DCC system to control its late Nationalisation era trains with points, signals and lighting on a more traditional 12 volt dc system. The points were Peco Code 75 with C&L plain track offering optimum scale sleeper spacing for 00.

  
 

    
 

   
 

      
  Thanks are also due to Mark Lambert for allowing part of Clayton West to be used as a setting for Roger Webb's example of the Heljan model of Brush's twin engined D0280 "Falcon". This 4mm scale locomotive had made an impressive appearance on Roger's Stonebridge layout at St Margaret's Hall in January 2008 and Mr Webb was kind enough to bring it back to a modern image setting in keeping with its roots as one one of the Brush locomotives named after birds of prey and also as a stylistic ancestor of the ubiquitous Brush Class 47. In fact over the years Roger has been kind enough to lend me his Bristol RE bus for my Bristol Aircraft presentation as well as a Lancashire and Yorkshire Class B7 "Pug" 0-4-0ST for Capital Works. Thanks, Roger!    
 

      
  PALLET LANE by Rob Owst

00 Gauge 4mm Scale

  
 

    
   
 

    
  Pallet Lane was an imaginary BR station set around 1977, inspired by the Severn Beach o Bristol branch and built on baseboards recovered from two forklift pallets. The line would have continued beyond Pallet Lane in pre Beeching times but the oil and cement terminals justify its continued survival and that of a DMU passenger service. Already known for his modelling demonstrations at St Margaret's Hall, Rob Owst had made a particularly fine job of the "distressed" scenery at Pallet Lane, especially the corrugated iron platform shelter which was weathered with real rust!    
 

    
  CASTLE WHARF KENDAL by Ian Kirkwood

009 Gauge 4mm Scale

  
 

    
   
 

    
  Plans for standard gauge light railway running south east from Canal Head in Kendal, Westmorland, to Arkholme, serving various quarries and gunpowder works as well as local farming interests failed due to lack of interest but this 009 layout supposed that the cheaper option of a narrow gauge railway was built instead. Castle Wharf Kendal represents the northern terminus of the line in the 1930s with LMS transfer sidings just south of the area modelled making the canal redundant. The buildings on Castle Wharf Kendal – based on such real structures as the grey stone K Shoe factory - were hand built from card while the rolling stock was kit built. The locomotives were from the Backwoods range and featured both Barclays ( pictured above ) and Manning Wardle tank engines and an early six coupled Leeds built Hudswell Clarke diesel, complete with signature curved cover over the front-of-bonnet jackshaft.  
 

    
  WOOLTON JUNCTION by Ian Sheppard

N Gauge 2mm Scale

  
 

    
 

Woolton was a freelance layout based upon a country branch line junction off the Didcot to Southampton line in North Hampshire, served by Speedlink services as well as passenger trains from Paddington, Newbury, Basingstoke and Reading as well as Network South East and Southampton-Didcot InterCity workings. The station and goods yard once served the local market towns to the north through the rear tunnel but during the 1970s road transport became more favourable to the market town’s businesses, forcing the north branch line to close ( and itself become a road ) and the goods yard to become redundant. However, a local oil refinery gave new life to the yard as locomotives needed somewhere to run round block trains or be replaced by other locomotives, a manoevre also performed by stone trains serving a quarry and coal trains feeding the boilers at an MOD base.

    
 

     
  Woolton was a freelance layout based upon a country branch line junction off the Didcot to Southampton line in North Hampshire, served by Speedlink services as well as passenger trains from Paddington, Newbury, Basingstoke and Reading as well as Network South East and Southampton-Didcot InterCity workings. The station and goods yard once served the local market towns to the north through the rear tunnel but during the 1970s road transport became more favourable to the market town’s businesses, forcing the north branch line to close ( and itself become a road ) and the goods yard to become redundant. However, a local oil refinery gave new life to the yard as locomotives needed somewhere to run round block trains or be replaced by other locomotives, a manoevre also performed by stone trains serving a quarry and coal trains feeding the boilers at an MOD base. As pictured above, 47 803 in its unique yellow, red and grey British Rail Infrastructure markings heads a permanent way train while a Class 59 in original Foster Yeoman livery waits in the background.   
 

