Layouts at the 2010 ALL NEW REDDITCH Exhibition

Ardlorn Ferry' is located on the West Coast of Scotland. There is a small single platform halt which serves the car ferry and 'Elkins' fish dock. The time is late 1950s/very early 60s when steam was just giving way to diesel, but this area was the last haunt of Caley 0-4-4Ts, 'Jumbos' and other old Scottish steam locomotives. Expect to see some of these at 'Ardlorn Ferry', but any suitable Scottish-based locomotive may appear. The rolling stock features mainly kit built examples, many built by Aidan Houlders or Peter Whyborn, and the latter built some of the road vehicles too. Some of the buildings are those recovered from the original 'Ardlorn' exhibition layout which sadly succumbed to a flood a few years ago.

Set in northern Germany around 1962, this layout uses the Lenz range of track, loco's & stock and is fully digital. The layout represents a small station on an imaginary branch line that connects Wildeshausen and Barnstorf.  These are both real places as is Colnrade but the real Colnrade ls little more than a village. In my imagination the opening of the railway transformed it so that it became the prosperous town that is seen on the backscene. All the places pictured on the backscene are from within ten miles or so of the real Colnrade, even the river which is the Hunte.  I chose 1962 as a convenient overlap between the steam & diesel eras as steam was phased out on secondary lines rather earlier than on some main routes. To give a reason for the intensive goods service I have created an agricultural machinery works; the factory is on the backscene but there is a loading bank on the layout with a variety of period tractors. A KOF diesel shunter is always to be seen in the station, shunting the wagons that are dropped off by the through trains. The layout can be operated from either end and from front or back so it is very flexible, the only limiting factor is the length of the traversers. The semaphore signals and the points are worked digitally from the hand held controller. In addition to the Lenz diesel loco's some variety is added by a Kiss Modellbahn Class 44 2-10-0 and Class 64 2-6-2T, and a Br89 0-6-0T by Gebouer.  All the loco's have sound and lights.

It is the 1960’s on British Railway’s Southern Region. Normal main line steam traction is about to end as the new diesel era and the continual spread of electric traction takes hold. Dagnell End was conceived as a fictitious station on the Hounslow loop in south-west London. The line is on the former London and South Western Railway line out of their London Waterloo terminus and our station is located somewhere close to where the real station of Brentford is. The layout was planned as a challenge in building an urban landscape to make a change from building layouts with green fields. All buildings are scratch built with many based on London prototypes, which have been photographed on a number of field visits by club members. The basic structures of the buildings are made from thick card, which were covered with plasticard to replicate stone or brick finishes. The structures have then been painted and weathered to represent the prototypes from the area. To add interest to the layout though not strictly correct for the part of London modelled there is an underground tube line across the front of the layout. The Underground trains are modified and motorised EFE models, which work on an automatic cycle. Main line trains represent the variety that could be seen on the south-west section of the Southern Region in the 1960’s. Virtually all of the southern electric units have been scratch built. Control of the mainline trains uses the NCE DCC system.

Dudley Road is a small locomotive shed and stabling point that is set in the period from the 1980’s to present day giving the opportunity to display and operate locomotives in may liveries. The layout was designed with transport in mind and is designed to easily fit in a small family car.  The layout is controlled using either a Lenz LH 100EZ Controller or Bachmann Dynamis system, the turnouts and signals are controlled use of DCC accessory decoders.  To keep everything in scale in a small space every thing is scratch built. The locomotives and rolling stock are mainly ready to run items that have been detailed and weathered. The layout was featured in the July 2008 edition of Hornby Magazine. 

Foundry Lane is the first experience of modelling in EM gauge for the layout owner.  For these reasons the objective was to produce a small, simple layout on which I could practice the necessary skills.  The track-plan is based upon the timesaver shunting puzzle, more commonly associated with US shelf-switcher layouts. The track and turnouts were constructed using C&L rail and chairs laid on plywood sleepers from the EM Gauge Society.  Track templates were produced using Trax2 layout planning software, these were fixing to the boards and the track was constructed in situ. The blue-brick retaining wall forms the main architectural feature, running along almost the entire scenic length of the layout.  This makes use of Wills and Slaters materials and acts as a scenic break between the layout and the fiddle yard. The plan is to extend the layout to include an additional fiddle yard which will represent the off-scene steel terminal. Motive power consists of modified ready-to-run locomotives by Bachmann, Heljan and Hornby.  Appropriately for the era and area modelled, BR Derby-Sulzer Type 2s (class 24 and 25) make up the majority of the fleet; although occasionally locos from other regions appear on the trip freight workings. Modelling freight stock is my main area of interest and therefore the layout is home to a growing collection of kit built freight stock, along with a few modified ready-to-run vehicles.  Traffic for the Goods Shed is handled in traditional ventilated vans, while bolsters and open wagons are used for the steel traffic.

