Hucclecote Model Railway Exhibition 2018

CarisbrookeThe 9th Hucclecote Model Railway Exhibition was held at Hucclecote Methodist Church, Carisbrooke Road, Hucclecote, Gloucester GL3 3QP – on the Number 10 bus route from Gloucester to Cheltenham – from 1000 to 1700 on Saturday 16 June 2018.

Entry prices were to be £4.00, accompanied Children free.

Visitors who attended in previous years confirmed the warm welcome and the quality of the refreshmernts.  2018 was no different!  Similarly, the range of exhibits at this charity show – supporting Hucclecote Methodist Church and the James Hopkins Trust appealed to both keen modellers and local families.

The 2018 poster showed a Southern Region Bulleid “Merchant Navy” pacific starting a Waterloo bound train from Salisbury in 1965.  This former London and South Western Railway route to Bournemouth was the last bastion of British main line steam, only yielding to diesels in 1967.  The area behind the train in the picture is now a depot for the latest diesel multiple units on the line.  These are much more comfortable and efficient than their steam antecedents – and accelerate smoothly without wheelslip.  The Bulleid Pacifics often displayed spectacular pyrotechnics  when trying to start in the wet near electric third rails where sanding was not allowed.

Oliver Vaughan Snell Bulleid CBE was Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Southern Railway from 1937 to the formation of British Railways in 1948.  Although born in New Zealand in 1882, his family returned to Britain in 1889 and in 1901 Bulleid became an apprentice of the Great Northern Railway at Doncaster in 1901.  At the time the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Great Northern Railway was Henry A. Ivatt, and Bulleid would go on to marry his youngest daughter. After succeeding Richard Maunsell as the Southern Railway CME, Bulleid’s first job was to oversee the construction of three 350 bhp 0-6-0 diesel electric shunters which later became British Railways Class 12.

 

Barnwood Halt by  Barnwood Model Railway Club 4mm OO gauge

This four cylindered 4-6-0 was built in 1946 - just a year before the end of the Great Western Railway - to Swindon Lot 357. 7002's first, August 1950 and March 1959 shed was Swansea Landore and despite being fitted with a double chimney and 4 row superheater in June 1961 "Devizes Castle" was withdrawn from Worcester depot in 1964. It was then scrapped at Cashmore's, Great Bridge.This layout aimed to allow the younger audience members to drive a selection of 0-4-0 driven passenger and freight stock.  However, it was extended for its 2018 appearance and featured a number of larger locomotives including 7002 “Devizes Castle”.  This four cylindered 4-6-0 was built in 1946 – just a year before the end of the Great Western Railway – to Swindon Lot 357.  7002’s first, August 1950 and March 1959 shed was Swansea Landore and despite being fitted with a double chimney and 4 row superheater in June 1961 “Devizes Castle” was withdrawn from Worcester depot in 1964.  It was then scrapped at Cashmore’s, Great Bridge.  The Castle Class itself was a development of George Jackson Churchward’s “Star” express passenger 4-6-0s introduced in 1906.

 

BRS Depot by Martin Nash

Back in the 1950s though, the Ayers Red freight lorries and green parcels vans of British Road Services were a familiar sight all over Britain, linking towns and cities by A roads before the first Motorways were built.A static display of a busy British Road Services Depot set in a town scene evoked the road transport company formed by the nationalisation of Britain’s road haulage industry, under the British Transport Commission, as a result of the Transport Act 1947.  British Road Services was consequently formed and set about acquiring 41,265 vehicles 80,212 staff and 3,766 undertakings.   Six years after the 1947 Transport  Act was introduced however, Parliament reversed this decision  –  another Transport Act was passed in 1953  providing for the return to free enterprise.

By the 1960s British Road Services was made up of four main operating areas: British Road Services Ltd, BRS Parcels Ltd, Pickfords and Containerway and Roadferry.

