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Bognor Regis Model Railway Club's and Members' Layouts
Club Layouts. Here you can view pictures and details of our club layouts. If you would like one of these to attend your exhibition, please contact our exhibition manager via the Contact Us page.
Member's Layouts. As well as the club layouts, some of our members have layouts of their own which are available for exhibitions. Details of these can be found in the Members' Layouts section of this page.
Member's Home Layouts. Showcasing a few of our member's home layouts. Obviously not available for exhibition and even still under construction they should nevertheless prove of interest.
Club Layouts
Aldingbourne Central
12ft by 4ft
Aldingbourne Central is a OOgauge layout that has been designed and built specifically to be operated by younger (and also the not so young) members of the public at exhibitions. The layout comprises a three track oval with a main station, tunnel and scenic village. This will allow three people to operate trains at any one time. The aim is to encourage youngsters to take up railway modelling.
This layout may well be unique amongst those aimed at allowing the young to drive model trains due to both its size and the extensive scenic treatment. While many youngsters like to race the trains, most of them quickly learn to drive the trains properly and accept the challenge of coming to a gentle stand-still in the station. It has always proved to be extremely popular.
Little Bognor
0-16.5 (7mm scale, 16.5mm track representing 2'4" narrow gauge)
13ft by 2ft (13ft by 6ft required for operation)
The layout is exhibited as our tribute to Ernie House
who was a member of the Bognor Regis Model Railway Club. Featured on the
layout are some of his scratch-built buildings and rolling stock. We are
grateful to the members of Ernie’s family who have placed this layout on
trust into the care of the BRMRC in order that his skills and enthusiasm
for modelling narrow gauge railways can live on and be shared.
The
layout is operated mainly by the BRMRC Narrow Gauge Group and is a 7mm
narrow gauge line using Peco 16.5mm NG track, commonly known as -
O.16.5.
In the early decades of the last century, a unique breed
of railway sprung up around the country. They were built and run on a
shoestring, facilitated by the passing of the Light Railways Act of
1896. These lines had their own particular character: they usually
served remote or sparsely populated communities often with second-hand
rolling stock and, towards the end of their generally brief lives, had a
down-at-heel charm. This type of railway has always attracted the
interest of railway enthusiasts, and it was the Narrow gauge and
Standard gauge railways of this type that inspired the construction of
Little Bognor by the Late Ernie House.
As well as Ernie's stock, much of other group members' stock also appears, reflecting the typically diverse nature of Narrow Gauge and Light Railway rolling stock and locomotives.
Pines Railway
N Gauge
6' x 2' 6"
Era: Almost anything we fancy
This N Gauge DC layout was built by members of Bognor MRC and features two spirals linked by a main line with two passing loops once of which is at Pines Rise station. It demonstrates how much detail can be created in a compact space. Visitors should look for the cat on the roof of one of the buildings with the anxious owner trying to coax it down to safety. The layout measures 6ft x 2ft 6ins and requires two operators operating at the right hand end.
South Preston
OO gauge, 4mm:1ft
32ft by 7ft
Era: 4/5 1950s - 1960s
South Preston is a British Railways (Southern Region) branch line layout based loosely on Littlehampton, as operated in the 1950's and 1960's.
As with the prototype, the layout is a double track main line terminus. The terminus complex incorporates a three platform face station, EMU shed, dock scene, goods yard and adjacent town scene area.
From the station the track crosses a river before reaching a junction that represents a junction with the south coast main line and a station called Fordham, which incorporates a small goods yard.
Stock operated on the layout is a mixture of kit built, scratch built adapted proprietary stock, and ready-to-run items, reminiscent of the area and period. Even the famous Brighton Belle can sometimes be seen when line closures necessitate a diversion from Brighton.
NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR EXHIBITIONS
Trenance Downs
(This is a re-development of our layout previously called Pen-Y-Bwm)
OO gauge, 4mm:1ft
Size: 20ft by 5ft end to end
Era: Variable but Post nationalisation
DCC/DCC SoundTrenance Downs is a branch line community sited near Trethowal in Cornwall. The model represents a small country station on a branchline set in varying periods from BR Blue through to the current day.