Haston Namad - presented by Chris Gilbert - 3.5mm HO scale.

Set in the middle of the state of Wisconsin, Haston Nomad was once a small railroad junction town, served by both the Milwaukee Road the Old Soo Line Railroads. With the takeover of the Milwaukee Rood by the soo Line in the late 1980's efforts were make to save money nod money duplicate line were axed.  The main Milwaukee Rood line through Haston was closed in early 1990 - but the old Soo route was kept to serve the Premier Gold Grain.  With many rural lines still bleeding red ink, the soo Line failed to close the railroad to Hoston in early 2000. At this point the State of Wisconsin stepped in and purchased a number of doomed lines from the Soo, including the line to Hoston, which it has now contracted the Wisconsin & Southern to operate. The line is normally operated by one of the WSOR’s small fleet on MP15oc switchers. 1502, nicknamed "the bandit", is still in Milwaukee Rood orange and black. While 1505 has passed through the WSOR point shop at Horicon and is resplendent in the Wisconsin and Southern's red and grey colours. Should one of these units not be available then chances ore o 6P38 will be on duty. Grain from the Haston elevator is normally handled in 4750 cu Ft' 3 boy hoppers although a number of smaller 4650 cu Ft hoppers con be seen The operating instructions for the Hoston elevator ore that all inbound empty hoppers are first moved on to the scale truck which is on the front rood so the freight car con be weighed. The hopper is then moved to the rear siding for loading once full it is once again placed on the scale track to be weighed.  Things get complicated when there are more thon two hoppers waiting to be loaded.

Keighpatt Bay - presented by Richard Insley - 3.5mm HO scale.

It is Spring 1838 and the Camden & Delaware Railroad is operating a full service, both passenger and freight. With the opening of the Camden & Amboy Railroad in December 1831, despite having to cross the Delaware River, by ferry, to Camden; take the Railroad to Perth Amboy, thence another boat to New York city, the inhabitants of Philadelphia had a much shorter journey to New York than by the Stage Coach. The Camden & Amboy was highly profitable so It was no surprise that the Camden & Delaware Railroad was chartered in 1832. Robert. L. Stevens of the C.&.A. was the first President of the line, which was closely associated with his C.& A. It was constructed from an end-on connection with the C.& A., at Camden, to Keighpatt Bay, some twenty miles down stream. The bay, sheltered by Rewdter Point, was deep enough to take coastal shipping and with some dredging and harbour wall construction It was able to even accommodate large ships, both sail and steam. Freight and passengers alighting at Keighpatt travelled by rail to Perth Amboy, thus avoiding the ferry crossing at Philadelphia.

Knowle Bridge - presented by David Boot and Joshua Hall - 4mm OO scale.

After only six exhibitions attended the original Knowle Bridge struck disaster. The Sundeala baseboards warped out of control leaving the layout more like a switchback at Disneyland. This is normally a good material to work with but I must have got hold of an inferior quality board. There was no option but to rebuild it using a more stable material, this time 9mm MDF which to date has held up extremely well. The opportunity was also taken to rebuild the frames in such a way that the legs fold within the frame which makes for both easier assembly at exhibitions and storage when not in use. Constructed in 2001 Knowle Bridge in its original form was a four track through line based on BR Midland Region practice depicting a typical suburban scene of the mid to late 1950's, on what might have been a possible route towards the outskirts of Birmingham, heading South East. lt was reduced to a two line through route with a bay platform, following a somewhat unfortunate problem which occurred with the Sundeala baseboards warping out of shape, in 2003 Since then the layout has had a couple of makeovers with a new branch line added which works independently of the main line or can be integrated. The main station building is a replica of that at Water Orton as seen in the 1950's but there the similarity ends as a majority of the buildings are from the Black Country taken from a book "Shop in the Black Country" by Ned Williams, and the row of houses facing onto and over the railway are similar to those that were in Grove Lane, Smethwiek, all long since gone. The other buildings on the layout are either the odd kit or scratch built structure plus buildings from the Hornby Skaledale range. The engine shed is the original one reduced to about three quarters of its size with servicing pits added. There is a canal scene with houses and a small hotel overlooking a village station which operates a "shuttle service". The original fiddle yard has been re-built, whilst maintaining continuous 10 track storage roads. As always many thanks to Rob Newman who assists in the operation of the layout and provides many of his excellent kit built locomotives to supplement mine.

