Home | CHELTENHAM GWR MODELLERS GROUP MODEL RAILWAY EXHIBITIONS IN AID OF CLIC SARGEANT |
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SAINT MARGARET'S HALL, CONISTON ROAD, OFF WINDERMERE ROAD HATHERLEY, CHELTENHAM, GL51 3NX |
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THE NEXT EXHIBITION WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY 25 AND SUNDAY 26 OCTOBER 2014 |
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AND WILL INCLUDE |
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Windermere Road is served by Stagecoach Cheltenham service D from Cheltenham railway station via Queens Road, Christ Church Road, Lansdown Road, Shelburne Road and Alma Road. For full details visit www.stagecoachbus.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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For more practical information on this and similar Cheltenham exhibitions visit www.cheltmodrail.org.uk | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Meanwhile, here are some of the reasons why the exhibition will be worthy of your support: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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CLIC SARGEANT CHALLENGES CHILDHOOD CANCER AND LEUKAEMIA |
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Not too long ago Cancer and
Leukaemia were seen as unstoppable diseases with only
about 3 out of every 10 children diagnosed surviving long
term. There are still some 2 500 new cases reported each
year ( after accidents, cancer is the second most common
cause of childhood deaths ) but, due to combination
therapy ( chemotherapy and radiotherapy ) and improved
care, the survival figure has now risen to over 7 out of
every 10 children. The CLIC Sargeant vision is that one day these terrible diseases will be eradicated once and for all, but until that day CLIC Sargeant will work ceaselessly to ensure that the care and quality of life of suffering children and their families is maintained at the highest possible level. CLIC Sargeant funds valuable research into the causes of various childhood cancers in an effort to find cures and help understand the best course of action for each child. It finances a network of Homecare Nurses, who travel out from hospitals across the country to provide expert daily care for children in their own homes, and support for their families. CLIC Sargeant also pays for a wide range of specialist clinics. Local treatment avoids long journeys to distant hospitals and limits the disruption to family life. Similarly, CLIC Sargeant provides skilled Art and Play specialists at hospitals who encourage children to use art and play to work through their fears and feelings, making a long stay on the hospital ward much more bearable. CLIC Sargeant has built six "Homes from Home" in the UK to provide free self-catering accommodation for families, just a few minutes walk away from the major specialist Children's Cancer Units. CLIC Sargeant also offers families the use of "Crisis Break Flats" absolutely free of charge - at times the intensity of long term treatment really can become too much, and family holidays can provide a welcome change. CLIC Sargeant has its own specially equipped ambulance and a team of volunteers to transport children safely to local hospitals at no cost to their families and help families with the unforseen costs which inevitably arise from long term treatment. In other words CLIC Sargeant helps in each and every way it possibly can. But it cannot providee these essential services without your help. CLIC SARGEANT RECEIVES NO STATE AID. Everything CLIC Sargeant does, every ordeal it assists, has to be paid for by public donations. You will help the work of CLIC Sargeant by visiting the Cheltenham GWR Modellers Group Model Railway Exhibitions and by any further investments - perhaps a cup of tea or a model wagon - and any donations you may like to make. All monies raised by the Cheltenham GWR Modellers Group Model Railway Exhibitions goes primarily to CLIC Sargeant's own Homecare Nurse, Play Therapist and medical staff at the Gloucester Royal Hospital. Every penny helps local children with the challenge that they face. For further details please contact CLIC Sargeant Gloucestershire Branch Chairman Stephen Markham on 01452 724144 or visit www.clic.org.uk |
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For review of Autumn 2009 click on the picture above | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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For review of Spring 2010 click on the picture above | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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CHELTENHAM GWR MODELLERS GROUP MODEL RAILWAY EXHIBITION SATURDAY 29 OCTOBER AND SUNDAY 30 OCTOBER 2005 |
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LAYOUT AND ATTRACTION REVIEW |
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Photographs by Alan Drewett, who ran out of film. Apologies to any layouts and attractions not illustrated. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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KENTSIDE by Karl Crowther. 4mm Scale EM Gauge |
