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GLOUCESTER MODEL RAILWAY SHOW

HUCCLECOTE METHODIST CHURCH

  SATURDAY 30 JUNE 2012

  
 

 

    
  LAYOUT AND ATTRACTION PREVIEW  
 

 

    
 

On Saturday 9 July 2011 over 400 people visited the one-day exhibition at Hucclecote Methodist Church, publicised with organiser Alan Postlethwaite's own image of Bulleid Merchant Navy Pacific 35026 "Lamport & Holt Line" stopping at Axminster on a Waterloo bound express in August 1959.

  
 

 

    
  On  Saturday 9 July 2011 over 400 people visited the one-day exhibition at Hucclecote Methodist Church, publicised with organiser Alan Postlethwaite's own image of Bulleid Merchant Navy Pacific  35026 "Lamport & Holt Line" stopping at Axminster on a Waterloo bound express in August 1959.

Afterwards, the church donated a sizable sum to the East Africa relief fund and another, larger, exhibition has been arranged for Saturday 30 June 2012.  At the time of writing the layouts and attractions below have been confirmed as attending:

  
 

 

    
  NEW HARBOUR JUNCTION by Rob Newman

0 Gauge 7mm Scale		  
 

 

    
 

At just 15' x 18" this compact layout portrays the interchange point between the British Railways line and the parallel light railway serving a small docks complex which purports to be beyond the bridge. Passengers can change from the British railways train - more often than not a Derby Lightweight railcar - to the adjacent light railway which provides a "Galloping Goose" railcar. Freight wagons are hauled up from the harbour by a variety of steam or diesel industrial locomotives to be collected by the BR pick-up goods using the connecting spur. Larger BR tender locomotives often pass New Harbour Junction as light engines on their way to a nearby motive power depot. The layout can be operated to accommodate rolling stock from different parts of the country so that changes in location could be made during an exhibition.

  
 

 

    
  At just 15' x 18" this compact layout portrays the interchange point between the British Railways line and the parallel light railway serving a small docks complex which purports to be beyond the bridge.  Passengers can change from the British railways train - more often than not a Derby Lightweight railcar - to the adjacent light railway which provides a "Galloping Goose" railcar. Freight wagons are hauled up from the harbour by a variety of steam or diesel industrial locomotives to be collected by the BR pick-up goods using the connecting spur. Larger BR tender locomotives often pass New Harbour Junction as light engines on their way to a nearby motive power depot. The layout can be operated to accommodate rolling stock from different parts of the country so that changes in location could be made during an exhibition.  
 

 

    
  SYREFORD by Roger Brown
 O-16.5 Gauge 7mm Scale 		 
 

 

    
 

The Cheltenham & Cotswold Hills Railway Company was proposed in 1811 to carry the products of the Stone Pipe Company from Lower Guiting to a junction with the Leckhampton branch of the Gloucester and Cheltenham Tramway and via there to Gloucester Docks.  The Act of Parliament for the 3' 6" gauge plateway failed at its third reading in May 1812 and the Stone Pipe Company also failed soon after when installed systems in London and Manchester would - literally - not hold water!

  
 

 

    
 

 

 The Cheltenham & Cotswold Hills Railway Company was proposed in 1811 to carry the products of the Stone Pipe Company from Lower Guiting to a junction with the Leckhampton branch of the Gloucester and Cheltenham Tramway and via there to Gloucester Docks.  The Act of Parliament for the 3' 6" gauge plateway failed at its third reading in May 1812 and the Stone Pipe Company also failed soon after when installed systems in London and Manchester would - literally - not hold water!

Syreford Station represents the upper terminus of the viable part of the line, had it been built and survived the Stone Pipe Company's failure.  The line was by now a 2' 4" gauge edge railway and is depicted in the early 1950s when tourism became a significant portion of remunerative traffic.

Track is hand built and buildings are scribed styrene sheet or textured DAS PRONTO on ply shells.  Scenery is carved from polystyrene foam coated with Artex and covered with commercial scatter materials.  The trees are twisted wire frames with Woodland Scenics foliage and the back scene is a view of Sandhurst Hill as seen from Sandhurst village, near Gloucester.

Locomotives and rolling stock are a mixture of scratch and kit built vehicles, some with modified proprietary components.  Pictured above for example, is a model of the Kerr Stuart diesel mechanical locomotive which ran on the Welsh Highland Railway and was photographed at Dinas in 1928 by L.T.C. Rolt, who was then one of Kerr Stuart's Premium Apprentices following in the footsteps of Supermarine Spitfire aircraft designer Reginald Mitchell.

