Saturday, 15 June 2019

10th HUCCLECOTE MODEL RAILWAY SHOW - SATURDAY 15th JUNE 2019

Blenheim Road

ADDRESS:
Hucclecote Methodist Church,
Carisbrooke Road, Hucclecote, Gloucester,
Gloucestershire GL3 3QP

OPENING TIMES:   10am- 5pm
ADMISSION:    Adults £5.00     Children - Free

Organised by local modellers and church members, this is their tenth annual show. Visitors who attended in previous years could confirm the warm welcome and the quality of the refreshments. It's expected that the 2019 show will be no different! Similarly, the range of exhibits at this charity show will appeal to both keen modellers and local families.The range of exhibits will appeal to both keen modellers and local families. Various layouts are booked in scales from N to OO including one for children to operate, also note that accompanied children are admitted FREE.

It is a charitable show and proceeds will be divided between the church and a local charity. Our previous shows have been enjoyed by all, not least for the excellent buffet. The show is located on the Number 10 bus route from Gloucester to Cheltenham. All aboard!

List of Layouts Attending:

Oily End - N Gauge, (below) Oily End in the Bushey Area was prompted by a desire to display 1/144 scale model aircraft alongside N gauge railways from the 1940s onwards rather than just being limited to 21st Century trains with a separate airport hard standing area.
10th HUCCLECOTE MODEL RAILWAY SHOW 2019Similarly, being more modular in nature, Oily End in the Bushey Area’s constituent parts can be deployed as a simple test track for N gauge trains or as non-scale specific scenic backgrounds for other models.  At the heart of the new diorama though was an oil tank farm made from components from a previous layout Church Hislop. This provided a focal point for the custom built and numbered oil tank wagon rakes as well as a number of other 1960s locomotives, wagons and other rolling stock.
10th HUCCLECOTE MODEL RAILWAY SHOW 2019
10th HUCCLECOTE MODEL RAILWAY SHOW 2019

Somerset Lane - O Diesel Depot (Above) and is a play on Devons Road, in Bow, east London – Which was the first British Railways depot to be built for solely diesel traction. The period chosen for the layout is late 1950s and early 1960s and the stock of early BR diesel shunting and mainline locomotives reflects what would have been found in east London at that time. Despite the layout only being just under 9ft long, the aim is to always have something moving to maintain both operator and viewers’ interest. There is a small yard in front of the motive power shed to allow shunting with goods shed and loading docks.

Dock Street Sidings - OO
Dock Street Sidings is a self-contained micro layout built quickly as a test track, it is a simple set of sidings which can be used as an “Inglenook” shunting puzzle using wagons if required. It is loosely based in the 1960/70s and depending on the stock used can be located on the BR Western Region somewhere in the Gloucester area or in the North Wales or Merseyside area on the London Midland Region. Both Blue and Green diesels are used.

Hucclecote Model Railway Show 2019

Riddle Town - N Gauge
Riddle Town is set in the 1960s / 1970s era. DMUs serve the station and run to Old Town, where a small refuelling depot is situated. 



Blenheim Road - OO Gauge BR/SR. (Top of page)
Blenheim Road is a fictitious terminus Station set in South West London. This allows a variety of rolling stock from other regions to access Blenheim Road via the West London Line through Kensington Olympia. 
Hucclecote Model Railway Show
In this picture (right), a multiple unit wired Class 33/1 stands with a rake of maroon carriages across a platform from a 2BIL electric multiple unit.  In the nomenclature of the Southern Railway – and later British Railways Southern Region – 2BIL indicated a two car unit with both carriages including lavatories.  They were eventually to become known as Class 401 under British Rail’s TOPS renumbering and were in service from 1935 to 1971.

Little Aller Junction - N Gauge WR 1960s
Hucclecote Model Railway ShowThe real Aller Junction is located a short distance west of Newton Abbot station on the Western Region main line to the South West. It is where the quadruple track from Newton Abbot splits into two double track lines. One track is towards Plymouth and Cornwall while the other is for Torbay and Kingswear. Both lines handled express trains and large locos. It is set in the summers of the 1960s when diesel hydraulics were in command. The exact time period can vary from between 1962 and 1967 so, whilst most locos are maroon or green diesels you might see the odd steam hauled train or a rail blue loco.


