MODEL rail enthusiasts headed into Ashby for a weekend exhibition showcasing both new and old layouts.
People travelled to Ashby's Sunshine Hall for the Scunthorpe and District Model Railway Club's 19th annual show. There were a variety of fully functioning models on display including the return of an old favourite by Linda & Ernie Gash called Wintertown.

              Layouts on display at Sunshine Hall  

The layouts included a 4mm “00” Gauge by Steve Collin called St. Hilda’s (see right) named after his late mother. It is laid out as a 1939 small Great Western branch line and viewed from the station end are railway cottages with their ornate gardens, a small goods yard and there are also interchange sidings where stone arrives form a nearby quarry. There’s also crossing gates, signals and a wind pump all working adding realism to the layout.  Another displaye was called Richmondale, a 4mm “00” Gauge layout made a return to the show, it was being displayed by John Creek probably for the last time as he plans to sell it.  The layout was built from a desire to recreate memories of a branch line terminus in the North East and run to a 1950s timetable.

Don Lee had two 4mm “00” Gauge layouts on display this year following on from last years Container Road layout were Warley Road Diesel Depot which is operated by modern diesel locomotives and Lees Scrapyard which was operated by junior member of the club, William Coleman. This layout depicts a scrap yard where the working cranes off load wagons of scrap.

A smaller but interesting layout called Newcastle Market (see left) was on display by Paul Wilcox, it was based on a line that was planned by never complete. In 1910 the North Staffordshire Railway constructed a line from Trentham, on the main line south of Stoke-on-Trent, to Trentham Park, to carry excursion traffic to nearby Trentham Gardens. The original intention had been to continue the line northwards to join up with the NSR Pool Dam freight only branch in Newcaslte under Lyme, thereby providing a link which would allow coal trains from the Silverdale coalfield to bypass the busy bottleneck at Stoke. Although a substantial steel bridge had been built across the A34 the intervention of the First World War resulted in the extension being cancelled.
 

One of the favourites was Wintertown (see right), which was designed and put together by show organiser Ernie Gash. The award-winning layout, which has a new attraction added every year, featured such legends of the rail as Thomas the Tank Engine. It has won over 13 awards for layouts all over the country in the last 10 years. The display features a circus, which includes clowns, trapeze artists, elephants and horses. There was also a magic mine run by elves, where an empty tender was driven in – only to emerge full of jewels. Skiers and a chair lift run along the hillside and whilst the bright lights of the fair ground rides keep kids entranced on this layout.

A 2mm “N” Gauge layout which was purchased by the club five years ago was on display after been fully upgraded for this show. The layout, which is run by junior members, depicts the modern diesel era with a variety of passenger and freight stock running over a double track main line through a busy station where a small goods yard operates.Also in the hall was a 1950/60s 4mm “00” Gauge layout by Malcolm Johnson called Claremont depicts a single track cross country branch line. The station which has an island platform sees a passenger service where Tank engines are the motive power.

A good show this year and for next years 20th display we are being promised something special.