There are still active workings to the China Clay dries, as well as typical branchline commuter trains working their way along the line. As well as the local China Clay movements there is infrequent stone and mineral traffic from the nearby Quarry.
Motive power varies depending on era set, and can range from Class 52 Westerns, Class 25's through to the current EWS (DB Schenker) stranglehold of Class 37's & 66's. To compliment the freight workings there is of course a is a mixture of DMU's (1st Generation through to Class 158's). All stock is predominantly ready-to-run items.
An occasional steam special has also been known to appear on Summer Saturdays.
Two videos of the layotu can be seen in our video gallery at http://brmrc.co.uk/layout_videos.php
Troutbeck Bridge
00 gauge, 4mm:1ftEra: Variable
Club Layout(s) under construction
As one might expect of any lively, enthusiastic club we usually have at least one layout under construction. Currently the main project is Page Mountain, a fairly substantial American HO layout, serving as much as anything as a scenic extravaganza. This layout has its own page which can be accessed by clicking on the image below or its name above.
Members' Layouts
Here you can view our members own layouts, these are available for exhibitions unless otherwise stated. If you would like any of these layouts to attend your show, please contact our exhibition manager via the Contact Us page
Bigbury-on-Sea
10 feet x 9 feet
Layout owner: Paul Hopkins
Bigbury represents a terminal station off the GWR main line in Devon The layout is built to a scale of 3mm to 1 foot on four baseboards, two of which are reclaimed from a layout built by a colleague that otherwise would have been scrapped,
The majority of the buildings, scenery and trackwork represent the features and layout of a typical GWR South Devon Branch line and are all proprietary or scratch-built from items which can be purchased from most model shops. The locomotives and rolling stock also represent those operating a branch and are made from a combination of kit or scratch-built sources.
Chichester
Basin Road
4mm Scale OO gaugeDimensions : 18 feet long, 6 feet wide
Set in 1950’s and 1960’s
This is a model of the Southgate area of Chichester immediately north of the railway line, incorporating the Southdown Bus Station and Garage and part of the North (Up) side of the Railway station.
The actual buildings were built in the mid 1950’s, the Bus station was built on the site of the old Police Station, and the railway station on the same site as the old LBSCR railway station. Since construction they have undergone some modification; the Buffet on the east end of the railway station was demolished, and the north side entrance and exits to the Bus Station in both Basin Road and Southgate were modified some years ago and this area is now part of the inner ring road. The level crossings were converted to automatic lifting barriers over 30 years ago.
The model is scratch-built to a scale of 4mm to the foot (1:76) and represents the area as it was in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s immediately after the Bus and Railway stations were built. The buildings are made in plasticard, and have been built from actual plans or from photographs and actual measurements at the site, they have taken approximately 300 hours to build.
The trains are representative of the era and both types of semi fast and express electric multiple units are operated with 2-BIL side corridor units representing the Brighton - Portsmouth services, and the 4-COR “Nelson� units for the Portsmouth - London Victoria services. These models are made from kits and powered by 12 volt DC electric motors.
The buses are also representative of the era and types used at Chichester, and are made from a variety of sources (scratch, kits, modified proprietary, or proprietary - EFE, OOC, Britbus). Almost all are Southdown vehicles on routes to towns and villages in surrounding area, including Selsey, Wittering, Midhurst, Littlehampton and Bognor Regis, as well as the Portsmouth – Brighton service 31, which at the time was the longest stage carriage service in the country taking approximately 4 hours for the whole route. The vehicles also include a number of coaches for express and private hire work as well as Southdown’s unique double deck coach.
Chilcompton
OO gauge, 4mm:1ft
21ft by 9ft
Era: 4/5 1950 to mid 1960s
Layout owner: John Wakeman
The layout is based on the prototype Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway station of the same name and is modelled to represent the period from post nationalisation to the end of the passenger service on the line in March 1966. Chilcompton is located approximately 15 miles south of Bath.