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The model was inspired by both the Lakeside and the Arnside-Hincaster branches of the former Furness Railway, in an area that now lies in South Cumbria. Kentside originated as an extended test track to gain experience of the many aspects of layout design, construction and presentation over a modest timespan. An important factor was the relatively small size of the baseboards, which allow easy transport of the whole model by private car. Track was constructed from C&L parts and includes a section with concrete sleepers as laid on the Lakeside Branch in the 1960s. Although standard turnouts were employed, much thought had been given to creating an interesting track geometry. The siting of one of the points across a baseboard join did not created any problems due to the use of EMGS alignment dowels. The period modelled was set in the 1960s, thereby allowing a mixture of steam and green diesel motive power to be used. Structures employed variety of techniques and were based upon the standard Furness Railway buildings from Greenodd and Haverthwaite on the Lakeside Branch. However, the geographical setting was firmly on the eastern side of the Kent Estuary, with the backscene being inspired by the view from Sandside and painted using acrylics. A major source of traffic on the branch was a limestone quarry and limeworks adjacent to the station. Although the quarry was "off stage", Kentside station formed the run-round facility for stone and lime workings. Eventually it is planned to extend the layout to include the quarry area itself, taking inspiration from the Northern Quarries at Sandside and others in the area. Kentside has featured in issue 103 of Model Railway Journal and the December 2001 issue of British Railway Modelling. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SKIP HILL by Peter Cullen. 4mm Scale 00 Gauge |
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This little layout was inspired by, but was clearly not a model of, the Cromford and High Peak line in Derbyshire. Powerful tank engines charged the 1 in 14 gradient with short trains of empty mineral wagons. After shunting the wagons on the summit, the loaded wagons were very carefully taken back down the gradients to the exchange sidings. Steep gradients, short headshunts, automatic uncoupling and numerous isolating sections made for intersting operation in a small space. There was even a man welding! The name Skip Hill derived from the baseboard being found in a skip! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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HEDGES HILL CUTTING by Grahame Hedges. 2mm Scale N Gauge |
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This layout was set in South London suburbia during the early 1990s Network South East period of operation with dc electrified third rails. It featured typical Southern stock of the era including EMUs, a Class 33 diesel electric and Class 73 electro-diesels - nowadays more associated with the Dean Forest Railway. All the buildings were scratch built - mainly from cardboard and mostly based on real buildings from around the area either adapted to suit the layout or as they really stood. Also featured were an electricity sub station and a Gatso speed camera. The small single baseboard allowed Hedges Hill Cutting to be stored in a loft and operated by one person. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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KBN WAGON WORKS by Andy Nicholls. 7mm Scale 0 Gauge |
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Originally inspired by an article on Radstock wagon works in an old "Model Railway" magazine from 1972, further inspiration was also taken from the excellent series of private owner wagon books by Bill Hudson featuring many photographs of Charles Roberts wagon works - and elements of Gloucester wagon works. The 12'6" x 2'3" layout represented a small provincial carriage & wagon works somewhere in the South West, comprising machine and paint shops as well as main erecting and repair facilities. The period and rolling stock was capable of change during the exhibition - from 1930s Great Western to Somerset & Dorest in the early 20th Century. A connection with the main line brought workmen's trains in and out as well as wagons for repair and raw materials in and finished products out. All pointwork was hand built with the exception of the three way and all points were hand operated from the rear of the layout. The rest of the track was either C&L or copper clad construction, the tight radii being prototypical of industrial locations. The working traverser outside the main erecting shop had undergone much modification and experimentation to get it to run smoothly - and avoid repetitive strain injury in the operators. The buildings were constructed from either foam board or ply with a covering of styrene brick or stone finishes. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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OAKINGHAM SR by Peter Messent. 7mm Scale 0 Gauge |
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This house-friendly fictitious
location represented an ex LSWR branch terminus with the
GWR having running powers from their own branch "off
scene". There was a regular shuttle service from a
junction on the west country main line as well as a
through service from Waterloo. The SR and GWR branch
trains - up to 3 carriages or 9 goods wagons in lenght -
interconnected and could be strengthened with milk or
parcels vans. Oakingham is in fact an 18th Century
spelling of Wokingham and visitors familiar with the
Reading to Ascot stretch of the Southern Railway in
Berkshire might well have recognised the layout station
buildings as being based on those once standing on the Up
platform at Wokingham. The signal box was based on an
LSWR design at Claygate. Southern and GWR on the layout
was kit built with some scratchbuilt carriages. If you would like to join the Gauge 0 Guild - the 7mm specialist society - then the Gloucestershire group can be contacted on 01666 577124. Among the Gauge 0 kits available are Slaters of Gloucester RCW built private owner coal wagon Burtt No. 5. This ten tonner with a 6 ton tare weight was outshopped from Bristol Road in November 1893 with white lettering on a black background. |
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SEVERN MILL by Thornbury & South Gloucestershire MRC 7mm Scale 0 Gauge |