     
  YARNHAM by Giles Mockford

N Gauge 2mm Scale

 		  
 

     
   
 

     
  Yarnham was a ficticious small suburban terminus and freight terminal in Sussex - close to the banks of the River Arun at the end of a branch off the former LBSCR Coastway route . In former years there was a line that continued beyond he town into the harbour. In the Network South East Era of 1992 however the truncated remains formed a headshunt for the wagon repairs depot.. Passenger traffic was handled by former Southern Region slam door CEP, VEP and CIG third rail direct current EMUs with the occasional locomotive hauled working while Classes 33 and 73 handled Speedlink and civil engineer's trains respectively.

Like Clayon West, Yarnham made its debut at Cheltenham in October 2008 and still needs some final tweaks but shows that DCC can be applied to N gauge. Similarly, Gile's attention to detail in replicating an electricity substation in 2mm scale shows just what can be achieved with the range of scenic components now available.

  
 

    
  MODEL BUS FEDERATION represented by Paul Mellor 4mm Scale  
 

    
 

Ex Lothian Volvo Olympian P 431 KFX joined the North Western Road Car Co. (Glos) Ltd's fleet to replace some obsolete double deckers. Still a very modern looking design, its Alexander Royale body was converted from dual to single door by its new English owners and is seen pulling away from one of the covered stops just outside Brocklecote Bus Station prior to the arrival of H 269 HAD on a Tuffley bound service. One of two 1990 vintage Volvo B10Ms with Duple 300 bodywork to bus specification in the North Western Road Car Co. (Glos) Ltd's fleet, the single decker pictured below - made from a Mark Hughes brass kit - is in the final days of operation.

  
 

    
  Ex Lothian Volvo Olympian P 431 KFX joined the North Western Road Car Co. (Glos) Ltd's fleet to replace some obsolete double deckers. Still a very modern looking design, its Alexander Royale body was converted from dual to single door by its new English owners and is seen pulling away from one of the covered stops just outside Brocklecote Bus Station prior to the arrival of H 269 HAD on a Tuffley bound service. One of two 1990 vintage Volvo B10Ms with Duple 300 bodywork to bus specification in the North Western Road Car Co. (Glos) Ltd's fleet, the single decker pictured below - made from a Mark Hughes brass kit - is in the final days of operation.  
 

    
  Ex Lothian Volvo Olympian P 431 KFX joined the North Western Road Car Co. (Glos) Ltd's fleet to replace some obsolete double deckers. Still a very modern looking design, its Alexander Royale body was converted from dual to single door by its new English owners and is seen pulling away from one of the covered stops just outside Brocklecote Bus Station prior to the arrival of H 269 HAD on a Tuffley bound service. One of two 1990 vintage Volvo B10Ms with Duple 300 bodywork to bus specification in the North Western Road Car Co. (Glos) Ltd's fleet, the single decker pictured below - made from a Mark Hughes brass kit - is in the final days of operation.    
 

     
  NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ROAD TRANSPORT MODELLERS

represented by David Mellor 4mm Scale

  
 

    
 

Paul Mellor's latest offerings are some upgrades of the not entirely accurate Corgi Roadscene Volvo FH tractors in the markings of Gloucestershire firm Ralph Davies.

  
 

    
  Paul Mellor's latest offerings are some upgrades of the Corgi Roadscene Volvo FH tractors in the markings of Gloucestershire firm Ralph Davies. To overcome the die cast model's as-supplied lack of height two examples were integrated. One cab was cut below the windscreen and the second cut above the radiator grille. The two tallest parts were then assembled to make correct height FHs ( seen above ) and the remaining parts were used to make a pair of Volvo tractors, pictured below in largely unlined C.M. Downton livery.

