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Click on the images below to enlarge - All Pix © Steve Guess & Chris Leach External link: Steve Guess's Runthorne Road website
The period of the model is set in the 1950's. Based on London & North Western Railway practice, the layout features a double track mainline, locomotive depot, goods yard and huge station. Many
say that the Nineteen Fifties and early Sixties were the heyday of
Britain’s railways when traditional railway practices that had existed
for over 100 years mixed with the first of the new technologies of the
second Elizabethan era. This
layout aims to reflect the best (and worst) of that period. Runthorne
London Road represents a large town situated on a major cross country
route somewhere north of Watford.
Originally built some way from the historic town centre on the
London Road, a frequent shuttle service operates to the more convenient
Runthorne High Street station on the single track branch line to Stanham.
Being
on a cross country route, trains from all regions of British Railways
can be seen, although those from the Scottish Region are rare. Look
for a number of cameos on the layout that set the scene in period.
New “semis” are being built on the outskirts of the town.
These will be a bus ride from the station and it will not be long
before the new owners purchase their first car.
The town’s trams have been replaced by new motor buses but a
few await their fate in the small depot near the station. The
layout is built to finescale “OO” standards, that is to a scale of
4mm to the foot (1:76) and a gauge of 16.5mm.
Most modern scale models will run on this track with little or no
modification but all items are detailed and weathered to improve their
appearance. Many
items are built from kits or even scratch built to represent the more
unusual prototypes. The
buildings around the railway were hand made to designs of the London
& North Western Railway to give the layout a unified image. The
layout is “driven” by a minimum of 5 people.
In charge is the Main Signalman who controls the timekeeping of
the layout and the operation of the main lines.
He is assisted by up and down Train Drivers who follow the
timetable when instructed by the Main Signalman.
To the far right of the Main Signalman sits the Branch Line
signalman/driver who not only controls the branch line but also the busy
motive power depot. At the opposite end of the layout is the Yard
Controller who receives and dispatches trains from the carriage sidings
and the goods yard. Runthorne
London Road featured in the Railway Modeller in January 1992 and other
magazines. Since then many
refinements have taken place, and the range and variety of both motive
power and rolling stock continues to expand. The
layout regularly attends model railway exhibitions around the country
including the second Warley MRC exhibition held at the NEC Birmingham in
1994. It all fits together
into 5 large “coffins” which can be transported in a Luton van.
If you are interested in having our layout at your exhibition
please speak to one of the club members. A new layout is now in the design stage. Words © Steve Guess |