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Severn Mill was a fictitious light railway operating in the Severn Vale in the Colonel H. Stephens style. In addition to the primitive passenger facilities it featured a timber yard and mill, both served by a siding. Traffic was limited to light goods trains and the occasional passenger working with antiquated stock. the track was hand built from light section Code 100 flat bottomed rail in the manner of the Nidd Valley Light Railway. All buildings were made from scratch, mainly scribed Polyfilla or DAS on plywood structures. The locomotives and rolling stock were all kit built. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BROADGATE by Les Williams. 4mm Scale 00 Gauge |
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Broadgate was an imaginary small stabling point somewhere in the west country in the 1970s during the changeover from green to blue diesel liveries. Peco 100 track suitably weathered linked kit built huts and fuelling point inside a scratchbuilt plasticard backscene. Although only five feet long and with headshunts limited to the length of a mainline diesel locomotive, Broadgate's Z shape configuration combined with separate power control for dc feeds at each corner meant that two trains could still move at once! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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EATON SOUTH by Colin & Martyn Chivers 4mm Scale 00 Gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Eaton South was another Z shaped small modern image layout, this time of an imaginary urban station somewhere north of Watford. Comprising three baseboards which fitted into a family hatchback, the overall size of the layout was about 12 feet by 2 feet, though extra space was needed behind for a table to store the aluminium angle-section fiddle-yard cassettes. The track was Peco Streamline with the buildings a mixture of kit and scratch built. Two operators could independently control fiddle-yard to station workings and loco depot movements or shunting in the oil terminal and container sidings. In fact there was rarely a dull moment at Eaton South during the whole two day show! The stock was mainly Hornby, Lima and Bachmann with an increasing number of kit built items. Although set in the post 1994 Privatized era, some British Rail liveries were noted - and even Thomas the Tank Engine for the delight of younger visitors. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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LETTERKENNY by Andy Cundick 4mm Scale 00N3 Gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The County Donegal Joint Railway Company was the largest narrow gauge system in the British Isles with 125 miles of 3' gauge lines. This met the 5'3" gauge tracks of the Great Northern Railway of Ireland at Strabane before one branch went west and south to Ballybofey, Glenties, Donegal, Killybegs and Ballyshannon. The other branch, modelled here, opened in 1909 and travelled north out of Northern Ireland to Letterkenny in Southern Ireland ( Eire) where it met another 36" gauge line, the Londonderry and Lough Swilly from Londonderry Graving Dock to Burtonport. The "Swillys" station at Letterkenny is presently under construction for future presentation by Mr Cundick. The County Donegal Joint Railway Company branch from Strabane to Letterkenny closed in 1960 and was depicted at the show as it was in the 1940s and 50s, with kit and scratch built rolling stock embracing the CDJRCs pioneering railcar fleet and impressive 2-6-4Ts. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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EAST ILSLEY by Margaret Evans 4mm Scale EM Gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A branch line from Compton to East Ilsley was proposed in 1873 as part of the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway but was never built. This layout depicted "what might have been" at this busy branch terminus in sheep rearing and racehorse stable country from the early 1930s - under Great Western ownership - to its closure under British Railways Western Region in 1962. The line operated on a One Train In Steam basis controlled from Compton by train staff with a ground frome signal box covering the goods yard. The track is SMP and the points were hand built from SMP kits and hand operated via rod and slider switches. Controls were operated by "Kentroll+" and magnets under the track operated the sprat and winkle couplings on the kit built or modified r-t-r rolling stock. Similarly, the buildings were either kit or scratchbuilt in the Didcot Newbury & Southampton style. East Ilsley has recently been featured in British Railway Modelling magazine. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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GORDANO BRIDGE MARK II by Keith Powell 2mm Scale N Gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Essentially a layout for watching five decades of diesel trains go by! Manufacturer credits went to Graham Farish, Kato, Roco and Tomix while most visitors were just impressed by the layout's nine rail bridges, four road bridges and the road tunnel which just asked to be looked up! Operation was completely automatic with the four upper level main lines controlled by Heathcote Irdot System and the three branch lines by Kent Panel Controls - all linked to AMR and Gaugemaster power units. All points were wired to a diode matrix and a capacitor discharge unit (CDU) system. Irdot also controlled working colour light signals on the main lines and upper level branch. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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MODEL BUS FEDERATION by
Paul Mellor NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ROAD TRANSPORT MODELLERS by David Mellor 4mm scale |
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Another fine display from the ever
growing Mellor Brothers collection. For me though,
probably the most exciting vehicle is the orange and
white tractor unit in the top right of the picture. Now
that this Charles Russell asset has been finished, Paul
and David tell me that they might one day be working on a
matching trailer with a Blackburn Buccaneer load -
recreating the epic movement of Jet Age preserved
aircraft from Staverton to Bentham and back to Staverton.