Back in the 1950s though, the Ayers Red freight lorries and green parcels vans of British Road Services were a familiar sight all over Britain, linking towns and cities by  A roads before the first Motorways were built.

The 1950s was also a golden era of British lorry building and British Road Services was to employ such famous heavy goods vehicles as the AEC Mammoth Major,  Mandator ( with articulated flatbed trailers) and the same company’s drawbar trailer towing Mark III and Mark IV four axled rigid trucks.  The latter vehicles were allocated to a number of British Road Services depots including the one at Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire.  Other lorry manufactureers embraced by British Road services were Atkinson, Leyland, Bedford, Bristol and ERF.  These in turn were replaced by various guises of Bedford TK and more modern AEC lorries with ergonomic cabs.  Martin’s diorama also embraces the architecture and road scene of the 1950s including a dilapidated house near to where a small flatbed BRS lorry is being loaded – although probably not in a way that the Twenty First Century Health and Safety Executive would approve of!

Universal Works in Clarkson’s End by Alan Drewett 4mm OO gauge

 

In 2017 it was announced that there would be no petrol or diesel engined road vehicles built in Britain after 2040. This inspired me to use my existing Universal Works layout to create the mid 20th Century petrolhead haven of Clarkson's End where liquid hydrocarbon fuel kept arriving by diesel train to supply a range of circuit racing and road sports cars - and even a small fighting vehicle developed from them.In 2017 it was announced that there would be no petrol or diesel engined road vehicles built in Britain after 2040.  This inspired me to use my existing Universal Works layout to create the mid 20th Century petrolhead haven of Clarkson’s End where liquid hydrocarbon fuel kept arriving by diesel train to supply a range of circuit racing and road sports cars – and even a small fighting vehicle developed from them. Oxford Diecast provided 1/76 scale models of cars by manufacturers like Lotus, Ford, Jaguar, Volvo, Mercedes Benz and Aston Martin. Cars driven by the likes of Ivor Bueb, Stirling Moss and Mike Hawthorne.  It was time to put a tiger in the tank, go beyond petroleum and get out of town fast – as Esso, BP and Regent would urge us!  Hucclecote 2018 also marked the introduction of an Oxford Rail BP liveried Yorkshire Engine Company Janus Class 0-6-0 DE to work with the Tarmac green Hornby Sentinel now carrying the name Fowey.  Both have Rolls Royce diesel engines!

Paynestown by Reg Owens 4mm OO gauge

Paynestown is a fictional South Wales valley terminus served by one of the pre-grouping railway companies which later became part of the G.W.R and in turn Britush Railways Western Region. Paynestown is modelled around the 1960s, which enables us to run steam and diesel locos in the transition period.Paynestown was a fictional South Wales valley terminus served by one of the pre-grouping railway companies which later became part of the G.W.R and in turn Britush Railways Western Region.  Paynestown was modelled around the 1960s, which  enabled the operators to run steam and diesel locos in the transition period.  Because Paynestown was supposedly situated at the northern part of the South Wales coalfield it was assumed that the connection with the former London & North Western / London Midland and Scottish Railway was made, which allowed the operators to run a greater variety of locos and rolling stock. The layout used Peco code 100 track and points.   Buildings – such as the non conformist chapel seen here – were mostly scratch built using different types of materials. Control of the layout was originally analogue but has been converted to D.C.C.(Digitrax system) which allows the operation of some sound locos

Snug End by Philip Bird 4mm OO Gauge

Snug End was inspired by a competition in the Homby Magazine to build a diorama in 3 square feet (432 Square inches). The baseboard is 45.4 in x 9.5 in (3 square feet) and is used at home like that, but for exhibitions two small extensions are added to each side to for a transient loco at the upper level and a third at the rear to simulate the mainline and to allow trains to be changed.Snug End was inspired by a competition in the Homby Magazine to build a diorama in 3 square feet (432 Square inches). The baseboard is 45.4 in x 9.5 in (3 square feet) and is used at home like that, but for exhibitions two small extensions are added to each side to for a transient loco at the upper level and a third at the rear to simulate the mainline and to allow trains to be changed.