Founded in Glasgow in 1881, James Kerr and Company became Kerr, Stuart and Company in 1883 when John Stuart was taken on as a partner.  The business began as an agency ordering locomotives from established manufacturers such as Falcon of Loughborough, John Fowler of Leeds and Hartley, Arnoux and Fanning of Stoke on Trent.  In 1892 Kerr, Stuart and Company bought Hartley, Arnoux and Fanning and moved into Stoke on Trent's California Works to begin building their own locomotives.  The railway and tramway plant division of Hartley, Arnoux and Fanning was then sold to Dick, Kerr and Company in Preston.

As well as an illustrious output of steam locomotives and railcars for home and export use, Kerr Stuart introduced a range of roller chain driven diesel mechanical locomotives in the late 1920s.  Available in a range of track gauges, their McLaren Benz prime movers were also supplied in 2 cylinder (30 bhp) 4 cylinder (60 bhp) and 6 cylinder (90bhp) formats.

However, Kerr, Stuart and Company entered receivership in 1930 with goodwill (design and spare parts) going to Hunslet of Leeds although many staff - including the Chief Draughtsman - joined Stafford based W.G.Bagnall who continued to manufacture Kerr Stuart steam locomotive designs.

  
 

 

    
 

HARTBURN by Ian Manderson

EM Gauge 4mm Scale

  
 

 

    
 

Hartburn is a small village in Northumberland. It was never served directly by rail but lay just north of the old Wansbeck Valley Railway from Morpeth to Redesmouth, with the nearest station being Angerton. However, the original plan put forward in 1855 to link Morpeth and Rothbury proposed a line running via Meldon, Hartburn and Long Witton. This proposition pre-dated the Wansbeck Valley. A survey and report was produced by John Willet but nothing came of the project and Rothbury was eventually linked to Morpeth by the Northumberland Central Railway (NCR) that joined the Wansbeck Valley at Scot's Gap. The track plan of this EM layout is based upon an amalgamation of the 1862 and 1896 layouts for Angerton with station buildings based on those at Brinkworth on the NCR.

  
 

 

    
 

 

Hartburn is a small village in Northumberland. It was never served directly by rail but lay just north of the old Wansbeck Valley Railway from Morpeth to Redesmouth, with the nearest station being Angerton. However, the original plan put forward in 1855 to link Morpeth and Rothbury proposed a line running via Meldon, Hartburn and Long Witton. This proposition pre-dated the Wansbeck Valley. A survey and report was produced by John Willet but nothing came of the project and Rothbury was eventually linked to Morpeth by the Northumberland Central Railway (NCR) that joined the Wansbeck Valley at Scot's Gap. The track plan of this EM layout is based upon an amalgamation of the 1862 and 1896 layouts for Angerton with station buildings based on those at Brinkworth on the NCR.

The 12' x 1' three-turnout rural layout - which started as a test track - marks a change from Ian's more usual urban scenes and is presented in the 1962/1963 era just before closure with ex LNER J72s hauling freight trains to Rothbury and Metro-Cammell DMUs providing a token passenger service.

  
 

 

    
 

HOOKWOOD by Jim Bryant

EM Gauge 4mm Scale

  
 

 

    
  When the South Eastern Railway reached the small village of Westerham in July1881 it was assumed by the local populace that it was only a matter of time before the branch line from Dunton Green ( on the London Victoria - Sevenoaks - Tonbridge main line ) via Brasted would be extended south west for four miles to Oxted on the London Victoria -Croydon - Newhaven main line. In fact this never happened due to the huge cost of extensive engineering works required but Hookwood imagines that the line had been built as a secondary route from London to the Channel Ports. Hookwood station itself would have been located about a mile north east of Oxted on the Kent / Surrey border and the layout depicts the scene in the mid1960s with scratch-built station and goods shed buildings based on those at Westerham and BR Southern Region third rail electrification.  
 

 

    
  When the South Eastern Railway reached the small village of Westerham in July1881 it was assumed by the local populace that it was only a matter of time before the branch line from Dunton Green ( on the London Victoria - Sevenoaks - Tonbridge main line ) via Brasted would be extended south west for four miles to Oxted on the London Victoria -Croydon - Newhaven main line. In fact this never happened due to the huge cost of extensive engineering works required but Hookwood imagines that the line had been built as a secondary route from London to the Channel Ports. Hookwood station itself would have been located about a mile north east of Oxted on the Kent / Surrey border and the layout depicts the scene in the mid1960s with scratch-built station and goods shed buildings based on those at Westerham and BR Southern Region third rail electrification.