And in the case of the Buccaneer, possibly onward to
Farnborough. But, for the moment, that is another story. Like an Aston Martin or a fine malt whisky, no Mellor vehicle is ever rushed. And the true connoisseur is happy to delight in whatever vehicle - new or old - is on display. More generally, the bus models displayed here began life as white metal or brass kits which can either be epoxy glued or soldered together - although some of the earlier examples were original Dinky Toys: heavily reconstructed but only about one third of the cost to buy Like the buses, trucks were a mixture of white metal and brass kits although the more modern European built types of tractor unit– Volvo, Mercedes-Benz etc – are often based on die cast toys before being customised with cast parts. Articulated semi-trailers and bodies for rigid chassis meanwhile were scratch-built from plastic card. These also include box vans and tipper designs. What really separates the Mellors from other road vehicle modellers however is their skill at depicting Gloucestershire based lorries from the past 50 years. Examples of this blend of historical research and steady hands ( they use no decals! ) included many of the "one off" designs operated by Moreton C. Cullimore as well as their more familiar ERFs and Fodens. Similarly, the Mercedes artic passing Brocklecote Bus Station with a large traction engine on its low loading trailer had twin flashing lights – rather than just beacons – to warn other road users. Indeed, if anyone has any photographs, plans, memories or other information about commercial road vehicles based in Gloucestershire from 1950 onwards that they would like to share with the Mellor Brothers please email me and I will pass the data on. Two more items worthy of special mention were the Commer/ Scammell based furniture van operating as new for Staites Furniture and Removals in the 1950s and an up-to-date Scania "T" Topline in the livery of Maquires of Cheltenham. This huge bonneted tractor unit even had custom lining and flags on its Brunswick green and white metalwork. The fictional Brocklecote Bus Station of the diorama was purportedly built in the 1960s to serve a new town development and is also the hub of frequent services to Abbotswood, Abbeydale and Abbeymead areas. Sited on part of the old Gloster Aircraft Company factory in the shadow of Coopers Hill, its facilities are due for a makeover – not least because a new link to the M5 and the arrival of more industrial units nearby has made a separate long distance coach terminal a possibility. Also next door are the offices and works of the North Western Road Car Co. (Glos) Ltd : the fictional City bus operator which has fought off takeover bids from many larger firms and continues to paint its buses red with an ivory trim and its coaches ivory with a red trim. This is a variation on the real-life North Western Road Car Co, founded in Cheshire in 1958. Modern low-floor, low-emission buses could be seen at the various stands ready to take passengers all over Gloucester although Brocklecote also hosts executive coaches from time to time. One notable example was "Glevum 2000", a vehicle with three axles to take not only the weight of its own equipment and that of passengers but of duty free alcohol purchased on "booze runs" to France! After much conversion from a standard die-cast model, "Glevum 2000" boasts an interior complete with tables, lounge areas and galleys! |
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LOCKHEED AIRCRAFT by Alan Drewett 4mm Scale HO Gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Not only were these Lockheed aircraft - namely the P-80D Shooting Star, T-33 trainer, U2 and SR71 spyplanes in the main Airfield Embankment diorama and Hudson and P-38 Lightning in the Control Tower box - but they were all designed by one man : Clarence "Kelly" Johnson who also made hundreds of other aeronautical innovations in a long and productive life. While the Control Tower diorama represented an airfield somewhere in Britain during World War II the Embankment box was all American, with GM and GE diesels and a Baldwin 2-8-0 steam locomotive that would have run over the metals of the Western Maryland Railway in the north eastern corner of the United States. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Click here for more information on the Jet Age Reserve Model Collection | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SOUTHDOWN MODEL BUSES AND
TRANSPORT MEMORABILIA by Vincent Tweed 4mm ( and larger ) Scales |