The design was based on the Inglenook Shunting Puzzle and was redrawn many times to get it to fit within the area whilst enabling shunting with a diesel up to the size of a class 20/25. The track was hand built using SMP parts directly onto the plan and all the points were wyes of different radii (e.g. 2lin/24in).

Stock was mostly Bachmann with modified couplings to enable hands free uncoupling.   Operation is normally DCC with sound but it could also be analogue DC.  The layout was constructed by Graham Gatehouse who is a master at small and micro.

Southdown Bus Depot by Vincent Tweed

A static display of a busy summer’s day at a Southdown bus depot in a Sussex seaside town modelled in 4mm to the foot scale was accompanied by Vincent's first foray into 1/148 and N Gauge. Drewitt's Hall was a National Trust property with a railway line (now just for freight) running nearby. Lord Alan Drewitt is seen driving his Vauxhall Cresta estate along a private drive to his own wing of the ancestral pile as Southdown coaches and other vehicles congregate on the Visitor CentreA static display of a busy summer’s day at a Southdown bus depot in a Sussex seaside town modelled in 4mm to the foot scale was accompanied by Vincent’s first foray into 1/148 and N Gauge. Drewitt’s Hall was a National Trust property with a railway line (now just for freight) running nearby.  Lord Alan Drewitt is seen driving his Vauxhall Cresta estate along a private drive to his own wing of the ancestral pile as Southdown coaches and other vehicles congregate on the Visitor Centre

.Southdown Motor Services Ltd was incorporated on 2 June 1915 as a result of the amalgamation of three companies. Its registered office was in Brighton and operations centered on the South Coast, mainly in Sussex and the fringes of Kent, Surrey and Hampshire. It operated stage-carriage and coaching services from its bus and coach stations throughout the area. It had a network of garages and a works at Portslade. The fleet colours adopted were Apple Green and Primrose for buses and two tones of green for coaches.

In 1969 Southdown became part of the National Bus Company (NBC) as a result of Nationalisation. The fleet was eventually repainted with buses in Leaf Green and coaches white. With Deregulation in 1986, the fleet reverted to the original company colours but in a modified form, and the operation was structured into divisions. It eventually became independent but was purchased by Stagecoach in 1989. With the fleet painted in the familiar livery of this company, the name “Southdown” was used but only for a short period. However, in 2003 the former company name was resurrected and it is now the legal lettering on buses operating as Stagecoach Coastline.

Westbridge by Alex Raybould 4mm OO gauge

Westbridge - a fictitious exhibition layout based on the Western Region during British Rail's blue diesel era in the early 1970s. It included a small terminus station, sidings and a scratch built three road traction maintenance depot.Westbridge was a fictitious exhibition layout based in the Western Region during the time of the British Rail blue diesel era in the early 1970s. Built in OO gauge, it included a small terminus station, sidings and a scratch built three road traction maintenance depot. The track was Peco code 75 and control was DCC via an NCE Powercab. Locomotives were a mixture of Bachmann and Heljan and the majority of rolling stock was Bachmann. After the layout’s initial four exhibitions, it was decided to extend it by three feet which now gives Alec much more operational interest whilst exhibiting. Regular passenger services terminated and departed from Westbridge, being either multiple units or Mark 1 carriage stock. There were also occasional parcel trains which were either loco hauled or operated by diesel parcels units a Gloucester RCW example being pictured). Westbridge Traction Maintenance Depot was always busy with operations including light engine movements or an oil tanker train which served the fuelling point.

