Layouts:

O gauge:

Connaught Road 

Connaught Road is a four track, mainline station with associated goods yards and engine coaling facilities located somewhere in the Southern region of British Railways, notionally in the 1950s. The railway buildings are all scratch built and based on prototypes from different parts of the region and a variety of techniques have been used for their construction that has involved most of the group’s members.

The layout started life as a test track over 30 years ago and has been evolving ever since. The baseboards are constructed entirely from plywood that has proved to be extremely stable and durable, as well as being quite light weight. Until recently lining up the track at each board join was a tedious process but now each join has been fitted with metal dowels that ensure perfect alignment every time.

Although the timescale is notionally 1950s the members of the group have a wide variety of locomotives and rolling stock so the trains we run may be anything from Victorian to the present day. We aim to keep things moving and up to six trains can be in motion at any time due to the sectional nature of this analogue DC layout.

We hope you will enjoy seeing the trains running on the layout. It was exhibited at the Warley National show in 2015 where it won the trophy for the best O gauge layout and in November 2016 it was featured in Railway Modeller. Please feel free to ask questions and to take photographs.

Woolbridge 

Stephens Lane

Club test track

OO gauge:

Redbridge Wharf 

Redbridge Wharf depicts a layout based on the area of Redbridge, Hampshire. 

The station was opened in 1847 by the Southampton and Dorchester Railway, and became a junction in 1865 when the “Sprat and Winkle” line opened to Romsey and Andover. The large area of drained marshland between the wharf and station was used as a holding area for materials. This then became the sleeper works including the manufacture of sleepers, bridge timbers and cast track components. In the final years of operation, the site was used for the assembly of long welded rail sections and the laying out of large point work complexes.

The focus of the layout is the wharf, with the works behind, and Redbridge station and junction to the rear. On the layout can be seen numerous piles of timber sleepers and a barge; the river itself with salt marshes, mudflats, water and the causeway – the timber pond; the foundry and associated buildings connected with track building.

The new rail causeway, the lack of the last road bridge, and the laying of third rail sets 1965 as the earliest possible operating date, offering operating flexibility from late steam through to modern image.

Templegate Wagon Works

N Gauge:

Elmbridge TMD

Built in 2016/17 it is based on a fictitious location somewhere in Southern England. 

It was built demonstrate how much N-gauge would fit in a small area.

The main operation is servicing diesel locomotives from different operators in the area including stone, containers, car transporters and preservation locomotives.

Lighting is provided in the buildings as well as a welding plant in the workshop, buffer lights, signal and yard lights.

There is a small scrap operation in the lower right hand corner named S.Yard Ltd. 

There several small activities going on including a worker sitting on a toilet, roadworks and the bicycles on top of some of the containers – but that is another story!

The original small station of Elmbridge services the local community and connects to the main line some miles away.

The original site of the MPD was used as a coal depot and builder’s merchants in days gone by and due to planning and ground pollution issues it had to be used as an MPD instead of a housing estate.

The MPD operators had to compromise on the available space to maximise profits and turnover – which is why the area is a bit crowded!

Newton Mills TMD

Newton Mills is a small, sleepy terminus set in the southern region of BR’s operations consisting of a single platform, small goods yard and engine shed. Residents of the local row of houses are perfectly placed to observe the shunting of goods occurring throughout the day to serve the local farming trade or take advantage of regular passenger services connecting to the main line.

The layout shows what can be achieved with N Gauge in a small space and on a restricted budget by recycling, rescuing, and reusing existing construction and scenic materials. To date, just under £40 has been spent constructing this layout, albeit with the benefit of rescued buildings and plentiful supplies of waste wood.

Although based in the southern region of BR’s operations, come visiting stock has been drafted in from other areas of the country due to a lack of available local traction. Services will be predominantly provided by steam, however the odd DMU can also be seen to service the local passenger demands.

Finally, despite the idyllic rural location of this terminus, local hikers are warned to stay aware as an escaped Hippo is rumoured to be roaming the woods…

St Julians TMD

Sarah’s Falls

009:

Wickhambreux Road 

Traders Attending