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Mr Tweed was only present on Sunday ( filling a space occupied by Cheltenham Model Centre on Saturday ) but once again delighted visitors with his memorabilia ( tickets, bus stop signs etc ) and models which complimented Paul Mellor's Brocklecote diorama next door. This particular shot shows a range of topless sightseeing buses in the markings of Wallace Arnold, London Pride and NBC United. Click on picture for more details. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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LIVE MODELLING DISPLAYS were by Tom Couling, Harvey and Joseph Faulkner-Aston, Trevor Hale, Steve Harrod and Rob Owst | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TRADERS included Tony Pollestrone (Books), Frederick Lea (Railway Artist ) Richard Pretious ( Iron Horse Videos ) Cheltenham Model Centre and Rural Railways ( models and components ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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CHELTENHAM GWR MODELLERS GROUP MODEL RAILWAY EXHIBITION SATURDAY 2 APRIL AND SUNDAY 3 APRIL 2005 |
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Here's what the programme said: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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OXENDALE JUNCTION by Wolverhampton MRC 2mm Scale N Gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Old Worse and Worse [ Oxford,
Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway ] was cut through the
Cotswolds following a route surveyed by Brunel but it was
the N Gauge section of our club that tampered with the OS
map and designed the fictitious town of Oxendale.
Branches from Chipping Norton, Burford and Great Tew meet
at the town's station, which lies on the Oxford to
Worcester line between Kingham and Shipton. The era is the early 1960s when duties were shared by diesels and steam locos. As well as main line running we also operate pilot duties, banking, shunting and branch line workings. A few Farish engines are rebodied, renumbered and weathered but many, like the coaches, are off the shelf. In contrast, the unique fleet of 500 freight vehicles including numerous kits, scratch builds and many Peco, Farish and Continental models, which have been butchered beyond recognition. Such work is rarely attempted in N Gauge. If you look closely you will see that most wagons are correctly lettered, weathered and chalked up ready to go, or not to go in the case of condemned wagons sitting in the cripple siding. Scenic features have been gathered from along the OWW as well as over Oxfordshire. The three bridges come from Charlbury, Combe and Banbury; parcels bay from Worcester; telegraph poles from Kingham; flour mill from Bledington; farm from Lyneham; mill from Shipton under Wychwood and station gardens from Kidlington. Yet to come is Deddington garage, Bruern saw mill, Finstock bridge and a herd of 100 or so Fresians to create traffic chaos on Station Road as they head for the fields after milking. Press exposure has included Model Rail, BRM, Modelling Railways Illustrated and several other magazines. |
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CARDHU by Brian Silby 2mm Scale N Gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cardhu is a Gaelic word meaning "Black Rock". It is also the brand name of a fine single malt whiskey, which is distilled in the tiny village of Knockando, Speyside, in Scotland. There has never been a rail connection to the Cardhu distillery, so I have applied a little modeller's licence. The layout is set in Speyside and consists of a small station and distillery with a small goods yard. The period modelled is 1975-85 with Class 37s and DMUs providing the motive power. Uncoupling is implemented by the use of MBM magnetic couplings activated by permanent magnets mounted between the tracks. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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ANZBRUCKE by Ann Silby 1.5mm Scale Z Gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Anzbrucke, a small imaginary village located on the Swiss/German border, sees trains of both SBB and DB. Alongside the railway is a small river. The scenery was constructed using polystyrene and plaster and coloured with Woodlands Scenics dressing. The buildings are built from Kibri kits whilst the viaduct is a mix match of Noche and Faller kits. The motive and rolling stock are all Marklin. The layout is powered by Gaugemaster Control. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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RANDOM by Richard Insley 2mm Scale N Gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In the closing decades of the
Nineteenth Century the Catskill Mountains became the
favourite place for the wealthy of New York to enjoy a
holiday. Beside the legend of Rip Van Winckle the area
posessed splendid scenery of small lakes, waterfalls,
rocky outcrops and forests. Hotels began to appear in the
late 1880s and by the beginning of the next century the
area was dotted with such buildings, each bigger and more
magnificent. To convey the increasing number of well
heeled tourists to the area, railways built lines to and
through the Catskills. Besides the Delaware and Hudson
Railroad there were the New York, Ontario and Western