Bitterfeld by Eric Bird 3.5mm HO Gauge

The layout models Ho gauge from 1980 to present day Germany. It is a small permanent way yard / servicing point using a recycled second-hand American layout. Primarily to demonstrate German DCC items of rolling stock and advances in model technology, as well as the Kadee magnetic uncoupling system..Layout powered by Roco Multimaus or NCE DCC control systems. Models shown are straight ”out of the box” or may have some weathering.The layout represented a small permanent way yard and servicing depot for on track plant in Germany from 1980 to the present day.  The points used were recycled from a second-hand American layout. Bitterfeld was built primarily to demonstrate German DCC items of rolling stock and advances in model technology, as well as the Kadee magnetic uncoupling system.  The layout was powered by Roco Multimaus or NCE DCC control systems. Models shown were straight ”out of the box” or may have had some weathering.  Like their opposite numbers in Britain, these on track machines were painted yellow and often built by Plasser and Theurer, one of Austria’s biggest exporters.  Their tasks include lifting, cleaning and replacing ballast and tamping down new track – all jobs done more intensively by human labour many decades ago.

Deutsche Bundesbahn, the West German Federal railways, benefited greatly from American Marshall Aid during the years of reconstruction after the Second World War and as a result embraced electrification to a much greater extent that Britain, which had to pay war debts to the USA while eventually modernising its national railway system.

Federal Street Yard by Chris Sharp 3.5mm HO gauge

Set in the city of Hereford in West Virginia, Federal street Yard was an urban styled shelf layout designed for switching (shunting to us Limeys!) and was set in a flexible period between 1960s & 1980s. It was DCC controlled with sound fitted locos. Scenic vignettes included a welder and some hobos sitting round a camp fire. Whether any of the boxcars were heading for Bangor, Maine was not recorded!Set in the city of Hereford in West Virginia, Federal street Yard was an urban styled shelf layout designed for switching (shunting to us Limeys!) and was set in a flexible period between 1960s & 1980s. It was DCC controlled with sound fitted locos.  Scenic vignettes included a welder and some hobos sitting round a camp fire.  Whether any of the boxcars were heading for Bangor, Maine was not recorded!  I also liked the hoarding for the AMC Rambler compact car, pitching it against the imported rival VW Beetle – which would go on to be the World’s most produced car.

One of the smaller Bo-Bo switcher locomotives seen on Federal Street Yard was in the green and yellow markings of the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad which operated from 1871 to 2007 over a single track from Belfast to Burnham Junction, Maine.

Chartered in 1867, the line was built between August 1868 and December 1870 by the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad Company (B&MLRR), which was majority-owned by the city of Belfast until 1991. For its first 55 years, the road was operated under lease by the Maine Central RR as its Belfast Branch, which provided daily passenger and freight service to eight stations over the length of Waldo County, Maine.  After the Maine Central cancelled its lease in 1925, the B&MLRR began running trains under its own name. Passenger operations ceased in March 1960, although in 1988, the railroad began operating summer tourist trains to offset a decline in freight traffic. In 1991, the City of Belfast sold its interest in the money-losing railroad to private owners. In 2007, the railroad ended operations as the B&MLRR.  Today, the line is operated by the non-profit Brooks Preservation Society as the Belfast and Moose Lake Railway between City Point, Waldo, and Brooks.

 

Heybridge Wharf by Michael Corp 3.5mm TT Finescale gauge

Mr M Corp's delightful contribution to the 2016 Cotswold Model Railway Show was Heyridge Wharf, a front-control layout built to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 3mm Society in 2015. In a scenic section measuring 50 inches long by 50 cm wide, 14.2mm finescale track was used to depict a fictitious port in Suffolk linked to the Great Eastern main line via the Hey Light Railway. Beyond Heybridge Wharf was a tramway section to the town of Heybridge. The layout was built of plywood with 3mm Society track and 32MR points operated by Hoffman point motors. Rolling stock was by Finney and Smith, Worsley Works and the 3mm Society. Buildings were scratch built or super detailed Bilteezi card kits.The layout was built for the 50 something challenge to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 3mm Society 1965 -2015. The scenic part was 50 inches long by 50cm wide and was built to fine scale standards with a track gauge of 14.2mm. Heybridge Wharf was purely fictitious and is situated somewhere in Suffolk at one of the last inland wharves still operating. The railway was built under the Light Railways act as the Hey Light Railway to connect the town of Heybridge to the Great Eastern Main Line via Heybridge Wharf.  The trains from the main line enter Heybridge Wharf via the line between the church and the gas works. This is the end of the line for the stock not allowed to proceed along the tramway to Heybridge Town. Those that are allowed will run round their train and proceed along the tramway squeezed between the gasworks and Colly Tobbold’s brewery. The wharf still receives one of the last barges still trading but now converted with a diesel engine.

