1. Abbotswood and Norton Junction - 4mm scale Model of the Worcestershire Junction
2. Arrowmouth - 4mm scale West Coast main line - celebrating 35 years on the exhibition circuit
3. Chilcompton - 4mm scale SDJR based layout
4. Daisy Lane TMD - 4mm scale layout of 1980s /1990s locomotive depot
5. Lob Ghyll - 4mm scale layout based in West Yorkshire in the 1950s
6. Moors View - 2mm scale layout based in the winter time
7. Motley Sub Shed - 7mm scale locomotive Shed
8. Newchapel Junction - extensive 7mm finescale GWR based layout
9. St. Margarets - extensive 4mm finescale Southern Railway Kent branch line layout

Others being confirmed ..........

After a number of years, we are delighted to welcome Phil Bullock back with the new Mark II version of Abbotswood Junction. Set in the beautiful South Worcestershire countryside, where the skylarks sing—except when interrupted by the passing trains—the layout captures the atmosphere of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Steam disappeared from the area around five years earlier, leaving diesel traction firmly in command. Diesel-electrics dominate the busy Birmingham to Gloucester cross-country route, while Western Region hydraulic locomotives work services between Worcester and London via Oxford. There is always something to catch the eye. Keep an eye out for famous named passenger trains such as The Cornishman, The Devonian, and The Cathedrals Express, all running in the period after headboards had disappeared. You will also see Motorail services carrying holidaymakers from the Midlands and the North to the beaches of Devon and Cornwall, long before the M5 transformed holiday travel. Freight traffic is equally varied and authentic, with block oil trains from South Wales to the Midlands, coal and steel workings in both directions, china clay from Cornwall, and an endless procession of general merchandise trains. And if you're lucky, a steam locomotive may make a rare appearance on a special movement from Ashchurch to an open day in Birmingham. The layout is fully DCC controlled, featuring sound-fitted locomotives and working semaphore signals that add to the realism. Sit back for a while and enjoy the constant procession of trains, recreating the sights and sounds of one of Britain's busiest main lines during the golden age of first-generation diesel traction.

Picture a warm summer's day on the beach. The sea is calm, the sun is shining, and the only sound is the gentle wash of the waves. Then, without warning, the peace is shattered as a former LMS Pacific storms past on a northbound express to Scotland. It is this evocative scene from the final years of steam that Arrowmouth seeks to recreate. Set on the north-west coast of England, Arrowmouth is a fictional seaside town inspired by the area around Hest Bank, between Lancaster and Carnforth, on the former London & North Western Railway main line. The layout depicts the West Coast Main Line during the closing years of the steam era, before overhead electrification advanced north towards Scotland. The period represented is approximately 1963 to 1968, when steam was enjoying its Indian Summer in this part of the country. Built to 4 mm scale using OO gauge track, the layout combines accurate railway operation with a convincing coastal setting. Every building has been scratch-built, using thick card for the basic structures before being finished with brick papers, plasticard, or textured sandpaper to represent brickwork, stone, and the rendered concrete surfaces so characteristic of many British seaside towns. Arrowmouth has been designed as a complete historical scene, where the trains are just as important as the landscape. Rather than relying on ready-to-run stock straight from the box, locomotives and rolling stock have been carefully detailed, modified, and marshalled into authentic formations that faithfully represent trains of the period. In recent years the layout has undergone an extensive refurbishment to bring it in line with the Club's latest exhibition standards. This has included a completely remodelled goods yard with a revised track plan, together with entirely new scenic treatment on both corners of the layout. The result is a layout that combines historical authenticity with high-quality modelling, capturing the atmosphere of Britain's premier main line during one of the most fascinating periods in railway history.