The locomotives are mainly modified ready-to-run examples using Ultrascale EM wheels and A1 detailing kits. The 2BIL ( 2 cars, Both Including Lavatories ) EMU is an Ian Kirk kit with Branch Lines motor/gearbox and extra detailing and wagons are mostly super-detailed kits with EM Society wheels. Spratt & Winkle couplings are used with strategically placed electromagnets placed around the 11' x 1'6" layout for uncoupling.

Hookwood also features simulated third-rail arcing, a station cat, working semaphore signals and a decidedly non-working gardener!

  
 

 

    
  COMBE ABBOT by Alan Postlethwaite

00 Gauge 4mm Scale		  
 

 

    
 

This branch terminus was joint GWR/ LSWR and became part of the SR at the 1923 Grouping. Set in Wiltshire around 1950, liveries are a mix of GWR, SR and early BR. Trains run to Westbury (BR-W) and to Salisbury (BR-S). The latter include 3-coach sets which attach to Exeter-Waterloo services. There are also push-pull trains, local goods, a weed-killing train and Army tank traffic to a sub-branch on Salisbury Plain. Built originally by Keith Blake from Bromsgrove, Combe Abbot was refurbished during 2010-12 and this will be its first public showing. Track on the 15' x 3' layout is SMP with wire-in-tube point operation and there are two Gaugemaster Combi controllers.

  
 

 

    
  This branch terminus was joint GWR/ LSWR and became part of the SR at the 1923 Grouping. Set in Wiltshire around 1950, liveries are a mix of GWR, SR and early BR. Trains run to Westbury (BR-W) and to Salisbury (BR-S). The latter include 3-coach sets which attach to Exeter-Waterloo services. There are also push-pull trains, local goods, a weed-killing train and Army tank traffic to a sub-branch on Salisbury Plain. Built originally by Keith Blake from Bromsgrove, Combe Abbot was refurbished during 2010-12 and this will be its first public showing. Track on the 15' x 3' layout is SMP with wire-in-tube point operation and there are two Gaugemaster Combi controllers.  
 

 

    
  ANNIE & CLARABELLE by The Thin Controller

00 Gauge 4mm Scale		  
 

 

    
 

This is a simple layout for children to operate featuring two of the Rev. Audrey’s coaches plus Percy the green engine. All three all chatterboxes. There are also open wagons for children to fill with dinosaurs, soldiers, cowboys and cars. To prevent crashes, the controller has a speed limiter and there are diodes at the buffer stop ends for automatic stopping. It measures 17 ft x 1 ft 6 in along the edge of the stage.

  
 

 

    
 
This is a simple layout for children to operate featuring two of the Rev. Audrey’s coaches plus Percy the green engine. All three all chatterboxes. There are also open wagons for children to fill with dinosaurs, soldiers, cowboys and cars. To prevent crashes, the controller has a speed limiter and there are diodes at the buffer stop ends for automatic stopping. It measures 17 ft x 1 ft 6 in along the edge of the stage.
  
 

 

    
  EUROBAHN ZWEI by Gary Ball

H0 Gauge 3.5mm Scale		  
 

 

    
 

This layout was built to show unusual locomotives - steam, diesel and electric - of Swiss, Austrian, Italian and German origin. Some are scratch-built in brass but most are from various Continental manufacturers. The twin track main line is a continuous loop with all traffic starting from a hidden yard at the back. A second line starts from the same yard onto a 1 in 25 incline to a high-level station where there is a castle and a gathering of classic cars. The latest addition is a working chairlift. The priority is continuous movement and interest. The layout measures 9 ft x 4 ft 2 in.

  
 

 

    
  This layout was built to show unusual locomotives - steam, diesel and electric - of Swiss, Austrian, Italian and German origin. Some are scratch-built in brass but most are from various Continental manufacturers. The twin track main line is a continuous loop with all traffic starting from a hidden yard at the back. A second line starts from the same yard onto a 1 in 25 incline to a high-level station where there is a castle and a gathering of classic cars. The latest addition is a working chairlift. The priority is continuous movement and interest. The layout measures 9 ft x 4 ft 2 in.  
 

 

    
  KINGS CROSS by Paul and Pepita Walker

N Gauge 2mm Scale		  
 

 

    
 

The aim of Kings Cross was to re-create a BR Eastern Region terminus set around 1956. Kings Cross offered Gasworks Tunnel as a scenic cut-off, straightforward architecture and almost everything still there (in the mid-1980s) to be measured and photographed. Paulʼs original idea was to model just the station (out and back) but Pepita wanted scenic appeal so Alndale village was added somewhere in Yorkshire or Northumberland. Walkergate yard was added later for storage. The central panel has three analogue Gaugemaster controllers plus one at Walkergate. Overall dimensions are 10' x 8' and the layout took 20 years to research and build. Two prime requirements were reliable running, particularly at low speed, and the ʻfeelʼ of the real thing. Buildings were modelled from photos, a map and on-site measurements.

