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St. Margaret's Hall, Coniston Road, Hatherley, Cheltenham, GL51 3NU
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Descriptions are based on material supplied by the layout owners
Abbot's Morton Abbots Morton is situated on one of the proposed lines from Broom junction to Worcester. It has been assumed that the line was started but only reached Abbots Morton before the funds ran out. This is the reason the model is a terminus, as was quite usual for railways of that period. The line through Broom was operated by the Midland Railway, London Midland and Scottish, London Midland region of British Rail, until finally being taken over by the Western Region. The majority of stock that operate on the layout are types that are based at Saltley, Gloucester Barnwood or Bournville, often locomotives from other locations may also appear. The layout was designed from the outset to be DCC (digital command control) and uses a SPROG device to provide the train control with tablets used as controllers operating the “Engine Driver” app. Locomotive decoders are from Bachmann, Hatton's and DCC Concepts. Layout trackwork is SMP code 75 Bullhead, points being SMP plastic kits, these are operated by Trainstronics point motors. The only signal is from the Dapol range, buildings come from all the usual sources, Hornby Skaledale, Wills and Ratio kits, plus a plethora of small items from various sources, all which go to make up the overall scene. One novel feature is the uncoupling of the Sprat and Winkle couplings, these being fitted to all stock. This is accomplished using rare earth magnets raised and lowered by servos. |   | |
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Alstone Servicing Depot is a OO gauge layout based in the mid 1980's. Layout dimensions are only 6 feet by 2 feet as I wanted a model railway I could quickly set up and play trains with at home. The track used in standard Peco Streamline, buildings are a mixture of Bachmann and Hornby. The water tower is scratch built and is based on the water tower that stood in Bristol Bath Road depot. Scenery is a mixture of Woodland Scenics, Busch and Penduke models. The layout is based on the Western Region although from time to time locomotives from other regions visit, much like the real Bristol Bath Road was in this era. I chose the 1980's as I have fond childhood memories of days trains spotting with my dad and friends. Speaking of my Dad I would like to thank him for his help and advice while building this layout. | |
Apple Lane TMD Apple Lane Traction Maintenance Depot is a 00 gauge modern image layout, it's loosely based around Derby Research Technical Centre as well as Direct Rail Services (DRS) Gresty Bridge, due to the mixture of operators. The layout sees a large variety of diesel locomotives as well as the occasional steam rail tour. There is a maintenance depot as well as a fuelling facility, the depot also has a mainline running above it. |   | |
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The decision to produce smaller layouts that I can handle in my advancing years, has proved to have been the correct decision. They can fit in a Ford Cmax car, or similar, but still open up into a reasonable sized layout and with a 9’0” scenic area can also fit into a moderate sized room. In an effort to reduce the weight without compromising stability I have used lightweight baseboards marketed by Grainge and Hodder Ltd of Cradley Heath, who I have found to be excellent. Avon Bridge Junction is a fictitious location and as the name suggests is somewhere near the River Avon. As there are two River Avons you can take your pick as to its possible location There is nothing unusual about the layout, but it is modelled as a joint railway either GWR and BRM or GWR and SR There is a mixture of types of infrastructure. Its “theoretical” original location was a Midland line but rationalisation saw GWR signals replacing out of date Midland variety The layout has code 75 track throughout, Peco points, Seep Point motors, a mixture of “Scenic” readymade buildings, plastic constructed signal box, and scratch build houses. The Signals are from the Dapol range, The trees, I’m afraid, are ready made, my enthusiasm still does not run to trying to replicate Beeches, Cedars and Oaks these days, My favourite period for modelling is the 50/60s for which I have plenty of appropriate stock to run, but occasionally you may see the odd stranger from another region appear. I still use screw link and three link couplings for authenticities sake as my hand is still steady enough to handle them. The layout is 17ft long including the fiddle yard by 1’ – 6”’ wide this includes a 4’ turntable fiddle yard at either end. minimising the need to handle stock during running | |
Bowleggett Manor Bowleggett Manor is the country estate of Lord and Lady Fitztightly. Following a successful career in the Royal Engineers, Lord Fitztightly has used all his expertise and contracts to develop a passenger carrying railway in the old quarry on his estate. The passenger trains run on the lower level while the original quarry line is now used by smaller locomotives on demonstration goods trains. With many narrow gauge locomotives from all corners of the world, a wide variety of motive power and stock can be seen. |   | |