This year's exhibition of Chilcompton is dedicated to the memory of Mick Clements, our Club President and one of the founding members of the Redditch Model Railway Club, who sadly passed away in June 2026. Mick was instrumental in the design and construction of this layout and, indeed, in many of the Club's Somerset & Dorset projects over the years. It is therefore a fitting tribute that a layout to which he devoted so much time, skill and enthusiasm should once again be on public display. Chilcompton is the latest in a series of Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway exhibition layouts produced by the Club. It is based on the prototype station of the same name, situated on the S&DJR main line between Midsomer Norton and Evercreech Junction. The layout portrays the station during the early British Railways era, between 1950 and 1955, with every locomotive, carriage and wagon chosen to reflect the traffic that would genuinely have been seen on the line during this period. Built to 4 mm scale using OO gauge track, the station and goods yard have been reproduced to scale as faithfully as possible. Inevitably, a small amount of artistic licence has been employed at each end of the layout to curve the running lines into the concealed fiddle yard, allowing reliable exhibition operation while preserving the appearance of the prototype. Behind the scenes, a sixteen-road fiddle yard is capable of accommodating up to twenty-four complete trains, enabling an authentic sequence of passenger and freight services throughout the day. Every building on the layout has been scratch-built, using thick card for the main structures before being clad with plasticard to reproduce the distinctive stone and brick architecture of the Somerset & Dorset. Combined with carefully researched rolling stock and operation, the result is a faithful representation of one of Britain's most celebrated rural main lines during the twilight years of steam. More than simply a model railway, Chilcompton stands as a lasting reminder of Mick Clements' craftsmanship, dedication and passion for both the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway and the Redditch Model Railway Club. We hope you enjoy watching the layout as much as Mick enjoyed helping to create it. The era is set sometime between 1950 and 1955 and all the stock used represents what would actually have run over the real line at this time. The scale is 4mm using "OO" gauge track. The whole of the station and goods yard area is modelled to scale. However some artistic licence has had to be taken so as to curve the track formation at each end into the fiddle yard. The fiddle yard features sixteen roads and is capable of holding 24 separate trains. All the buildings on the layout are scratch built, mainly using thick card for the basic structure. These are covered with plasticard to represent stone or brick finishes.

The distinctive growl of Sulzer, English Electric and Ruston engines fills the air as another locomotive eases into the depot. Fuel tanks are replenished, routine maintenance is carried out and crews sign on for their next turn of duty before the locomotives once again head out onto the network. Daisy Lane TMD captures the atmosphere of a busy diesel depot during the final years of British Rail. Set in East Anglia during the late 1980s and early 1990s, the layout represents a typical Traction Maintenance Depot providing refuelling facilities, locomotive servicing, crew signing-on and stabling. Although fictional, Daisy Lane reflects the appearance and day-to-day operation of the many depots that kept Britain's diesel fleet moving during this fascinating period of railway history. The depot plays host to an impressive variety of motive power, with Classes 08, 20, 31, 37, 45, 47, 50, 56 and 60 all making appearances throughout the day. The locomotives carry a colourful selection of liveries, including classic British Rail Blue, Railfreight, Network SouthEast and several special one-off schemes, illustrating the changing face of British Rail as the sectorisation era gave way to privatisation. Most of the locomotives are ready-to-run models produced by Bachmann, Hornby and Heljan, complemented by a number of carefully modified Lima models that continue to earn their place alongside more modern releases. To recreate the hard-working appearance of the period, the majority of the fleet has been weathered using a variety of techniques, capturing the grime, oil stains and general wear that were such familiar features of Britain's railways at the time. The layout is operated using Digital Command Control (DCC), with a number of locomotives fitted with sound decoders, adding another dimension to the operation. The combination of authentic locomotive movements, realistic weathering and the unmistakable sounds of first-generation and second-generation diesel traction helps bring Daisy Lane TMD to life, recreating the atmosphere of a busy British Rail depot at the close of the 1980s.