  
 

 

    
  The aim of Kings Cross was to re-create a BR Eastern Region terminus set around 1956. Kings Cross offered Gasworks Tunnel as a scenic cut-off, straightforward architecture and almost everything still there (in the mid-1980s) to be measured and photographed. Paulʼs original idea was to model just the station (out and back) but Pepita wanted scenic appeal so Alndale village was added somewhere in Yorkshire or Northumberland. Walkergate yard was added later for storage. The central panel has three analogue Gaugemaster controllers plus one at Walkergate. Overall dimensions are 10' x 8' and the layout took 20 years to research and build. Two prime requirements were reliable running, particularly at low speed, and the ʻfeelʼ of the real thing. Buildings were modelled from photos, a map and on-site measurements.  
 

 

    
  TERMINAL 1 by Alan Drewett

N Gauge 2mm Scale		  
 

 

    
 

Welcome to Terminal 1 of Britainʼs newest airport, located at the end of a ʻcut and coverʼ branch line with the long-term car park above. Rail passengers and their luggage arrive at a four-platform terminus, served by diesel multiple units and push-pull trains, while road traffic passes over the buffer stops and under the airside apron to reach the coach station and freight terminal. The airport company owns the branch line and had a liberal attitude towards vintage steam, diesel-hauled excursions and vintage aircraft. Last seen in public in 2010, Terminal 1 will be appearing at Hucclecote Methodist Church Hall with some new trains and other surprises!

  
 

 

    
  Welcome to Terminal 1 of Britainʼs newest airport, located at the end of a ʻcut and coverʼ branch line with the long-term car park above. Rail passengers and their luggage arrive at a four-platform terminus, served by diesel multiple units and push-pull trains, while road traffic passes over the buffer stops and under the airside apron to reach the coach station and freight terminal. The airport company owns the branch line and had a liberal attitude towards vintage steam, diesel-hauled excursions and vintage aircraft. Last seen in public in 2010, Terminal 1 will be appearing at Hucclecote Methodist Church Hall with some new trains and other surprises!  
 

 

    
  QUELQUE PART EN FRANCE by Simon Newitt

Nm Gauge 2mm Scale		  
 

 

    
 

Quelque Part En France was originally built by Rodger Main and was called The Salt Marsh. This was an accurate representation of part of a French metre gauge line, the Tramways de la Vendee, which ran down the West Coast of France until the 1950s. It was more specifically based on the Musee de la Petit Gare at Ile d'Olonne in the Vendee region.

  
 

 

    
  Quelque Part En France was originally built by Rodger Main and was called The Salt Marsh. This was an accurate representation of part of a French metre gauge line, the Tramways de la Vendee, which ran down the West Coast of France until the 1950s. It was more specifically based on the Musee de la Petit Gare at Ile d'Olonne in the Vendee region.

The layout is now owned by Simon Newitt and has been moved several hundred kilometres inland to somewhere in central France, rebuilt and renamed. The backscene on this layout is a modified photograph taken from a barge on the Canal du Nivernals, near a village called Cravant  in Burgundy - hence the vineyards on the hills!

Simon is using Quelque Part En France as a test bed for his new Nm layout, Chatel Sur Yonne, based on Burgundy's Vonne Valley. This particular take on the Nm format uses N gauge scratchbuilt or French resin cast bodies on Z gauge Marklin chassis track to represent the once extensive French metre gauge wherein run railcars ( or Autorails) by firms like De Dion and Billard using a notation system based on Type, Horsepower and Fuel. Hence one class of Autorail is described as A80D , developing 80 bhp and running on diesel.

Also visible on the Z Gauge rails are diesel locomotives (locotracteurs) and wagons (wagons marchandises) while the Dutch barge is scratch-built and the buildings are heavily modified kits.  The layout measures 3 ft 6 in x 1 ft 6 in.
 

  
 

 

    
 

MODELLING DEMONSTRATION BY GLOUCESTER MODEL RAILWAY CLUB

  
 

 

    
   
 

 

    
 

Just an idea of what delights might be in store!

Traders for the show will include Keith's Bits and Pieces supplying second hand model railway equipment and new Gloucester-based scenic material purveyors Penduke Models.