Chilcompton was served by a local passenger service as well as school specials, for Downside School, to London via Templecombe at the beginning and end of each term. Freight traffic was mainly coal, the sidings used to handle the coal brought in from the nearby New Rock Colliery.
The layout is a conventional oval with fiddle yard. The viewing section starts with Chilcompton Tunnel, the station at the front and with the use of a little bit of modeller's license, finishes at the other side with Windsor Hill Tunnel.
Motive power on the Somerset and Dorset was wide and varied, and you can see locomotives ranging from an 0-6-0 "Jinty" to a 2-10-0 Class 9F, the most famous being "Evening Star". Stock is a mixture of ready-to-run, kit built and proprietary modified.
MADELEY ROAD
N Gauge, 2mm:1ft scale. WCML
8ft x 3ft plus operator space
Layout owner: Adrian Taylor
However during the 1960s the Station at Madeley Road was reopened and used as a messroom by British Rail Traincrew and Shunters for running round Coal Trains destined for Silverdale and Holditch Collieries. These trains came off the West Coast Mainline and onto the former Branch via Madeley Chord. This arrangement continued until Silverdale Colliery closed in 1998.
History done, today's layout shows how Madeley might look if it was still open today with Pendolinos, Voyager DMUs and Class 350 EMUs aplenty. Of course being on the West Coast mainline any number of freight trains pass, as well as the odd Steam/preserved train from Crewe Heritage. The branch to Madeley Road is nothing more than a preserved line with an extension to a RMC cement facility.
Modbury Torr
12mm gauge, 3mm:1ft scale. GWR
10ft frontage - operator space additional
Era: TBC
Layout owner: Paul Hopkins
Modbury Torr represents the proposed terminal of the GWR Yealmpton branch in Devon had it been completed to the original proposal.
The layout is built to a scale of 3mm to 1 foot on three baseboards the
middle one of which was built to satisfy the 40 inch challenge set by
the 3mm Society as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations in 2005.
The majority of the buildings, scenery and trackwork represent the
features and layout at the Yealmpton end of the branch and are all
proprietary items, which can be purchased from most model shops. The
locomotives and rolling stock also represent those operating the branch
and are made from a combination of kit or scratchbuilt sources.
Nytonhampstead
9mm gauge, 2mm:1ft GWR/SR Terminus
8ft x 1ft 4" full length viewable with hidden fiddle sidings behind left scenic section. 2 Operators required
Era 1920s - 1960s
Layout Owner: Phillip Pilcher
This quite small layouit takes full advantage of what can be done in N gauge to produce a fairly busy branch line station in a not too cramped space. The layout can be operated by DC or DCC and provides plenty of activity for a small layout. Unfortunately the photographs don't do it great justice as the flash has made the colours look rather garish (inaccurately I might add)
Portsea
(reminiscences of Portsmouth)
Scale 3mm / ft, gauge 12mm
Layout Owners - Paul Hopkins & John Wakeman
Appearing in December 2015
The current Southern Coastway and South West Portsmouth
Direct train services terminate at Portsmouth Harbour with ferry
connections to the Gosport and the Isle of Wight.
This model is
built to a scale of 3mm to 1 foot, in response to the 50 Challenge for
the 50th anniversary celebrations of the 3mm Society, and is a portrayal
of the Harbour station and the approaches to it as it was operated in
the post nationalisation era using locomotives and rolling stock typical
of the period. Various features of the locality have been incorporated
into the model, specifically the war memorial, Commercial Road bridge,
Dockyard gates and part of the Semaphore Tower building. An adaptation
of the Royal Naval dockyard is included in the model, although with some
modellers licence, includes its internal rail system and access to the
national network from the “town� station.
Part of the challenge was
to construct the layout from models and kits that can be purchased from
the local model shop. The track is from the Peco HOm range, a little
course for 3mm 1:100 scale, but matches the original 12mm gauge
developed by Triang. Buildings are all made from adapted kits from
continental manufacturers and the terminus station complex is
scratchbuilt from plasticard, although the station building and
footbridge has been adapted from Triang models.
