March 28, 2008
 
As this latest layout from Worthing MRC is my baby and Mr James Makin keeps plugging it in each of his many published articles in the model railway press, I thought I’d better tell you all what it’s about and where we are to date in its construction.
This layout is the first to utilise the modular concept of the former club secretary, Dave Kent. The idea is that there is a common 12’ fiddle yard along with two double track connecting ‘curves’ to which a 12’ long ‘scenic’ (front) section is added to form the continuous run.
Loftus Road is a through station situated on the West London Line between Willesden Junction and Clapham Junction and very loosely based on Kensington Olympia. The time line is late 1990’s through to the present day; this will enable a great variety of train movements, on the passenger side there are local suburban, north/south cross country services and empty Eurostar services, whilst on the freight side, Freightliner, aggregate, various Channel Tunnel bound services and even the odd nuclear flask. Add to this the various infrastructure trains and light engine movements the operational scope is very wide.
It has taken the best part of 2 years to get all of the track down, the miles of wiring installed and the complex control panels built on both the fiddle yard and the Loftus Road boards but we are just beginning the scenic side of things. Control is by either DCC or DC but DCC will be the preferred choice.
My fellow protagonists on this project are Chris Sweeney, Martin Browning, James Rann, Rex Morrison, Mike Denwood and James Makin.
The layout’s first official outing will be at the club show in September however we will be having a couple of test runs at the SRP Collectors fair in May and the East Preston village fair on 7th June.
If you have any questions please feel free to email me at treasurer@worthingmrc.co.uk
Pete Hollman
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January 15, 2008
| GAUGE
|
4mm:ft ‘OO’ Finescale |
| STOCK |
Ready to Run |
| PROTOTYPE |
Light Railway |
| DESCRIPTION |
Halden Lane is set on a light railway somewhere in the heart of the South of England countryside at some time in the mid 1950’s to 1960’s. There is no particular regional theme to the motive power but expect to see a number of regional, and some BR standard, busy black early emblem tank engines with branch-line rolling stock to match. The layout can provide for a variety of passenger and goods traffic with many varied – some conventional and some not so conventional – shunting movements. The layout atmosphere and buildings suggests the former influence of Colonel H. Stephens who is never very far away. |
| SIZE |
12ft x 1ft 6ins (15ft x 6ft including safety barriers and operating area) |
| VIEWING |
From the front area only |
| EXPENSES |
Cost of petrol and parking for two cars |
| INSURANCE VALUE |
£1,500 |
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December 31, 2007
Thanks goes to all the exhibitors, traders, club members and visitors who helped make the 2008 Worthing MRC exhibition a success, we hope you enjoyed the show!
The 2009 show is set to be held in the same venue, and is likely to build on this year’s excellent selection of exhibits by featuring layouts such as Paul Wade’s 1990’s ‘Tonbridge West Yard’ layout, as well as the usual good trade support.Â
At the 2008 show, Diesel and Electric Modellers United attended the show for the first time with a Roadshow stand offering regular demonstrations about DCC and weathering, amongst other topics, and had full details about how to join the society.
There was plenty of action to be seen on Worthing MRC’s ‘N’ Gauge layout ‘Round The Bend’, which provided visitors with a chance to drive trains themselves over the weekend!
Above: Worthing MRC member Mike Denwood’s French layout ‘Barsnac’ attended the show, along with the club’s new ‘Halden Lane’ branchline layout, as seen below.
Venue: Boundstone Community College, Upper Boundstone Lane, Sompting, Lancing. BN15 9QZÂ
Opening hours 10am - 5pm both days.
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June 21, 2005
SCALE: 4mm:ft/’OO’ Gauge
STOCK: Highly detailed 4mm scale diesel and electric locomotives.
PROTOTYPE: Crewe International Electric Maintenance Depot.
DESCRIPTION: Wells Green TMD is a diesel and electric depot set in Crewe, Cheshire, featuring a range of highly detailed 25kV electric locomotives in an authentic grimy, gritty atmosphere. The depot mainly undertakes routine maintenance to electric locomotives, but also contains a diesel fuelling point enabling many different varieties of locomotive to appear. Due to the rapidly changing nature of today’s privatised railway, the layout is operated in two different timescales, 2002 - 2004, and 2004 - 2006.
The layout won the Diesel and Electric Modellers United Small Layout Competition back in June 2005, and at just 5′ by 1′ for the main scenic section, showed just how much detail could be incorporated into such a small space.