St Bridgets - N Devon / Cornwall
A Western Region country terminus on the Devon/Cornwall border. The local creamery provides milk for Bristol and the small but busy goods shed keeps inward and outward traffic moving. The local coal merchant also has a siding. 
Three Acres - TT WR Branch
Three Acres is based on the station that was at Dymock in the Forest of Dean on the Gloucester to Ledbury line as it was when the line from Dymock to Ledbury had been lifted. Although the station area and yard is a good representation of the site it is not totally accurate so hence the name change. Three Acres has been chosen as there is a similar named place, Five Acres, close to Coleford and the area modelled is approximately three acres. Dymock itself at this stage, from July1959, had no passenger service being goods only, but Three Acres retains a service to the community as a rural terminus.  
Winterwell on the Fosse - TT Mswjr

Bilston Road - 1960s WR Shed
Journey's End - OO9 Necropolis
Glb Bitterfeld - HO German
Crossways - A Static Bus Display
Gloucestershire Road Haulage (Static)
Joint Harrier Strike Force (Static)
Barnwood Halt - Interactive layout designed to allow children to operate and enjoy.

Nearest Railway Stations:
Gloucester  [2.55 miles]
Cheltenham Spa  [4.66 miles]
Stroud (Gloucestershire)  [7.63 miles]
Stonehouse  [8.44 miles]

MAP

Saturday, 8 June 2019

HILLINGDON RAILWAY MODELLERS 2019 OPEN DAYS -- SATURDAY 8th JUNE


Welcome again, it's time for the third Open Day of this year at Hillingdon Railway Modellers, these regular events are very popular and the next one will be held on 
Saturday 8th June 2019.

Haven't attended here for a little while so this is a good opportunity to get myself over there and give a few of my Dads O Gauge models a bit of a run out since I've no room for a layout at home and I don't want them to live in boxes forever. I aim to hopefully get there for the afternoon with a few items in my bag to try out and also update a few pictures too. It's always a popular day and doors open to the public at 10:00am
. 

Hillingdon Railway Modellers O Gauge Test Track

Address 
Yiewsley Baptist Church
74 Colham Avenue
West Drayton  UB7 8HF

* the entrance is at the side of the church down a path and the doors at the end should be open, don't try and enter the main doors of the church. 






Club Events For 2019
DateDescription
8 JuneTest Track Open Day
10-14 JuneClub Trip to Great Central Railway 
24 AugustTest Track Open Day
12/13 October 2019Grindley Brook - Great Electric Train Show
19 OctoberTest Track Open Day
14 December             Test Track Open Day                             
Owing to rental costs of the hall there is a cover charge of £5 but there will be two extensive O Gauge and OO Gauge Test Tracks available and have recently added a three track N Gauge circuit too (Pic Below) all up and running so if you have anything you wish to see get a good run do please come along.

Hillingdon Railway Modellers N Gauge Test Track
N GAUGE TEST TRACK 
There are always plenty of refreshments available, Tea, Coffee and cold drinks for the youngster, in addition the freshly made bacon rolls are highly recommended. (just don't scoff them all before I get there!!)

It should be stressed that these ARE NOT exhibitions, so please bring your own locos and rolling stock to run. At busy times we may have to introduce time slots so that everyone can get a chance to operate their stock. Here's a short clip of one of the earlier open days YouTube LINK

Below you can see a busy picture of their 8 road yard in O Gauge it's a very extensive track and will give your models a very good run. A few photo's taken from the previous open days are below, if you read back to some of the earlier postings in this blog I have tried to show the variety of excellent models on show, these guys are truly experts in their craft I only wish I had some of their talents and skills.

Hillingdon Railway Modellers Test Track O Gauge

Hillingdon Railway Modellers O Gauge Test Track

People will bring a wide variety of stock to run, nearly all are kit built though and the skills / detail is truly incredible.

Everyone will get their turn to run on each of the test tracks I  promise but it is popular and a queue system will usually operate.


Hillingdon Railway Modellers O Gauge Test Track sizeI hope that these pictures give a good indication of the size of the O Gauge test track, you can give your models a really good work out here. This formation can also transform into an exhibition layout called Grindley Brook a scenic section replaces the long straight down the back.