There are no British outline locomotives and rolling stock available ready to run, all those operated on the layout are built from scratch or kits with a few modified Tri-ang items.
Redford Junction
12mm gauge, 3mm:1ft : BR(Southern Region) and Southern Railway
13ft viewable with 5ft fiddle yards at each end - total 23ft
Era: Various - pre-Nationalisation and post Nationalisation
Layout owner: Paul Hopkins
SEE IT IN
NOVEMBER 2013 - ISSUE 77
The LBSCR in the 1860’s planned to extend their
Chichester to Midhurst line to connect with the LSWR at Haslemere. In
reality the line was never built, but this model is an interpretation of
what could have been. Centred around the planned intermediate station at
The model is built to a scale of 3mm to 1 foot and can be operated in the Southern railway or post nationalisation eras, with locomotives and rolling stock typical of those periods.
Apart from old Tri-ang models which were manufactured in the 1950’s & 1960’s, there is very little available in this scale from the proprietary manufacturers, consequently all the trackwork is hand-built. Locomotives and rolling stock are built from scratch or kits with a few modified Tri-ang items. Buildings are made from scratch or have been modified from kits or proprietary items.
Slindon Vale Railway
Nore Wood for Slindon
Scale O16.5. (7mm scale narrow gauge on 16.5mm track representing approx 2'4" gauge)
DCC or analogue control partially sound fitted
Dimensions: 12ft x 2ft (8ft visible)
Owner: Chris Davis
Chris's section of a modular layout this is a model of a fictional narrow gauge railway, the Slindon Vale Railway. Originally serving both the numerous mineral extraction areas in Sussex together with the local population, it is now modelled in recent years when it is running as a preservation line. Buildings are almost entirely scratch built and are models of, or closely based on, West Sussex prototypes. Fun for viewers to see if they can identify them!
Strathmore L.I.P
OO Gauge, 4mm:1ft
16ft by 2ft 4ins
Era: 1940’s to Closure in 1965
DCC/DCC Sound
Toby Nanson (and Dave Nanson)
Strathmore L.I.P. was designed by myself and jointly built with my dad.
The intention of the layout was to allow me to develop my modelling skills
with the goal of finishing it in time for our Club’s annual exhibition in
January 2017. It was started in February 2016.
All pointwork (except 1)
is Peco set track; other track being a mixture of set track and flexible
track. It is wired for either DCC or DC control with all points being
operated with Peco point motors via a capacitor discharge unit.
Stock is a mixture of my dad’s and mine - many of which I have saved hard
for, including the DCC sound stock. As most of my dad’s stock was based
around a Scottish theme, it seemed logical for me to continue with this
theme, although locomotives from a variety of regions and era’s will appear
therefore giving variety.
Buildings are largely scratch built by myself from online templates and
printed papers, the depot being a Gaugemaster product.
In British Rail
days, the Loco Inspection Point (L.I.P.) concept was developed to allow
locomotives to be checked and fuelled away from their allocated main depot.
Additionally, they had the facilities to replace smaller consumable items
such as brake shoes, oil, water, etc. thus allowing greater availability of
the fleet.
Strathmore as a place doesn’t exist, but if it did, it would be in the area
around Glasgow, therefore, seeing a mixture of passenger and freight
locomotives as well as the occasional DMU and departmental stock.
You will see some locomotives arrive only for stabling, others for fuelling
and others for maintenance and fuelling.
Sussex By The Sea
Scale OO. DCC and analogue control
Dimensions: 245 x 61 cms
Owners: Stephen and Peter Nicholson
Set in 1918 this layout depicts a compact terminus of a very short branch from Bognor at Felpham. Buildings are period London Brighton. Locomotives are ready to run pregrouping stock from the south. Wagons and carriages are mix of kits and rtr.
Traffic is boosted by wartime traffic to a nearby Military camp. Materials also arrive by rail for the Norman Thompson Flying boat factory at Middleton. The terminus is linked to the camp by narrow gauge railway.
"Sussex by the Sea" recalls a marching song of the Royal Sussex Regiment.