Since then however, Wells Green TMD has been subject to many improvements, both scenically and operationally. A new 3′ fiddle yard has been added to the right hand end of the layout and the main board extended with an area depicting disused sidings and wasteland helping to ‘set the scene’.
In addition to this, the 25Kv AC overhead electrification has been re-worked since its exhibition debut, and the layout is now controlled by DCC using the Lenz system. A number of diesel locomotives have been fitted with South West Digital’s incredibly realistic sound decoders, not only do they add greatly to the atmosphere of a working depot, but are also tremendous fun to play with!
Much effort has been put into creating a ‘run down’ feel to the layout, including hand painted graffiti and heavy weathering to help create that look. Most of the buildings on the layout have been scratchbuilt using card and styrene sheet, so as to make everything unique.
Wells Green TMD is also fully lit - with both lights inside the depot buildings, behind the backscene and inside the ‘Portakabins’. Built into the backscene is a fully detailed and lit EWS boardroom, even featuring items of Railwayana on the back wall!
Further photographs of the layout can be found at http://www.wellsgreen-tmd.co.uk
SIZE: 8′x 2′.
VIEWING: Front only.
INSURANCE VALUE: £4500.
EXPENSES: Cost of petrol and parking for two cars.
AVAILABLE FOR EXHIBITIONS: YES
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June 12, 2005
GAUGE: 00
STOCK: Any
PROTYPE: n/a
DESCRIPTION: A “hands-on” demonstration unit showing what is normally hidden from view.
SIZE: 6′ x 3′ No barriers - operation by public (under supervision)
EXPENSES: Not normally charged separately from accompanying layout.
AVAILABLE FOR EXHIBITIONS: YES
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June 12, 2005
GAUGE: OO Fine scale.
STOCK: Kit built stock.
PROTOTYPE: Southern Region 3rd rail.
DESCRIPTION: Although the village of Ashington exists, the railway itself does not. Ashington is a fictitious stabling point loosely based on Littlehampton and West Worthing. It has been designed to display some of the EMU’s which operated on the Southern Region of BR in the 1950/60’s. The occasional steam working also operates. Ashington was recently featured in Hornby Magazine, and will be seen at Warley and Wigan later this year.
SIZE: 12′ x 2′ (15′ x 6′ including safety barriers and operating area).
VIEWING: Front viewing only.
EXPENSES: Cost of petrol and parking for two cars.
INSURANCE VALUE: £2500.
Photographs by Chris Nevard reproduced with kind permission from Hornby Magazine.
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June 12, 2005
GAUGE: OO Gauge
STOCK: Propriety ready to run stock.
PROTOTYPE: “Modern image”
DESCRIPTION: The layout is a double track “tail chaser” with a large through station where the track splits into 4 lines to provide a variety of services. The station is based on a modern refurbished station but not based on any particular location. Because of this a wide variety of motive power may be seen.
SIZE: 12′ x 14′ (or larger when shown complete - ask for details)
VIEWING: All sides
EXPENSES: Hire of van including petrol and parking costs.
INSURANCE VALUE: £1000
AVAILABLE FOR EXHIBITIONS: YES.
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June 18, 2004
GAUGE: ‘N’ Gauge/9mm:1ft
STOCK: Heavily modified ready-to-run and kit built.
DESCRIPTION:
A main line passing a fictitious MPD located in the Banbury, Oxfordshire area in the 1950s-60s, the location being witness to a wide variety of rolling stock from the BR Midland Region, BR Western Region as well as Inter-Regional trains from the Southern and Eastern regions. In other words, something for everyone.
The period of this layout is depicted as being in the early post-nationalisation era when rolling stock of the “Big Four” (LMS, GWR, SR and LNER) could be seen alongside the new BR colour schemes.
The layout features a twin track mainline with passing loops on both the up and down lines. An 18 road fiddle yard, capable of holding over 40 different trains ensures that there is plenty of variety for the viewer. Additionally, there is plenty of movement to be seen in the engine shed and diesel depot areas.
SIZE: Space including work area and barriers 24′ x 12′ (Layout 20′ x 8′).
VIEWING: From the front only.
EXPENSES: Hire of van plus petrol and parking.
INSURANCE VALUE: £5000 (£12,500 additional for all rolling stock)
AVAILABLE FOR EXHIBITIONS: YES.
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