Open Day 2012
Our next annual open day will be held on Sunday 17th June at Acton Village Hall.
Club members are returning their forms for the open day and so far there are 6 layouts or part layouts in various scales and a club member
who has a secondhand stall. Refreshments will be available and car parking is free.
More details will appear nearer the event.
Open Day 2011
Our 19th open day was held on Sunday 5th June at Long Melford Village Hall.
For such a small club we managed 9 layouts, which all belonged to club members. The layouts were in various stages of
construction and other members were undertaking projects that showed some of the skills that are used in model railways.
We were fortunate to have four wives who supplied us and the public with drinks and food.
The next committe meeting will decide if we are to have our 20th next year and then a date will be arranged.
Photo Gallery
Photographs from the open day can be found
here.
Layouts
Layouts that attended the open day included:
- 'Long Melford' - This is Nigel's new layout. It is DCC controlled and all the points have been built by Nigel.
The layout is under construction.
- 'Cascade Trestle' - Tony's layout challenge entry with more scenery added.
- 'Gestup St Anne' - Derek's 7mm narrow gauge layout
- 'Martin's Sidings' - This is Chris' new layout, which has replaced
Ambridge.
- 'The Ashurst Brickworks Light Railway' - The winner of the layout challenge at our 2010
exhibition.
- 'Willit End' - Stuart's 2mm finescale layout
- New layouts being constructed by Paul and Norman
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| Derek Reeve with 'Gestup St Anne' |
'Ashurst Brickworks Light Railway' at Open Day |
Another highlight of the day was photographer Paul Bason taking photos of Derek Reeve's layout Gestup St Anne
for British Railway Modelling magazine. The layout featured in the November 2011 edition of British Railway Modelling.
Paul also took photos of Peter Rednall's layout 'The Ashurst Brickworks Light Railway', which won the layout challenge at our 30th exhibition.
Photos of the photoshoot can be also found in the gallery and the BRM article itself can
be read by clicking on the thumbnails below.*
*Article is reproduced with kind permission from British Railway Modelling.
'The Ashurst Brickworks Light Railway'
Ashurst is an imaginary village nestled alongside a narrow estuary on the Sussex coast. The availability of good quality brick
making clays in the local area stimulated the building of a narrow gauge light railway to transport the handmade bricks to the
awaiting coastal ships. Shortly after its opening, the railway management decided to open the line to passengers to serve nearby
isolated communities.
Time has moved on and we now view the railway as it is in the 1950s. Trains continue to run in their time honoured way, but for
how much longer before it succumbs to the lorry and a possible future in preservation?
'Willit End'
It is early Autumn 1921 at 'Willit End' in what turned out to be the hottest summer of the century and due to the lowering of the
water table, a new pump set has been housed next to the engine shed operated via steam from loco 571.
'Willit End' is in its hay day, and with the appointment of a new station master Samuel Eveleigh who brings his horse expertise from
the GWR stables, the future looks bright due to the high volume of horse traffic for the local race track together with race goers.
Sadly over the next 6 years this traffic will reduce as road usage vies for trade and the 'Much in Progress to Willit End' branch will
decline as it enters the early 1930s. Those heady days when the Royal Train bought the Prince of Wales and his entourage (1924 - 25) are
but just memories.
Of course with the exception of the hottest summer none of the above is true as 'Willit End' is fictional, I have tried to capture the
spirit and atmosphere of a GWR rural branch. The engine shed and supporting buildings are from 'Newcastle Emlyn' whilst the coaling stage,
water tower and huts on the platform end are from 'Wallingford'. The station is 'Toddington' and the goods shed from 'Lambourne'. The
cattle dock and signal box are prototypical.
The layout is to 2mm finescale, a ratio of 1:152 or 2mm to the foot. Track is constructed from nickle silver bullhead rail soldered to
brass chairplates sitting on PCB sleepers.
The layout is wired so that either DC or DCC can be used. Points are operated via a 'Scalefour' lever frame and wire in tube soon to be
converted to DCC servos.
Stock is either scratch built or from '2mm Association' kits modified to suit the period.
Layout by Paul Sumption
This is the track plan for a new 00 Gauge layout, which should be completed in time for the Sudbury Model Railway Club annual open day
on June 5th 2011.
The layout is designed to provide maximum operator interest by providing both continuous running and a two-track terminus from which
arriving locomotives can be uncoupled from their coaches before visiting the loco depot to be turned and made ready for subsequent
departure. A carriage siding holds up to four coaches whilst the loco is being turned.
The layout includes a reversing loop so that both train departures from, and arrivals to, the terminus are loco first.
Previous Open Days
Information and photo galleries from previous open days are available by clicking on the links below:
Open Day 2008
Open Day 2009
Open Day 2010
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