BGS Exhibition 2008.
There were four layouts this year, three of them in 4mm scale and one in 7mm scale. There were also the normal trade and display stands. Laurie Griffin was at the Exhibition as a trader selling his own castings and those formerly produced by "Shedmaster", but he was also willing to talk about building from scratch and from etched kits.
We hope that the Exhibition served to encourage you further if you are already modelling the Broad Gauge, or to make a start if you are just thinking about it. If you are not already a member of the Society why not join?
Alan Garner
The Exhibition
Stand 2 - LG MINIATURES
Laurie Griffin has now taken over the Shedmaster range of 7mm castings as well as producing some of his own. In addition he can build locomotives to order either from kits or from scratch.
Stand 3 - IKB MODELS
As well as the full range of Great Western convertible coaches there were 4mm scale tilt waggon kits for sale. Also profile milled chassis for 7mm & 4mm scale for various locos.
Stand 4 - MIKE JOLLY MODELS
The sad death of Mike Jolly last year has left a gap that will be hard to fill. There were photos of some of his models in the last "Broadsheet", but Kay Butler kindly agreed to bring some along so that you can see these superb models in the flesh. In addition, he left his collection of photos, drawings etc to Brian Arman and Roger Langley has started the job of cataloguing them. A small part of this collection was on show.
Stand 5 - JOHN BOSHIER
After years of modelling inactivity I decided it was time to built a new layout. To make it a more interesting challenge, I have been living in a small motorhome travelling round the country for the past year, so have very little space available. To squeeze a 4mm BG branch line terminus into 5 feet requires some space saving techniques, including a hidden traverser and half a point connected to a sector plate! I've managed to squeeze in passenger facilities and an inglenook shunting puzzle that could be operated independently. Progress has been slower than expected, due to the cramped working conditions, and the difficulty of buying parts when I'm constantly on the move. The layout is therefore still in the early stages, but hopefully part of it will be working, and may encourage anyone who thinks they don't have the space for a BG layout to have a go.
Two views of John Boshier's new layout being built in his mobile home.
Stand 6 - WYCOMBE - DAVID LANE
The model is of Wycombe station from opening on 1st August 1854 until it closed in 1864; therefore the station is a true broad gauge station never seeing standard gauge passenger trains.
The model is only a mock up in foam board although is to scale, once trackwork is built then the model will be build correctly with as much detail as I can muster.
The building including the trainshed station building and engine shed still exist although the building has had a number of extensions dating from the 1880 to 1940s which have hidden its true looks and use. The track plan is based on the 1:500 town map of 1877 although by this stage the trackwork had been converted to standard gauge and the station converted to a goods shed, the map has been scanned into AutoCAD and trackwork adjusted to Broad gauge with later additions to the trackwork removed. Therefore the model will be to scale without compression.
Mock up of the buildings at Wycombe on David Lane's new layout.
Stand 7 - DORCHESTER JUNCTION - SAM BEE
The layout depicts the junction of the GWR and LSWR to the south of Dorchester, the two companies having separate stations in that town, and a section of the main line towards Weymouth as far as Bincombe tunnel. This line was opened in 1857. The year represented is 1867. At that time the GWR was still Broad Gauge and the LSWR narrow (i.e. standard) gauge, the track from the junction to Weymouth being mixed gauge. It was converted to standard gauge in 1874. Of interest is the fact that this double junction had no moving parts, only the sidings needed switch blades.
The locomotives and rolling stock are a mix of scratch built and kits. Trackwork is all scratch built using BGS rail. Although the narrow gauge is set to 18.2mm, clearances are to P4 standards as are the wheels.
Stand 8 - CANONS ROAD - BRIAN ARMAN
Despite the fact that Bristol is the home of the GWR the City of Bristol has, curiously, never been particularly well served by the railway. This emphatically was the city's own fault. They blocked Brunel's plans to build his terminus within the city bounds and banished him to some distant water meadows at Temple Meads. Then in the 1850's and 60's the city fathers successfully thwarted several attempts to build a line from Temple Meads into the city, the most promising of which would have resulted in a small city terminus being built under Brandon Hill on land owned by the Canons of Bristol Cathedral. Sadly for the populous of Bristol and for the Cathedral coffers - who were at the time raising money to build the cathedral nave - nothing came of the plans; until that is a 21st Century Canon decided to re-write history!
Canons Road - the overall roof is now taking shape.
The layout had a painful birth. I had no previous experience of building baulk road trackwork and made numerous errors in construction accompanied by several false starts. In the end it was back to copper clad paxoline, solder and bags of sweat and tears. Ask me how its done, all I can say in my own defense is that, miraculously, it works reasonably well and when ballasted and or set with cobbles it won't look too bad.
Locos and rolling stock are really my forte and here there has been some progress since the last visit to Newbury. I am still indebted to Alan Garner who has very kindly allowed me to borrow some of his BG rolling stock. However much of my rolling stock is scratch built which accounts for the slow progress. The society's kits are also well represented, what a boon they are, and Victoria Models' tilt wagon can be examined in several different guises! A final word of thanks must be given to Peter Totman, several of who's beautiful hand built wagons are on display, and John Hembery who has been supportive in every way possible. Without his enthusiasm, wisdom and guidance nothing would be available for your inspection today.
Two views of Alan Garner's Rovers taken on Canons Road. "Dragon" waits to depart while "Emperor" arrives.