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Bridgebury Gate is a fictional town somewhere in the South of England at a time between 1966 to 2000. The layout is 148th scale N gauge and consists of a twin track mainline passing a station with twin island platforms and limited freight facilities. Change here for trains to Mikel End, a somewhat ancient branch line that survived closure by being reduced to single track, the remnants of the double track might still be visible. Round the back we have a six lane fiddle yard, each line holding two six or seven coach trains or one really long one. With the best part of 15 feet of mainline we make good use of running really big trains where we can. Bought from eBay as a restoration project in 2009. Construction is softwood frame and legs topped with ply MDF chipboard and is quite heavy. The model is entirely analogue control with quite a bit of wiring. Since being in my ownership it had considerable work carried out, some visible and some under the board. Starting with a full week to get all working, upgrading the points control to relay drive with some route setting., lots of track reworking and in 2016 a total rewire. In 2017 the middle section of the mainline were relayed and adding a crossover. Additional track sections and wiring to all ow use of four controllers. 2019 saw completion of the fiddle yard upgrade then 2021 was the year the bridge was replaced. All that is left now is to add working signals to the model railway. | |
Castell Sofia Castell Sofia the layout is a terminal station with parcels depot and servicing facilities for sleeper coaches. The concept of building Castell Sofia came about after a holiday in Scotland in 2017 with a visit to Fort William and a ride on the West highland line. Whilst waiting for our train the Caledonian Sleeper Service arrived behind one of the rebuilt class 73 locomotives. The class 73 promptly uncoupled from the train and ran into a stabling sidings and a Westcoast Railways class 37 later coupled to the other end and hauled the train out of the station. After clearing the points the train was then pushed into a sidings for servicing. I then thought that I could model something similar in four millimetre scale with a shunting of the sleepers adding an extra bonus. Being Welsh myself the setting of the layout had to be in Wales and a suitable name found for it. With homage to the name Fort William I decided upon Castell, a fortress or castle and Sofia, my granddaughters name and merge the two together As well as a sleeper service other commuter and intercity trains come and go from the station all by various diesel hydraulic and diesel electric locomotives along with DMU’s use for the local services. Most of the locomotives are painted in British Rail blue but the occasional loco in maroon or green may appear. The busy parcels depot provides further interest by allowing trains of vans and wagons to be shunted into the yard for unloading and eventually being reformed into trains to leave the depot. Being Welsh myself the setting of the layout had to be in Wales and a suitable name found for it. With homage to the name Fort William I decided upon Castell, a fortress or castle and Sofia, my granddaughters name and merge the two together As well as a sleeper service other commuter and intercity trains come and go from the station all by various diesel hydraulic and diesel electric locomotives along with DMU’s used for the local services. Most of the locomotives are painted in British Rail blue but the occasional loco in maroon or green may appear. The busy parcels depot provides further interest by allowing trains of vans and wagons to be shunted into the yard for unloading and eventually being reformed into trains to leave the depot. |   | |
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Foxbury Foxbury is the imaginary terminus of a short branch line in the Cotswolds as it might have looked in the middle of the 1950’s. The layout was designed to be easily portable as it breaks down to form a medium sized crate for storage and transportation. It is built to 3mm Scale, 12mm gauge which requires everything to be made either from kits or scratch built from raw materials. This is my latest layout and this is its first showing. |   | |
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In the year 1960, Cassius Clay has won Olympic Gold, Anthony Armstrong Jones punched above his weight by marrying Princess Margaret and on the British railways a branch line in the North Cotswolds a London Transport steam locomotive was transferring wagons to a rapidly dieselising Western Region. Garfield was originally built by George Lowell with track and scenery re imagined by Robert Webb and additional contributions from Malcolm Bell and Alan Drewett. Just over six feet long, Garfield is analogue with rod in tube operated points, kit and scratch built structures and kit and ready to run rolling stock. Incidentally, can anyone find Garfield the ginger cat? | |