The layout was built of plywood with track by the 3mm society and points from 3SMR. Points were operated by Hoffmann point motors and couplings were adapted B&B. Stock was from Finney and Smith, now no longer trading, Worsley Works and the 3mm Society whilst some of the buildings were scratch built , most were super detailed Bilteezi card kits.

Ashbrook by John Thomas 3mm TT gauge

A fictitious layout (pictured left) based on the concept that the Midland & South Western Junction Railway continued as a secondary route through the Cotswolds despite the Great Western Railways endeavours to rationalise it during previous years.  The era was set during the 1950s and allowed through trains to be run from the Midlands (LMS), Southern as well as a variety of Western (GWR) and lately British Railways locomotives and rolling stock.

The idea of trains linking the industrial Midlands with the South Coast dates back to the 1840s, and in 1881 the Swindon, Marlborough and Andover Railway was completed. Its associations with the London & South Western Railway at its southern end, however, made the Great Western Railway hostile to the little company.

To avoid the GWR routes around Swindon, the Swindon and Cheltenham Extension Railway was initiated in 1882 to link the S.M. & A.R. with the Midland Railway at Cheltenham via Cricklade, Blunsdon, Cirencester, Chedworth and Andoversford.

The S.M. & A.R. merged with the S. & C. E.R. in 1884 to become the Midland & South Western Junction Railway. Narrowly escaping financial ruin from high building costs, the M. & S.W.J.R. ran its first train from Cheltenham to Andover on 1 August 1891. From 1892 to 1899 the new line was managed by Sam Fay of the London & South Western Railway, one of the leading railway personalities of his time. He turned the M. & S.W.J.R. into a highly efficient railway and gained it running powers over the L. & S.W.R. south of Andover. As early as 1894 holiday specials were steaming direct from Cheltenham to Bournemouth.

The 1914-1918 war damaged the trade of the M. & S.W.J.R. and when it fell to the Great Western at Grouping in 1923 many staff left rather than serve under the “old enemy”. Despite playing a key role in the preparations for D-day in 1944 the line continued to be run down. Passenger services on what was affectionately known as the “Tiddley Dike” were withdrawn in 1961.

Bettws Road by Anthony Hubbard 2mm N gauge

Bettws Road was a fictional terminus with goods yard and coal staithes in the Wales of the 1930s and 40s. GWR railcars - including both Swindon and Gloucester RCW bodied examples -served the station while express passenger and freight trains passed by on the main line.Bettws Road was a fictitious location based in Wales around the 1930/40 era. The village had a terminus station with its own goods yard and coal staithes. GWR railcars – including both Swindon and Gloucester RCW bodied examples – served the station while express passenger trains used the main line along with the odd freight train.

From previous encounters, as well as the beautifully detailed signalbox interior, I liked this line up of Swindon built parcels railcar 34 next to Dean Goods 0-6-0 2537, whose train included an Aero wagon for three-bladed propellers.