Nestling amongst the rolling hills of the Yorkshire Dales, Lob Ghyll takes its name from the steep-sided ravine carved over countless centuries by a tumbling beck as it cut through the soft shale on its journey to join the River Wharfe near Bolton Abbey. It is a peaceful rural setting, where the arrival of a train briefly interrupts the silence before the landscape once again returns to tranquillity. The layout imagines an alternative chapter in railway history. Following many unsuccessful proposals to build a railway through Wharfedale, the Midland Railway and the North Eastern Railway eventually agreed to construct a joint line to Ilkley. In this fictional extension of history, the Midland Railway continued its ambitions, extending the route northwards to connect with the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway at Skipton, providing a further link to the famous Settle & Carlisle line and the route to Scotland. Built to OO fine-scale standards, Lob Ghyll portrays a small rural station serving this imagined Yorkshire Dales main line during the British Railways steam era. Although fictional, the railway is firmly rooted in the character and operating practices of the region, allowing a varied selection of passenger and freight traffic to pass through the station. The scenic setting is an important feature of the layout. The station buildings, railway structures and many of the lineside details have been scratch-built, creating a distinctive Yorkshire atmosphere that reflects the stone-built architecture and rugged beauty of the Dales. Careful attention to detail throughout the layout helps recreate the character of a remote country railway in the years when steam still dominated Britain's railways. Lob Ghyll combines a believable "what if?" railway history with authentic operation and finely crafted modelling, inviting visitors to imagine a Yorkshire Dales route that might so easily have become part of Britain's railway network

High on the northern edge of Dartmoor, the peaceful silence of the countryside is interrupted by the distant sound of an approaching train. Moments later, the tranquillity is broken as an express sweeps across the graceful nine-arched viaduct before slowing for the small country station at Moors View. Whether hauled by a Southern steam locomotive, a gleaming Warship or Western, or one of the later generations of diesel power, the railway remains the lifeline through this spectacular landscape. Moors View is a fictional N gauge layout set on the former London & South Western Railway main line between Exeter and Plymouth, on the stretch between Okehampton and Tavistock. Nestling beneath the northern slopes of Dartmoor, the layout depicts a quiet rural station on a double-track main line, dominated by its impressive, curved stone viaduct. The story behind the layout imagines that the route never suffered the closures of the 1960s and has remained an important secondary main line. In this alternative history, the line comes into its own whenever severe weather damages the sea wall at Dawlish, providing a vital diversionary route for passenger and freight services between Devon and Cornwall. Built to N gauge, the layout captures the atmosphere of railways crossing the dramatic West Country landscape, with carefully modelled scenery complementing realistic railway operation. Although centred on a fictional location, every effort has been made to ensure that the trains, infrastructure and operation remain faithful to the character of the former Southern Region. One of the layout's greatest attractions is the variety of motive power. With more than thirty different prototype locomotives represented, Moors View spans almost four decades of railway history, from the twilight years of Southern steam in the mid-1950s, through the diesel-hydraulic era of the Western Region, and into the early 1990s under British Rail. This allows visitors to enjoy an ever-changing procession of trains while remaining true to the operating practices of each period. Combining the rugged beauty of Dartmoor with the romance of Britain's railways, Moors View offers a glimpse of what might have been—a West Country main line that continued to thrive, carrying everything from rural stopping trains to diverted expresses across one of England's most dramatic landscapes.

