STUART JORDAN reports from the Gaugemaster Model Railway Open Weekend.
Here we take a look at some of the layouts that were on display at our Open Weekend, which we hold every two years at our HQ in West Sussex. This year was the biggest yet and we'd like to thank everyone who came to see us, as well as the layout owners, societies and demonstrators who gave up their time. Click on any of the images to see a larger version.
We start with the compact Allenton, an HO US Outline Layout.
Built by Ian and Sam Burford, it is extensively scratchbuilt and set in a fictional area of the real location of Allenton, Missouri.
The East Surrey N Gauge group brought their large modular layout, which runs a variety of stock and some very long trains!
Forleigh belongs to the Fareham & District Model Railway Club. It is a OO layout that depicts a distinctly southern modern location.
This small G Scale branch line serves the small village of Hampton End, with a variety of stock heading round past the British scenery.
This small G Scale branch line serves the small village of Hampton End, with a variety of stock heading round past the British scenery.
Jakes Yard is the first of two layouts at the show provided by the Billericay Model Railway Group. It is a minimalistic OO scale layout that represents a small locomotive stabling point somewhere in the North of England.
Kayreuth is a modern image N Scale German layout built by Ian Hogben, and is set in a fictional town in Nordrhein-Westfalen in western Germany.
The town sits astride the River Lippe/Wesel-Datteln, and the main station plays host to both passenger and freight traffic through its nine platforms.
Kunze Brucke is a HO Scale layout built by Chris Peters, with a Bavarian feel to it. All of the points and relays are fired off using magnets placed under coaches or wagons.
The sole Japanese layout at the show, the N Scale Kuritu Line is a double sided layout which transitions from the agricultural countryside to a busy town.
In the town the railway runs alongside the road, and the countryside section includes a service depot and traditional temple.
Lincoln is a US Outline layout built by Dave Dawes. The layout is a single track line somewhere on the Milwaukee Road, running short freights. It also incorporates his love of aircraft with part of an airbase at the front of the layout.
Nene Wharf is a OO layout built by David O'Rourke, and is loosely based on the goods yard at Benwick in Cambridgeshire.
The wooden quay is still there, and the area of the goods yard is now a farm workshop.
Ralphingley Road is a OO Scale layout built by Neil Mason, and depicts a small TMD that has transitioned from the steam period through to the diesel era. The main depot has as small ex-steam engine shed which serves as a repair shed for smaller locomotives.
Red Hook Bay is a HO Scale layout built by Mike Carter of the High Wycombe & District Model Railway Society. Set in the late steam/early diesel era of the late 1940s. It is somewhere close to Route 1, which links Portland and Rockland in Maine.
The thirty structures include craftsmen kits from a wide variety of American specialist companies. Red Hook Bay won the Best in Show prize, voted for by visitors to the show.
Rusbury Basin is the second layout on show from the Billericay Model Railway Group, and is designed specifically for display, a watching the trains go by OO Scale layout designed to catch the attention of general visitors at shows.
It has two double circuits around a rural setting, and can be run depicting most popular railway periods.
Ex-Gaugemaster staffer Nick Duxfield was on hand to give the very best practical scenic advice, and Deluxe Materials joined us to give expert advice on their products.
Our Technical advice area was busy all day with the Gaugemaster Technical team, the guys from DCC Concepts, and Dieter Lorenz from Märklin all dispensing lots of advice on their products.
The Chichester District Society of Model Engineers brought their interactive Blackberry Junction layout for children to operate.
The Chichester Model Engineers also brought their ride-on train, ferrying people from one end of the site to the other.
John Hills of Minitrains brought along a lovely Narrow Gauge layout to show off their new items.
That's all the highlights of our 2016 Open Weekend; hopefully our 2018 Open Weekend will be even bigger and better!