Two-bladed propellers for early aeroplanes could easily be transported in normal open wagons, however, by the late 1930s, three-bladed propellers with adjustable-pitch attachments in the bosses had been developed. Therefore, the GWR issued diagram E4 and built five wagons in 1938 for the special purpose of carrying these awkward loads, described as ‘wagons for three-bladed air screws with trestles and aperture in the floor’. Perhaps unsurprisingly, a further 170 were built during the early years of the Second World War. They received the telegraphic codename ‘AERO’ after 1942. The wagons were basically standard O32 open wagon underframes with a complete overall deck apart from an aperture to take the two crates that could be carried.  The end of the war and the subsequent development of commercial jet engines reduced the manufacture of airplane propellers and hence the need for these wagons; most had been converted to their original design as simple open wagons by the early 1950s.

Greenmead by Alex Hodges 2mm N gaugs

A fictional location in the 1980s and 1990s. The layout includes 5 platforms and a motive power depot with servicing facility. There is a 10-line fiddle yardGreenmead was a fictional location set in the 1980s and 1990s. The 13′ x3′ layout – built entirely with Peco track – includes a 10-line fiddle yard and began with the concept of being able to run full length InterCity 125 High Speed Trains.  On the scenic area meanwhile,  the station – based on Bristol Parkway – has 5 platforms including bays to receive both first and second generation diesel multiple units from branch lines running to their own fiddle yards. A motive power depot with servicing facility could also be seen nearby. At the time that this picture was taken, the motive power line up included Dapol and Graham Farish representations of Classes 08, 20, 33 and 47.  As befitting the late British Rail era, liveries ranged from the classic Monastral Blue to Railfreight Redstripe and Network South East.  Nearest the throat of the depot is a Birmingham Railway Carriage and Works built Type 3 “Crompton” in Cumbrian based Direct Rail Services markings.

El Cremallera by Piers Milnes 2mm Z gauge

This is a representation of a railway in Catalunya, in north east Spain with very strong Swiss associations. It was electrified from the start in 1931, with all the 1 500 volt dc power equipment and locomotives being supplied by Brown-BoveriThis is a representation of a railway in Catalunya, in north east Spain with very strong Swiss associations. It was electrified from the start in 1931, with all the 1 500 volt dc power equipment and locomotives being supplied by Brown-Boveri. It is fitted with Abt rack, also from Switzerland, with a maximum gradient of 15%.  El Cremallera – literally translated as The Rack – was originally owned and operated by a private company but was taken over by the Catalan government in 1981.  Since then the line has acquired an SLM built steam locomotive to haul special trains to the non-road accessible Sanctuary of the Virgin of Nuna.  The line also features a Spanish built diesel locomotive and various service vehicles.

The current operating stock is a fleet of modern-styled railcars, mostly Swiss built, which run a highly intensive service. Most of the rolling stock bodies are made from card kits. Marklin Z gauge track is used which is correct for metre gauge in N scale. There are no hidden storage areas and all the trackage is on view apart from that in two en-route tunnels.

 

The 2018 Hucclecote Model Railway Show also featured Keith’s Bits and Pieces ( who very kindly supplied me with the Jaguar XK120 I had been after for a long time, as well as a Lotus Elite and a Ford Anglia van in Esso Home Heat colours) and Recon Locos, specialists in locomotive refurbishment and the sale of second hand motive power.  Their proud boast is that they will tackle anything providing spares can be sourced.

 the showstopper for me was Julie West's painting of an LMS Garratt articulated locomotive hard at work climbing the Lickey Incline en route from Bromsgrove to Barnt Green.  Julie has specialised in railway related works of art in both pencil and oil on canvas to commission for over 20 years professionally.  Her work has been exhibited at a wide selection of venues including the National Railway Museum in York.An innovative feature of the 2018 Hucclecote Model Railway Show was an 00 gauge layout named Hopkins Halt that was ultimately raffled in aid of the James Hopkins Trust, but the showstopper for me was Julie West’s painting of an LMS Garratt articulated locomotive hard at work climbing the Lickey Incline en route from Bromsgrove to Barnt Green.  Julie has specialised in railway related works of art in both pencil and oil on canvas to commission for over 20 years professionally.  Her work has been exhibited at a wide selection of venues including the National Railway Museum in York.