Every locomotive needs somewhere to wait between duties. Before taking charge of its next train, there are fires to clean, tenders to replenish, and crews to prepare. Motley captures just such a moment in the daily life of a small locomotive sub-shed, where engines pause briefly before returning to the main line. Built to 7 mm/ft scale (O gauge), the layout occupies a modest footprint of approximately 10 ft by 2 ft. Although compact, its real purpose is not the track plan or the buildings, but the locomotives themselves. The collection has previously been described as something of a "motley" assortment, making the choice of name for the layout an obvious one. Rather than portraying a major motive power depot, Motley represents a small sub-shed where locomotives are stabled between workings. Here they can be serviced, watered and coaled, while the firebars are cleaned of clinker before the next call to duty. This simple setting provides an ideal stage on which to display a wide variety of locomotives in a realistic railway environment. During the course of an exhibition, locomotives are regularly exchanged, allowing visitors to enjoy an ever-changing selection of models. The collection ranges from British Railways steam locomotives from the Scottish, London Midland and Western Regions—with the occasional Southern Region visitor—to industrial locomotives and first-generation diesel classes from the classic green era. Whether displayed as regionally accurate fleets or as a mixed collection, the emphasis is always on showcasing fine locomotive modelling. Most of the locomotives and many of the scenic details have been hand-built from kits. The Club is particularly grateful to Keith Blake, Aidan Houlders and others whose skill and craftsmanship have contributed so much to the collection. Motley also serves an important role in promoting the work of The Stanier 8F Locomotive Society Ltd., owners of Stanier 8F No. 48773 (formerly LMS No. 8233 and WD307). The locomotive is currently awaiting overhaul and is on display in the Engine House at Highley on the Severn Valley Railway. If you would like to know more about the locomotive, the Society, or how you can become a member and support the restoration of this historic engine, please speak to one of the layout operators, who will be delighted to help.

Newchapel Junction is a finescale O gauge layout set during the post-Grouping period, somewhere in the Yeovil area where the Southern Railway and the Great Western Railway ran side by side. The layout captures the atmosphere of a busy railway in its heyday, with a constant procession of passenger and freight traffic serving the impressive terminus station at Newchapel Junction.  The motive power ranges from main line express passenger locomotives and heavy freight engines to smaller branch line tank locomotives from both the Southern Railway and the Great Western Railway. Passenger services, together with parcels and van trains, depart from the terminus before circling the layout and returning, allowing the locomotives to be turned and run round their trains in preparation for the next departure. Freight traffic plays an equally important role. Trains leave the extensive goods yard at Newchapel Town, complete a circuit of the layout and return for remarshalling. Continuous shunting operations ensure that each freight train exchanges numerous wagons before setting off on its next journey, providing plenty of realistic railway activity throughout an operating session. The layout is operated from four control panels and is fully semaphore signalled. Train movements between Newchapel Junction station and the running circuits are controlled by traditional block instruments, which also transmit train descriptions between operators. All signals and points are fully interlocked, while those within the station area are controlled by a relay-operated push-button entrance-exit panel, accurately recreating the operation of a busy main line terminus. For more information about the layout, please visit www.newchapeljn.co.uk.

The real St. Margaret's is situated on the Kent coast between Dover and Deal and comprises the neighbouring villages of St. Margaret's-at-Cliffe and St. Margaret's Bay. While our layout takes its name from the area, it bears little resemblance to the prototype, instead imagining how the district might have developed had the railway arrived.  Although St. Margaret's never had a passenger railway, a line was constructed nearby to assist with the building of Dover Harbour. During the Second World War this railway was adapted to serve the famous railway-mounted guns, capable of firing across the English Channel. Earlier in the war, two fixed guns known as "Winnie" and "Pooh" were also located in the area. The railway guns were replaced several times as the conflict progressed. Our fictitious OO gauge layout depicts the terminus of a single-track branch line connecting with the Dover to Ramsgate main line in the years immediately after the Second World War. Passenger services are formed of either a three-coach former London, Chatham & Dover Railway "Birdcage" set or a two-coach non-corridor set, the latter often supplemented by a luggage van carrying parcels and general goods traffic. Train services are worked by Southern Railway H Class 0-4-4T tank locomotives and O1 Class 0-6-0 tender locomotives, with all locomotives and coaching stock finished in Southern Railway livery. The scenic section is laid using PECO Code 75 bullhead track, while the fiddle yard uses flat-bottom rail. Signalling is provided by a mixture of Dapol signals and kit-built examples, with the uncoupling mechanisms also being scratch-built. Like all of our layouts, St. Margaret's is operated using the Lenz Digital Command Control (DCC) system.