Midford The town of Midford is situated south of Bath on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway, Midford was the point at which the single line was doubled to run southwards. On an impressive viaduct the line crossed the Camerton branch; Western Region line, the road and the stream and the remains of the canal. This large model was given to the club by the Chester Area Group of the N Gauge Society. It had previously been their exhibition layout and displayed widely in England except for the South West! This is the Shepton club’s first venture into N gauge, but several of our members model in this scale and in the N Gauge Society. Currently we are working on scenic details, new trees, building repairs and new backscenes. Work on the track continues and new signals are being made, hopefully these will be working when installed. The hidden parts of the Western Region section are being partially rebuilt and it is expected to reopen soon it has been test run. Most of the rolling stock used is from members’ private collections, augmented by some new stock recently purchased by the club. |   | |
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Midholme is a small through station based loosely on the Somerset and Dorset Railway, it is located at the end of the five mile single track line from Bath. For the next 32 miles through to Templecombe the line is twin track. The station has a small goods yard including a depot for local agricultural supplies and coal merchant. Traffic on the line comprises a regular passenger service from Bath to Bournemouth and intermediate local services terminating at Templecombe. There is a steady flow of general goods traffic and coal trains serving the Somerset coalfield. Weekends in the summer are very busy with many special trains for holiday makers from the North and Midlands travelling through to the South Coast. The period of the layout is two years either side of 1960. Most stock is either former London Midland Scottish or British Rail standard whilst the Somerset and Dorset was always a steam line, occasionally there is some modeller’s licence and British Rail green diesels are run. The layout is modelled in 2mm scale and the track is 9 mm code 40 Finetrax. | |
Pavillion End Pavilion End is set in an industrial area, probably South Wales or it could be the West Midlands. The Great Western Railway and London North Western Railway were competing for traffic and met in an end on junction somewhere further along the line. This was operated as a through route until rationalisation became necessary, when it was cut back to Pavilion End. The station, with staggered halts, because the terminus, and with the reduction to single line working only one platform was needed. The rationalisation meant the up line became a loop and a new crossover was needed at the end of the halt, along with a water column. The nearby colliery produced high quality coal so provided enough traffic to justify the lines continuation, along with the extensive metalworks behind the halt. The local coal merchants made such a fuss about all the changes that a coal siding was provided. So the branch has a regular passenger service operated by a push pull set or loco and a couple of coaches. Freight serves the colliery and also the metal works, taking material in and products out. The works has its own shunting loco, which often helps with the transfer of wagons. Operation of the branch is made interesting as the off scene colliery inlet is on th steepest part of the line. So for safe operation full coal trains are short and propelled up into the station keeping the locomotive on the downhill side of the wagons, with the loco running around on the level before setting off down the line. Empties are delivered direct to the colliery. Stock is largely built by various members of the club who have also contributed greatly to the scenery and lineside features. Dingham auto couplers are used, as on our club layouts. Control is by DCC with components from various sources. |   | |
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We would like to thank Trevor Hallam for looking after the Thomas Layout for many years at our exhibitions and also for refurbishing it at his expense. Unfortunately because of ill health Trevor is no longer able to continue so it was decided to offer Thomas free of charge to Hucclecote Railway Modellers on condition they bring it to all of our future exhibitions. This is the model railway where Children can become Engine Drivers on the Island of Sodor and has of course been inspired by the Reverend Audrey books. Our Thomas and Friends layout has been built for ten years now and in that time we hope it has encouraged many new railway enthusiasts to build a train set of their own. Originally it was intended as a space filler at shows so needed to be small, easy to transport and have a simple track plan, easy for small children to operate. After its first appearance it was clear this model railway would have to be included at all our exhibitions. It incorporates a tunnel, station, level crossing together with locomotive and goods facilities. Train drivers should look out for many of the popular characters; Henry, Percy, Toby, Cranky, the Troublesome Trucks, not forgetting the Sir Topham Hatt better known as the Fat Controller. The famous anthropomorphised rolling stock is mostly from the Thomas range and we are sure most of the adults and all the kids will love it. Happy Driving, but please observe the track speed limits. | |
| Displays | ||
Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway WEBSITE | Return to the rails | |
Wedding scene | Manor Farm and Sawmill | |
Hilltop Forge | ||
| Modelling Demonstrations | ||
| Mark Begley | Richard Self | |
| Steve Harrod | Trevor Hale | |
| Trade | ||
| Collett's Models of Exmouth WEBSITE | Penduke Models WEBSITE | |
| RCSW (Pre-owned) Models, Clive Reid | Rly books, timetables, photos, Stewart Blencowe WEBSITE | |