The Volvo FH12 6x2 on the left is modified, now having the correct cab height. The FM on the right is created from smaller sections of cab.

 
 

    
     
 

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

    
   
 

    
  Andy Peckham revealed another of his interests when this finely detailed Jaguar - with the satirical registration JP1 - visited the ever growing fleet of Transport 2000. To be totally accurate of course he would have needed two jags, a blonde Cabinet Secretary and some croquet mallets - but anything is possible in modelling!  
 

     
  WAREHOUSE DIORAMA by Ken Ross   
 

     
 

Veteran modeller Ken told me that this diorama was built in a week to showcase a collection of camouflaged military vehicles. The sack store with the hoist was also scratchbuilt while the brick warehouse was from the Heljan kit. Elsewhere on the layout, the Airfix half timbered cottage had vegetables made from tufts of wool! Chained to the "Lowmac" wagons in the picture above are - left to right - the Morris quad tractor for the British Army's 25 pounder field gun and the Austin airfield crash tender next to the classic Austin ambulance as featured in the John Mills film "Ice Cold in Alex".

    
 

     
  Veteran modeller Ken told me that this diorama was built in a week to showcase a collection of camouflaged military vehicles. The sack store with the hoist was also scratchbuilt while the brick warehouse was from the Heljan kit. Elsewhere on the layout, the Airfix half timbered cottage had vegetables made from tufts of wool! Chained to the "Lowmac" wagons in the picture above are - left to right - the Morris quad tractor for the British Army's 25 pounder field gun and the Austin airfield crash tender next to the classic Austin ambulance as featured in the John Mills film "Ice Cold in Alex".   
 

     
  BRITAIN'S LOST FLYING BOATS by Alan Drewett

4mm Scale

 		  
 

     
 

   
 

     
  While the aircraft on this diorama are more fully discussed in The Lost Flying Boats of Blackburn, Fairey and Supermarine and the vehicles - loaned by Ron Brooks - appraised in A Model History of Royal Air Force Vehicles the figures are either by Airfix or Merit, the rowing boats are by Noch ( supplied by Rural Railways ) and the mooring buoys were scratchbuilt by filling the blisters from Strepsil throat lozenge packaging with Polyfilla and painting them grey. One advantage of having a weak chest!   
 

     
  MODELLING DISPLAYS

by Andi Dell and Harvey Faulkner-Aston

 		  
 

    
 

While Harvey Faulkner-Aston - now membership secretary of The Slim Gauge Circle - displayed his prowess at modelling the structures of the Old West, Andi Dell's focus was on British Rail's ill-starred Advanced Passenger Train.

  
 

    
  While Harvey Faulkner-Aston - now membership secretary of The Slim Gauge Circle - displayed his prowess at modelling the structures of the Old West, Andi Dell's focus was on British Rail's ill-starred Advanced Passenger Train. Also of interest in the shot below was the mug in the markings of Diesel and Electric Modellers United (DEMU), formed in 1994 as an independent society catering for all modellers of the railways of Britain and Ireland in the diesel and electric era, regardless of scale or modelling ability. DEMU aims to promote all aspects of this period by exchanging information and ideas in its quarterly magazine "UPDate" and its members-only web forum, which features modelling and prototype articles on a wide range of subjects. DEMU also has a network of area groups established across Britain that hold regular meetings and a national annual Showcase where the very best of diesel and electric modelling may be seen. For more information visit www.demu.co.uk    
 

     
 

While Harvey Faulkner-Aston - now membership secretary of The Slim Gauge Circle - displayed his prowess at modelling the structures of the Old West, Andi Dell's focus was on British Rail's ill-starred Advanced Passenger Train.

  
 

      
  Also in attendance were Cheltenham Model Centre (Saturday) Castle Trains (Sunday). Frederick Lea (Railway Artist),Stewart Blencowe (Railway books, timetables and photographs), Rural Railways, Clive Reid (RCSW Models)

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.