Neptune Road Motive Power Depot - presented by Tywyn & District MRC - 4mm OO scale.

The layout represents an engine shed (motive power Depot) and the plan is based on one that appeared in the November 2004 edition of Railway Modeller. It enables us to use a lot of locomotives. As is the often the case, we have a lot available to use so you will see both steam and diesel powered locomotives on the layout. The layout operator uses a sequence of cards to decided what locomotives to move.

Oak Ridge Canyon - presented by George Woolnough - 3.5mm HO scale.

Oak Ridge Canyon is a ficticious location situated close to the Colorado/New Mexico border. The town of Jericho, on the lower level is served by the various railroad companies that later merged to become today's railway giant BNSF. After crossing the high steel girder bridge trains reach the home of the Oak Ridge Railroad and the connection with the narrow gauge line. Jericho depot is built from a Walthers kit and the Main Street shops are DPM kits with added roof detail, whilst the downtown buildings are all scratch built using whatever material was at hand. Peco Code 83 track and points have been used for the HO section, Tillig track and point for the dual gauge section. The narrow gauge line is Peco N, well ballasted, to cover the difference in sleeper spacing. THe high steel viaduct is constructed from Micro Engineering kit and then finished with their bridge track. THe turntable is a Scale Structures kit with the power feed via the overhead wire as per the prototype. Below the scratch built mine can be seen the ore cars on their way to the mine shaft.

Peroendorf - presented by Geoff Harper - 4mm 009 scale.

Perdendorf is somewhere in Austria. It is at the junction of two narrow gauge lines, one of which is electrified. Both lines carry intense traffic. Passenger trains can be locomotive hauled stock or rail cars. Freight trains are usually diesel hauled but steam hauled "pick up goods" still run. Stock is mostly ready to run by Lilliput, Roco, Stangle and Narrowbahn, but kit built items are starting to appear. Track is mostly Peco with some hand made points and storage area track.

Sutton Folly - presented by Peter Cullen - 4mm scale

This layout has been constructed to allow scale length trains to run at scale speeds and to encourage audience participation from people of all ages. It represents a stretch of mainline somewhere in the Midlands with long holding loops on the up and down slow lines. Due to the nature of the layout universal standards are used throughout with strength and simplicity of operation being important considerations. Most buildings are kit built and everything on the layout could be built by a determined newcomer to the hobby. Sutton Folly has been on the exhibition circuit since 1997 and many children and adults have enjoyed operating the layout. YOU OUR VISITORS are invited to drive the trains, change the points and signals and indulge in some gentle shunting. This gives the operators plenty of time to discuss railways in general and modelling in particular, so come and have a go at driving your favourite locomotive on a scale length train and feel free to ask any questions about the layout or the hobby in general.

The Works - presented by Revd Nigel Adams - Gn15 scale

This is my second GN15 layout. I scrapped the first one because I was never entirely happy with it although it was invited to a number of shows. This layout was designed to fit onto a 4ft x 2ft board I already had so that it was easy to transport, set up and dismantle for exhibitions.  It uses Fleischmann curved track (approx 10.5ins radius) for the curves at each end to avoid “dog legs”.  It is a continuous run with a loop at the front off which runs an access track to an engine shed. At the right hand side the track runs into the works and the exit at the left hand side is hidden by a building. These are storage tracks hidden at the rear – again off a loop. Great attention has been paid to scenic detail which is an aspect of our hobby which I really enjoy. The layout is operated to a sequence set out on cards

