MODEL RAILWAY CLUB
Established 1966
Tunley Marsh was originally built by Richard Bardsley as a GWR branch line terminus. Aspects of the layout's construction were described in the book “Making a Start in N Gauge Railway Modelling”.
Since taking over the layout Chris has moved the period forward to late 1950s Western Region. The Station Master seems to have a supply of GWR paints however, and the station looks much as it did before. Traffic flows remain good and a nearby, mysterious, Government facility brings in frequent parcels trains, although we are not allowed to talk about that!
Tunley Marsh
Click on pictures for larger image
BELLWETHER WORKS
4mm Scale OO gauge 5’ X 1’1”
John Gough
Bellwether Works - Na it doesn’t; with its dated workforce joke, this imaginary works is a part of the ICI Group, its production primarily based on alkalis and sodium (Na) salts. The layout does not try to represent a particular site or production process but is intended to give an overview of one small part of the extensive railway systems used by the alkali chemical industry in the North West of England, in particular Cheshire, in the 1960’s. A major part of these privately owned railways belonged to ICI, then, the bellwether of the British economy.
2mm Scale N gauge 8’ X 1’6”
Chris Tungate
Scale: 1:148
Gauge: N
Period/Location: Late 1950s Western Region BR.
Contact for exhibition bookings:
STOCKTON MILL
4mm Scale OO gauge 7’6” X 1’4”
Katherine Stephenson
I have always taken a keen interest in my dad’s layouts and on occasions helped operating them at exhibitions. I asked if we could build my own layout. My particular interest is in making and adapting kits as well as painting them and figures. My dad built the baseboards, laid track and did the electrics for me. The scenery, buildings and details are a joint effort.
I have spent and enjoyed many hours putting kits together and painting them. Most of these were bought cheaply with others “borrowed” from my dad’s store. Some of them have simply been split down the middle to make two buildings out of one.
The layout is very small and we tried to fit a small station with some sidings into the limited space available. We spent a lot of time with track templates stuck onto old wallpaper until we were happy.
We have set the time and place as the early 1960s somewhere in northern England, mainly because most of the locomotives and rolling stock are loaned from dad.
CILGWYN
009 Scale 1:76, Gauge 9mm
Peter Dibben
Reality
The North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway built a line to Bryngwyn to serve the slate quarries around Moel Tryfan. There was also a “branch” which took tourists to South Snowdon. Traffic never reached expectations and the railway operated in receivership for most of its life with passenger services ceasing in 1913. Revival came in 1923 when the Welsh Highland Railway extended the line from South Snowdon to Beddgelert and Portmadoc. The line to Bryngwyn now became the branch and never reopened to passenger traffic although its freight, mostly slate, was the company’s biggest source of income. Like its predecessor the WHR operated for most of its life under an official receiver and never paid any dividends. In its final years the WHR was operated by the Ffestiniog Railway with a year round freight service but only a sparse summer tourist service on the through route.
The Model: Represents the Brngwyn branch as it might have been if traffic had met the original expectations. The heyday it never actually had with passenger trains re-instated on the branch. These terminate at the station, while much of the freight continues up the working model incline towards the quarries. Because it is not a totally accurate model I have changed the station name to Cilgwyn the name of one of the Moel Tryfan quarries and also the name of a village to the south.
WILD BOAR FELL
4mm Scale OO gauge
Matt Peers
A layout based on a ficticous town in Cumbria close to the Yorkshire boarder, set in the mid 1960's after the Infamous Beeching report, steam is still king but dieselisation is starting to take effect.
It’s a busy summer’s day with many families and coach parties visiting the Gardens for a lovely day out. In fact it’s so busy that the miniature railway has to run many additional trains.
The miniature railway was built in 1932 to the unusual gauge of 21 inches as an added attraction to transport visitors around the zoo. The railway proved popular and was extended and developed throughout its history. Mounting costs forced the closure of the zoo at the end of the 1973 season.
Originally the layout was the section centred on the station (Zoo Central). It has now been extended to incorporate the sheds and workshops, the main entrance as well as many more animal enclosures and associated buildings.
ORFORD PARK ZOO
4mm Scale 9mm gauge 13’6” X 2’6”
Allan Stephenson
Locomotives are adapted 'N' gauge items with stock mainly scratch built on 'N' gauge chassis. The majority of buildings are scratch built or heavily modified kits. The layout has working features including signals, colour lights, turntable, running water, level crossing gates and working clocks.
EURO FRACHT ZENTRUM
3.5mm Scale HO gauge 8’ X 2’
John Gough
Euro Fracht Zentrum is intended to show a multi-product cargo terminal served by rail, road and barge. Almost the entire layout is scenic with only limited hidden track behind the back scene to exchange stock.
I noticed when exhibiting that people pay limited attention to the scenic part of the layout spending their time looking at stock in the fiddle yard, why not let them see it all?
Freight stock from various European countries can be seen, common practice in Europe. The model does not represent a specific location, but is somewhere along the corridor of the rivers Rhine and Danube in the border region between Germany and Upper Austria.
Hironochō
N Gauge 1:150 Scale
Peter Dibben
Hironochō represents the terminus of a minor independent railway in Japan. There are several railways of this type in Japan and the model aims to capture some of the typical features of these railways in a very small space.
In the early twentieth century roads were generally poor and the railway was built to open up the area surrounding the city for development. This proved successful and the area has now become a busy suburb and the railway provides commuters, school children and shoppers access to the city centre. The station has been modernised with a small office block, this being financed by the sale of surplus land released by shortening the platforms to match the two car trains.
At some point in its history the railway was electrified and it is now operated by second hand electric multiple units bought from other, larger railways. There is no connection with the now privatised Japanese National Railways network and the railway is completely self- contained. All maintenance of the rolling stock being carried out in the little depot adjacent to the station.
BAD KISSEN
3.5mm Scale HO gauge 8’6'' X 1’6''
John Gough
Bad Kissen is a Western Austrian village near the German border.
It is at the end of a short non-electrified single track line from Lipz; the major in the region through which the cross border line runs. Traffic consists of local services and is supplemented by the tourist trade and freight for the local sawmill / timber fectory.
The proximity of the border often results in a mixture of stock on the line.