Railroad and the Ulster and Delaware Railroad. The resort of Random grew to prominence in 1900 being located on the shores of Lake Tighnee. Hotels blossomed and a permanent community grew up. The Ulster and Delaware Railroad approached Random from Kingston, in the Hudson Valley and Phoenicia - while the New York, Ontario and Western Railroad came from the other direction of Delhi and Walton. Each erected a station at Random and quickly a 3 feet narrow gauge line - the Catskill Railroad - was built to convey the wealthy from Random hotels to the mountains. The layout represents Random in early October 1929 when the resort was at the height of its success and constantly growing. By the end of the month their would be the infamous Wall Street Crash and things would never be the same again. |
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ROKER BRIDGE by Mike Briggs and Nick Barnett 4mm Scale 00 Gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Roker Bridge ( from the TV drama "All Quiet on the Preston Front" ) is fictitiously situated on the single track line to Fleetwood just outside Preston. The Beeching era saw the track plan rationalised to cope with commuter traffic whilst the goods avoiding line has now become a long siding from Preston that now remains to serve the privately owned wagon works which always seems busy. The old goods line to Fleetwood South via the Roker tunnel has now been taken over in part by the Diesel Shunter Preservation Society, the chairman of which coincidentally owns the wagon works who thereby make copious use of the preserved shunters. The time period is early 1970s so DMUs operate the commuter service. This part of the layout is automatic whilst the traffic to the wagon works is operator controlled: effectively 2 layouts in 1 in a space of 9 ' by 1' | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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MELFORD by Anthony & Michael Careless 4mm Scale 00 Gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Melford is a modern image layout set in the Midlands. Various periods and regions can be seen. Locomotive classes include 03, 08, 09, 20, 25, 31, 35, 47, 56, 59, 60 and 67. DMU claases include 150, 153, 155, 156 and 158. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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MILLANFORD by Abingdon & District MRC 4mm Scale 00 Gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Inspired by years of train
spotting at Oxford as a youth, I was broght up on a diet
of former Great Western locomotives under the guise of
British Railways Western Region. Over the years many
false starts and part built layouts have resulted. Much
experience and guidance has been gained by becoming
actively involved in construction and operation of
various Abingdon Club layouts. The opportunity to
overcome problems by picking the brains of many club
members over the years has proved invaluable. A change of
job and a move of house resulted in Steve Bomford and I
becoming neighbours. We agreed to combine efforts in
constructing this layout but only on a one night per week
basis in order to maintain domestic harmony. This
resulted in a slow process over nearly ten years. It has,
however, left some time available to build/ convert
various engines and items of rolling stock. Millanford is built to 16.5mm (00) track gauge but to relatively fine scale standards. Improved running was obtained after reading Ian Rice's book on the need for a set of track standards. This was done using his "bathtub set". It used to fit in one long estate car - but now needs two cars: particularly as otherwise operators have a long walk to exhibitions! When set up Millanford measures 16'6" by 10'. There are working signals, turntable and gate. All points are operated by electrical solenoids with micro-switches to change polarity for the crossing vee of the points. At last a few trees have appeared following encouragement from colleagues making 2mm trees. There is still room for further detail to be added. Recent additions to rolling stock include a 63xx Class 2-6-0 ( a modified Bachmann body on a Perseverance chassis and a K's Tender kit) with a rake of Slater's Toplight coaches and a ROD tender for the Aberdare. |
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SHEEPWASH by Mike Elton 4mm Scale EM Gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sheepwash is an EM gauge layout set in mid Devon circa 1980s, depicting a now somewhat run down location set between Okehampton and Barnstaple. Arrivals are generally set down for the relevant stock redistribution to be compiled in order to continue onwards via more major lines to the final destinations. China clay workings form a regular service both to and from the neighbouring the neighbouring Cornish sites and special services can occasionally be seen when engineering works on the nearby lines so dictate. Set firmly in the BR blue era, a variety of motive power can be witnessed at the location. An excellent and comprehensive full colour six page article penned by its creator Mr Ken Gibbons of the Hull Model Railway Club is available and can be seen in the July 1999 edition of British Railway Modelling where it featured as their Railway of the Month. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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PLANK LANE by Eddie Whitlock 4mm Scale 00 Gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The North Eastern Railway opened
