Status: Available for exhibitions Scale: OO gauge (4mm:1ft) Minimum Space/Footprint: 8ft wide x 3ft deep Layout Style: End-to-End Era: To Be Updated Power: 240V Layout Owner: Paul Hopkins
Chichester Basin Road
Status: Available for exhibitions Scale: OO gauge (4mm:1ft) Minimum Space/Footprint: 18ft wide x 6ft deep Layout Style: End-to-End Era: 1950s-1960s Power: N/A Layout Owner: Paul Hopkins
This is a model diorama of the Southgate area of Chichester, immediately north of the railway line incorporating the Southdown Bus Station and Garage, along with part of the North (Up) side of the Railway station.
The model is scratch-built to a scale of 4mm to the foot (1:76) and represents the area as it was in the late 1950s and early 1960s, immediately after the Bus and Railway stations were built. The buildings are made in plasticard, being built from actual plans or from photographs alongside actual measurements at the site. Due to their complexity and the way they are built, buildings have taken approximately 300 hours to build.
Exebridge
Status: Available for exhibitions Scale: TT gauge (3mm:1ft) Minimum Space/Footprint: 11ft wide x 11ft deep Layout Style: Circular Era: 1960s Power: DC Layout Owner: Paul Hopkins
A small West Country, cross country railway line based around the River Exe part of the Country. It is a BR(WR) layout which operates in the changeover period in the 1960s from steam to diesel traction, the Southern also operate their interchange services. The track layout incorporates a junction station with three platform faces one of which is a loop platform for the branch line train. A small country goods yard is adjacent to the station area alongside a village street with shops, a car workshop and garage, along with a bus garage. Part of the layout includes a viaduct across a river in a country setting. The majority of the buildings are scratch-built or adapted from 4mm kits, and rolling stock is typical of the area and periods modelled.
The fiddle yards at the rear of the layout provide storage capacity for up to 8 trains
Modbury Torr
Status: Available for exhibitions Scale: TT gauge (3mm:1ft) Minimum Space/Footprint: 10ft wide x 3ft deep Layout Style: End-to-End Era: To be updated Power: DC Layout Owner: Paul Hopkins
Modbury Torr represents the proposed terminal of the GWR Yealmpton branch in South Devon had it been completed to the original proposal. The layout is built to a scale of 3mm to 1 foot on three baseboards, the middle one of which was built to participate in the 40 inch challenge set by the 3mm Society as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations in 2005. The majority of the buildings, scenery and trackwork represent the features and layout at the Yealmpton end of the branch and are all proprietary items - some converted from other scales, and apart from the loco shed which is scratch-built, can be purchased from most model shops.
There are no ready to run locomotives or rolling stock available in this scale, apart from Triang TT which was discontinued in 1964. All the models operating on the layout are made from kits or scratch-built sources and represent those which would have operated on a typical south Devon branch line. Look out for the Railmotor and the GWR internal combustion railcar as well as the typical auto-trains. An occasional LSWR train also operates as the LSWR were allowed running rights on the branch.
The coupling system is a delayed action type designed by B&B using electro magnets for activation, and the train control uses analogue Gaugemaster units.
Portsea - Reminiscences of Portsmouth
Status: Available for exhibitions Scale: TT gauge (3mm:1ft) Minimum Space/Footprint: 28ft wide x 3ft deep Layout Style: End-to-End Era: Post Nationalisation Power: DC Layout Owners: Paul Hopkins and John Wakeman
The current Southern West Coastway and South West Portsmouth Direct train services terminate at Portsmouth Harbour, with ferry connections to Gosport and the Isle of Wight. This model is built to a scale of 3mm to 1 foot, in response to the 50th anniversary celebrations of the 3mm Society, and is a portrayal of the Portsmouth Town and Harbour stations along with the approaches as it was operated in the post nationalisation era using locomotives and rolling stock typical of the period. Various features of the locality have been incorporated into the model, specifically the war memorial, Commercial Road bridge, Dockyard gates and part of the Semaphore Tower building. An adaptation of the Royal Naval dockyard is included in the model, although with some modellers licence, includes its internal rail system and access to the national network from the “town” station.
Part of the challenge was to construct the layout from models and kits that can be purchased from the local model shop. The track is from the Peco HOm range, a little coarse for 3mm 1:100 scale, but matches the original 12mm gauge developed by Triang. Buildings are all made using adapted kits from continental manufacturers and the terminus station complex is scratch-built from plasticard, although the station building and footbridge has been adapted from Triang models.
Slindon Vale - Norewood for Slindon
Status: Available for exhibitions Scale: O16.5 gauge (7mm narrow gauge on 16.5mm track) Minimum Space/Footprint (Standard): 12ft wide x 2ft deep Minimum Space/Footprint (Extended): 16ft x 2ft Layout Style: End-to-End Era: 20th Century Power: Dual - DC and DCC (DC still partially sound fitted) Layout Owner: Chris Davis
Stedham Mill
Status: Available for exhibitions Scale: TT gauge (3mm:1ft) Minimum Space/Footprint (Standard): 24ft wide x 3ft deep Layout Style: End-to-End Era: Post Nationalisation Power: DC Layout Owner: Paul Hopkins The LBSCR in the 1860s planned to extend their Chichester to Midhurst line to connect with the LSWR at Haslemere. In reality the line was never built, but this model is an interpretation of what could have been. Centred around the planned intermediate station at Stedham, it includes a junction between the LSWR and LBSC systems. The LBSC connection being electrified and served by services between Haslemere and Pulborough, the LSWR connection retains a rural atmosphere with services from Midhurst and Petersfield.
The model is built to a scale of 3mm to 1 foot and can be operated in the Southern railway or post nationalisation eras, with locomotives and rolling stock typical of those periods.
Sussex-by-the-Sea
Status: Available for exhibitions Scale: OO gauge (4mm:1ft) Minimum Space/Footprint (Standard): 8ft wide x 2ft deep Layout Style: End-to-End Era: World War 1 (1918) Power: DCC Layout Owner: Stephen Nicholson