The layout depicts a fictitious terminus located in the East End of London, on the old Great Eastern system. There are suburban and provincial passenger services, including destinations in East Anglia and through workings to ex-Southern lines. There are also parcels concentration and Speedlink  depots which add to the operating interest. It was decided to set the period as 1984 - 1988, to allow for a greater variety of stock from the 1984 era and a wider selection of liveries from'88. It is the first attempt by most of the group to produce an exhibition layout. Track work is hand built from copper clad sleepers and Code 65 rail, with points operated by Fulgurex  slow acting motors. Point rodding is from the Colin Waite etches, with Exactoscale details added. Running signals are based on the Ratio kits with etched parts by Model Signal Engineering and D & S, also operated by Fulgerex motors via a simple bounce mechanism as described in Model Railway Journal. The two position colour light ground signal is kit built, all other shunting signals and the banner repeaters are scratch built, again using MSE components, and all operate. Buildings and structures are scratch built using plastic card, strengthened with plywood as necessary. Locomotives and rolling stock are kit built, or modified and detailed propriety, using as many photographs as possible, although this can be confusing due to the huge number of detail variations on, for example, BGs. It proves the old adage - find photographs of the actual vehicle, taken at the correct date to be sure of details. The Mk I coaches have Comet brass sides. Couplings are of the Alex Jackson type, operated by electromagnets beneath the sleepers. Control is by Pentrollers and most moves are made with simulated inertia. There are three levels available to represent different loads. They are also switchable for iron or coreless motors. Train movements follow a set sequence covering a full day which takes over 2 hours to complete. The timetable is, we hope, believable. Care has been taken to choose feasible routes with appropriate motive power ( including substitutes for imagined failures with consequential late running) and retum appearances of the locomotives are planned around appropriate return workings. Train information cards are displayed to give exhibition visitors details of the workings being seen, together with arrival time/late running information. The layout featured in short articles in the Railway Modeller in March'88, March'90 and March'92, was the subject of a full article in Model Railway Journal No. 70, and recently appeared in the January 2010 issue of Hornby Magazine.The operators will be pleased to talk to you but there might be a slight delay if a tricky shunting manoeuwe is being undertaken!

Victoria Road is based on a section of the ex Midland line north from Leeds/Bradford heading towards the famous Settle & Carlisle. Many of the buildings and scenery are modelled on those at Saltaire but because of the constraints of size and space we have renamed it after the road which crosses the line between the station and the mill. Many local people will no doubt recognise the features and hopefully get the atmosphere of the area. Buildings to "spot" include Salts mill (Condensed, Titus's mausoleum on the side of Victoria Church, The Staff Canteen and Shipley Salvation Army. The period modelled was intended to be in the 1960s and much of the stock will be run for this time.  However it has been know that Victoria Rd. can be caught up in a 50 year time warp where the stock can appear from a much later period.  A time when passenger trains run without locos, freight trains have all lost their brake vans and railway stations have gone in favour of train stations:- sad isn’t it? Designed by Chairman Donald Swires and constructed mainly by himself and Exhibition manager Keith Fell. Latterly Chris Towers has used his talents to enhance the Scenery. The layout  is based on Saltaire station and goods adjacent to Salts mill around 1920-1960.

Remember the poem "Adelstrop" by Edward Thomas, where a GWR trains stopped unexpectedly, and the quiet of the Cotswold's descended and only the sounds of birds singing were heard? Windrush has that same landscape and little has changed over the years. During the early years of nationalisation, life still goes on peacefully and quietly, punctuated by trains and the occasional aeroplane drone from the nearby RAF training station a few miles away. A plan once existed to connect the Cotswold town of Northleach by rail, with Andoversford to its west and Burford to its East. We have imagined that this proposal was achieved and constructed. Windrush has thus become a small branch line from these plans, with a junction at nearby Sherborne. Passenger services to Andoversford via Sherborne Junction and to Northleach can be seen and the majority of general merchandise including livestock and parcels are still carried by rail in both easterly ~ and westerly directions. The locomotives and rolling stock typify the early aspirations of B.R. with motive power supplied mainly from the Gloucester depots 22B (London Midland Region) and 85B (Western Region) on view with the occasional "borrowed" type. Primarily, this is a "blue disc" route, which allows a reasonably wide selection of pre-war locos from those sources.