its ( real ) engine shed at Ferryhill, County Durham in
1881 to house a dozen or so goods engines, but the
allocation had risen to about 20 0-6-0s at the time of
the Grouping. It remained fairly constant, along with the
addition of two Class G5 0-4-4s, until 1935 when it
housed the allocation displaced by the closure of Shildon
engine shed in that year. Ferryhill itself survived for
only two more years before closure, although it enjoyed a
brief claim to fame during World War II when exhibits
from the National Railway Museum at York were sent there
for safe keeping. There was a second ( fictitious ) engine shed at Ferryhill, called Plank Lane. This shed was built on a site originally occupied by a small depot of the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway. That railway was overtaken by the NER in 1854 and the depot was retained and enlarged to house freight locomotives used to service the coal fields of County Durham and North Yorkshire but, unlike its NER counterpart, it survived much longer - mainly due to its location in the triangle formed by the lines to Stockton and Darlington that gave better access to diverging routes and removed the need for a turntable. Therefore the allocation of goods locomotives moved from NER Ferryhill to Plank Lane. It also meant that I did not have to build a turntable! Its reasonable proximity to Darlington works to the south ensured that it could also be used by locomotives on running in turns after attention, thereby allowing a variety of locomotives to be seen visiting the depot for checking and servicing before turning on the triangle and returning to Darlington. The scene you see is sort of 1946 - ish when the LNER was embarking on its renumbering scheme. The shed has seen some refurbishment after the ravages of wartime austerity and is in reasonable condition. Some locomotives have been through the works and reappeared with the new numbering system, while others wait for such attention. |
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For more background on North Eastern Region locomotive depots click here | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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DUNKTON COMBE by Bob Brown 3mm Scale TT Gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Anyone familiar with the classic Ealing Studios comedy film "The Titfield Thunderbolt" cannot fail to be captivated by the beautiful scenery along the Cam valley near Bath. Combine this with the branch line to Camerton and beyond and you have the inspiration behind this layout. Dunkton Combe has been put together from elements of stations along the line with the station building coming from Monkton Combe. The road bridge is a slightly elongated version of the one that stood at Dunkerton Colliery halt. 3MM Society flexi track is used on the layout along with 3SMR pointwork. Locomotives are built from kits with a few scratch built items as well. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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MARK II by John Phipps 4mm Scale 009 Gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The first "Mark" layout was in existence for some 20 years and was showing its age, so I decided that the time was right to build Mark II. The track plan is similar, with the addition of a siding for loco coal and water. The station area uses most of the buildings off the original layout and these are nearly all concrete structures as are the platform, fencing and lamp posts. The period is the 1950s and the locos and rolling stock are a rather motley collection. There is a steam engine for passenger trains, a diesel for freight and ED the engineering department engine. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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LLANARTH-PANT MAWR YARD by Kevin Gallagher 4mm Scale 00 Gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This model depicts the small goods yard, halt and locomotive servicing facility which formed the eastern extremity of the ex-South and Mid Wales Valley Railway's Central Division line, during the period of Western Region ownership. The scene is set between 1953 and 1963 which allows the operation of both steam and diesel motive power. The layout is an exercise in small scale modelling. The overall length is just under 10 feet with a width of 1'8". | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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THE WINDS OF CHANGE by Alan Drewett 4mm Scale 0O Gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full details of this presentation can be found on the Jet Age Reserve Model Collection pages. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||