BGS Exhibition - part of the Swindon Railway Festival 2014.

                                
For the first time on public display, was this 7mm finescale layout, started some 14 years ago by Peter Boyce.

It was commenced as an exercise in making a model of part of the Bristol goods shed, reflecting the illustration drawn by J.C. Bourne.

Over the last two years Peter has developed this into a functioning layout, by extending the shed into a working area featuring some complex trackwork, which allows waggons to be shunted.

In this photograph, looking from the buffer stop end, Peter has represented five bays of the original, with two broad gauge, and one mixed gauge roads.

There is still work to do, including the finishing of details including the eight loading cranes, but Peter was able to demonstrate shunting of wagons around the yard.

                                
In this photo, peering into the other end of the goods shed, we get an idea of what a bustling place this might have been; a much more intense operation than the country station scene that is often modelled.  Here, perhaps while waiting for the next goods arrival, the wagon man and his horse take a break.

Among the nice touches Peter has introduced are the illuminated gas lamps; these not only flicker convincingly, but also start up in sequence, as though a lamp lighter was actually waliking around and lighting them by hand.

                                
The Roof detail.

The roof is the dominant part of the goods shed, and Peter has made an excellent representation when compared to the Bourne illlustration that inspired the model.

Amazing - but I would not like to guess the number of hours that probably went into the construction of this double pitch roof; however it does look superb.

                                
Office Area

The featured Goods Office, is based on the existing offices adjoining the goods shed at Stroud.  In the model, this office can receive coal directly to the adjacent siding; clearly a cosy place to be in winter.

The waggon turntable and line running across the main rails is based on the original, and would have led to the dock - waggons likely being drawn by horse.

G.W.R. 0-4-0 locomotive 'Owl' is on shunting duties; waiting for orders next to the office.  (This is a scratch built locomotive).

The headshunt across the road allows access for the Midland railway, and gives a visual break from the fiddle yard area.

Peter had laid ballast to much of the track area, but this has now been removed.  Instead the area between the rails will be laid with panels of brick, as this surface would have been required for walking, and for horses and carts to traverse.

Future development could see development of the dock area.

Goods stopped at Coldrennick Road

Representing a coastal stretch in Cornwall, was Bob Harper's superb layout in 7mm scale.   It is now around 20 years old, and only makes occasional outings as it is a lot of kit to handle.

In this photo of the Coldrennick Road station, the narrow gauge branch joins the broad gauge main-line.

The broad gauge locomotive hauling the goods train is an Armstrong convertible 1076 or 'Buffalo' class 0-6-0 ST (built from a Scorpio Models kit).

                                
Photographed after it has left the station, the broad gauge mixed goods train runs along the estuary.

The choice of a water-side setting always makes for a pleasing model, while also reducing the need for extra buildings and trees to be transported.

Bob has been quite inventive in creating the foliage for the layout, but it all looks quite convincing.

                                
Held at signals, gives a chance to see a passenger train, and the people enjoying the wetlands seem quite used to the train regularly passsing.

This train is hauled by a South Devon Railway 4-4-0 saddle tank "Heron" (a scratch built locomotive).

One of the nice effects of Bob's large layout is being able to watch a train amble over a good distance.

                                
Jon Hewlett's superb water-side setting of Lelant Station in 7mm scale was making its second appearance at Swindon.

The layout is based on the real station and sidings that existed at Lelant on the St. Ives branch in Cornwall.

The sidings at Lelant were mixed gauge, as was the West Cornwall Railway from Truro to Penzance, although the rest of the branch on to St. Ives was broad gauge only, until 1892.

Note the lovely stone embankment keeping the railway above the salty water of the tidal estuary.

The train in the photo here is hauled by a Dean convertible 3541 class 0-4-2 ST, and the rake includes a superb broad gauge bogie well wagon built by Peter Totman in the middle of the train.

                                
At the western end of the layout is this lovely level crossing, going over the mixed gauge track, and down to the sands.

The sidings peel away from the through line after the station.   And yes - as seen in this modern day view of the station building at Lelant - the estuary is that close to the railway.

                                
Here a local goods pauses in the station while the points to the sidings are set.  The loco is a Gooch "Banking" class 0-6-0 ST (built from a BGS kit).

The stonework on the quayside is Das modelling clay formed into stones, and stuck on individually.  The station buildings are foamboard with model ship deck planking used for the outside walls, slates are cartridge paper.

The full size railway line still exists, although the station is now an unmanned halt.  The bulk of modern day traffic is tourists on their way to St. Ives: and of course the sidings have long gone.

The station building has been converted to a private dwelling.