DOREHILL St. STEVENS (00)

This is our new Exhibition Layout

AS FEATURED  IN THE RAILWAY MODELLER SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER 2009 ISSUES

The layout dimentions are approx 41ft. x 14ft. and it was on display at the club's Swannington Open Day's Show in March 2008. Trains were running but Scenery was un-finished. First scheduled exhibition was Loughborough (September 2009).

The layout measures 41ft 9ins by 14ft 6ins on 22, 6ft by 3ft or 2ft 6ins boards made from 12mm exterior ply on 75mm x 25mm battening, with occasional variations as can be seen in the canal area. The layout ideally requires eight operators but can run with only six.

Dorehill St Stevens is based around the northeast midlands and south Yorkshire, between 1956 and 1962, only six years but a very important period. It encompasses the dying steam age with the verging modern image of diesels.

The layout itself although continuous is not treated as such, but run as an end to end. Trains leave the fiddle yard, which is situated in the centre of the layout, exit on one track and will return on a different line. This is to give the illusion of trains going to and coming from different parts of the country.

As can be seen there has been a conscious effort to provide a large variety of scenery and a tremendous amount of quality scratch building. The layout is kept in an operating condition at our clubroom and is operated almost every club night, with members bringing their own stock to run. It is with members stock with which the layout at exhibitions is also run, varying from scratch and kit built to modified Bachmann or Hornby. Club members are always willing to discuss any aspect of the layout, from operating to its construction and welcome comments because that is how we all learn.

This layout has been built to replace our old Exhibition circuit
layout Barksby and Kennelton which won many accolades over the years but was finally retired after our open day's show in 2006.

Dorehill St. Stevens had its first outing at our 2008 open day's show at Swannington
albeit with unfinished scenery. It's first Exhibition appearance was at our 25th. Aniversary Annual Exhibition, Garendon School, Loughborough 2009.

Exhibition record so far: -

Loughborough (September 2009)

Spalding (November 2009)

Swannington (April 2010)

Derby (May 2010)

Exhibition managers please contact Hon.Sec. Barry Lock at e-mail address or tel. number on contact page.

SOWTERS LANE (009)

THIS LAYOUT WAS FEATURED IN

THE RAILWAY MODELLER MARCH/APRIL 2010

This is the clubs popular “009” layout and has carried the flag at exhibitions since 2005, whilst the new “00” Dorehill St Stevens Exhibition layout was completed after the clubs popular B&K Exhibition layout was withdrawn from service.

Sowters Lane is a fictitious “009”narrow gauge layout, situated in West Wales area in the Market town of Pint Y Glas and is based loosely on the Welsh  Rural , Slate, Coal  and Quarry Railways.

The Pint  Y Glas Valley Railway, collects the trains from the three quarry and mine boundaries and takes them via the junction at Sowter’s Lane to the Main line transfer yard off scene . In addition to the mining traffic the occasional passenger and goods freight trains (Other companies have joint running rights over this section hence the variety of Loco’s and rolling stock, the purists will be horrified at this!) can be seen meandering thro the scenic countryside, where the keen eyed will spot the Blacksmith welding in his works , the bonfire and the Farrier working on his horse shoes and carriage repairs. The GWR Maudsley bus awaits passengers to be taken to the nearby GWR connection, the taxi awaits fare’s and the Royal Mail makes its rounds either collecting or delivering. The horse is very well trained on this route,and patiently awaits his master’s return.

In 2007 the club member who’s 009 Loco’s and rolling stock was always run on this layout decided to withdraw the use of these items . This left us with very little stock to run and with several shows looming up, we had to scour the country for 009 Loco’s , chassis’s and Rolling stock, so the secretary and other club members set about purchasing and  kit building Loco’s and rolling stock  in earnest, items listed later. We also had some items donated by (John Standing Acme Models and Martin Smith Signal Box and club members) . We joined the 009 Society and gained a wealth of information and sources of 009 stock, I would advise any 009 enthusiasts to do the same.  This layout was initially built  by the late Steve Forrester. It has been extended twice since then with 2 fiddle yards one at either end . All the track, points and p.m’s are PECO. The buildings are scratch built. This is a favourite layout of mine . I can really relate to this layout ,My Granfather used to take me to Beverage Lane bridge  to watch “Cliffe Hill Granite Co’s narrow gauge engines “ I think one of them was named “PETER” bringing quarry materials to their out loading plant at Bardon Hill sidings alongside the Burton  To Leicester line. The narrow gauge line used to run alongside the B 591 Road for about three quarters of  a mile or so before it crossed  the road and on through the fields. Plans are afoot to convert it into a junction with extra fiddle yard sidings with independent control, to provide additional  interest and train workings. The storage sidings to the far right are also to be controlled independently to carry out  shunting  the quarry and mining material for onward movement to the main railway connection nearby for country wide distribution , This operation to be carried out to fill in gaps between Scheduled train movements.

For exhibition purposes, the layout is approximately 16ft in length and requires 6ft depth.  And requires 1 x 13amp power point.

The existing layout as photographed provides plenty of interest for either  two or three operators. In addition to passenger services, the occasional freight, local quarry and mining trains can be noted winding their way through the scenic countryside. 

We now have a good if motley collection of Loco’s and rolling stock

The slate loads are by Chris Vetch

Loco’s and chassis

5 PECO James/ Jeanette kits in various combinations of these kits

named :- Comet, Titan, , Samson, Mammoth, Bunsen all with

G.F. 94xx chassis's

0-6-0 ROCO steam loco

2-6-0 Lilliput steam loco

0-4-0 Prince (GEM kit, cuckoo chassis)

Atlas diesel shunter

Eggerbahn/Jouef  blue rail car and trailer

0-6-0  Planet     Jouef loco

0-6-0- Cleopatra  Tram loco

Rolling stock

Parkside Dundas

3 sets of 5 x  2ton slate wagons ( 2 with slate loads

2 rakes of three coaches

2 LWB bogie coaches

12 various vans and open wagons

10 ROCO Coal wagons

18 various V tippers

Un-built Loco’s and rolling stock

GEM  Dolgoch / Arnold chassis

2 GEM VARI KITS  Minitrix / Bachman American 0-4-0 chassis

LANGLEY  LYN / GF 4-4-0 Compound Chassis

5 various wagons, V tippers.

Exhibition record since 2005: -

Loughborough (September 2005)

Swannington (Easter 2006)

Bakewell (June 2007)

Ruddington (August 2007)

Wirksworth (October 2007)

Braunstone (November 2007)

Swannington (Easter 2008)

Lutterworth (May 2008)

Porthmadog (August 2008)

Wolverhampton (November 2008)

Walton on the Wolds (April 2009)

Stathern Festival (June 2009)

Northampton (November 2009)  WON BEST LAYOUT IN EXHIBITION

Ilkeston (February 2010)

Swannington (Easter 2010)

Exhibition Managers contact Hon. Sec. Barry Lock.

NEW DCC SOUTHERN IMAGE LAYOUT - (OO) AYLETT END

FIRST OUTING WAS THE CLUB'S EASTER OPEN DAYS AT SWANNINGTON 2010

This Layout is based on a Southern Region Terminus Branch Line.

Set in the Heart of the Garden of England, Kent, around the ASHFORD area in the British Rail Era 1950’s & 1960’s.

Traffic is mainly Push Pull, Hop picker specials, freight trains to and from local industries, Coal for local industry and domestic use, hops to breweries, Industrial Deliveries to London and Dover, General parcels etc. 

Exhibition record so far: -

Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre (August 2010)

Exhibition Managers contact Hon. Sec. Barry Lock.