This layout was shown at the Warley show at the NEC Birmingham in November 2017 and will have recently been making an appearance at the Wigan Show in October 2018 so well done to all concerned getting this large layout out there to be enjoyed by people far and wide.



Hillingdon Railway Modellers Grindley Brook O Gauge Exhibition Layout


Grindley Brook will next be putting in an appearance at the Great Electric Train Show, over the weekend 12th and 13th October 2019. 
Hillingdon Railway Modellers
Grindley Brook station approach
Hillingdon Railway Modellers
Grindley Brook Station
A few more pictures from some of the previous Open Days, though they mostly focus on the O Gauge track there are also Test Tracks available for OO and N Gauge too. There are many society members on hand who are both extremely friendly and knowledgeable too so if you have any problems with modelling or questions they will be more than happy to try and help i am sure. 

Caen and Jersey Geoff Tyler O Gauge Models


Couple of Dads models (right) , Jersey and Caen simple looking Class B4 0-4-0 engines but plenty of detail and most of all I really like them both. There's a wide variety to be seen on these Open Days. 
Working in the fiddle yard on the test track


Hillingdon Railway Modellers OO Gauge Test Track
THE BUSY OO GAUGE TEST TRACK

Hillingdon Railway Modellers Open Day
LONDON UNDERGROUND STOCK MAKE A WELCOME APPEARANCE
Hillingdon Railway Modellers Open Day
N GAUGE TEST TRACK 
Hillingdon Railway Modellers Open Day
BRIGHTON BELLE IN "N". SOON TO REAPPEAR ON MAINLINE TOO 

HOW TO GET THERE:
If you are Travelling by Car
Check here for Parking Options.

Nearest Railway Stations :
West Drayton [0.34 miles]

Saturday, 1 June 2019

FLYING SCOTSMAN LONDON TO SALISBURY AND HAMPSHIRE TOUR 1st JUNE 2019


London to Salisbury with Flying Scotsman. 
This rail tour in two parts will depart from London Victoria on Saturday 1st June 2019, scheduled timing from London is 08:45 for this journey through the southern rails network and taking us in the famous town of Salisbury before a tour of Hampshire later. Arrival time into Salisbury is scheduled for 11:36. The return journey back to London is expected to depart around 18:24 with an arrival in London Victoria for 21:31. 
Salisbury was recently in the news for the Russian spy and poison scandal but there's plenty to enjoy here not only the home of the tallest Cathedral spire in England and known as "The city in the countryside", the magnificent medieval city of Salisbury has it all, historic streets and alleyways alongside a range of attractions. If you are not on the additional Countryside Tour then you have about five hours to enjoy Salisbury and have a spot of lunch before coming home. So what better way to arrive in style than behind one of the most famous and iconic steam locomotives in the world. 

HAMPSHIRE COUNTRYSIDE TOUR
While Flying Scotsman waits in Salisbury there is an additional tour which can be booked around the Hampshire countryside. Scotsman will depart about 3pm and spin you around a wonderful summertime journey through Hampshire's countryside towards the coast. Should arrive back into Salisbury by 5:23pm ready for the return run to London.
Flying Scotsman info;
60103 Flying Scotsman has been described as the most famous steam locomotive in the world. Built in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) at Doncaster Works to a design of H.N. Gresley, it was employed on long-distance express trains on the LNER and its successors, British Railways Eastern and North-Eastern Regions, notably on the London to Edinburgh Flying Scotsman train service after which it was named.

The locomotive set two world records for steam traction, becoming the first steam locomotive to be officially authenticated at reaching 100 miles per hour on 30 November 1934, and then setting a record for the longest non-stop run by a steam locomotive when it ran 422 miles on 8 August 1989 while in Australia. 

Retired from regular service in 1963 after covering 2,076,000 miles, Flying Scotsman gained considerable fame in preservation under the ownership of Alan Pegler, William McAlpine (seen below), Tony Marchington and finally the National Railway Museum (NRM). As well as hauling enthusiast specials in the United Kingdom, the locomotive toured extensively in the United States and Canada (from 1969 to 1973) and Australia (from 1988 to 1989).
Flying Scotsman Tours