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::: New Admission Prices for 2018. 10 Working Layouts. 5 Traders and Society Support. ::::


 


Exhibition 2011

5th November

10:00am - 16:30pm

Admission Prices:
Adult £2.50
Senior £2.00

Child £1.00
Family £6.00

Where will it be held?...

SPACER

LOCATION


St Mary’s House, Hobs Meadow
Solihull B92 8PN

Motorway: M42 Junction 5
Railway: Olton Railway Station
Airport: BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL

The 71 and 72 buses stop in front of the nearby ice rink.
The 58, 60 and 900 all stop on the A45.
Bus information available from:
Network West Midlands on 0871 200 22 33 or www.travelinemidlands.co.uk



FREE car park next to exhibition

Traders:

Keith's Model Railways

2 Holyrood Drive,

Countesthorpe,

Leicester

LE8 5TR

Telephone: +44(0) 116 2778634

New and second hand model railways, run by genuine enthusiast.

Corris Narrow Gauge Railway

The Corris Railway is a Narrow Gauge Heritage Railway in Mid-Wales operated entirely by volunteers. Passenger services are steam hauled and operate weekends, Easter to end of September with extended opening in the season. Second hand railway models will be on sale on the stand to raise money for the construction of a second steam locomotive and there are also children’s toys and Corris souvenirs available. This year our ‘Tattoo’ class locomotive will be exhibited at the Warley Model Railway Exhibition at the NEC.

If you have a exhibition standard layout and like to exhibit it at our exhibition please contact us.

Solihull Model Railway Circle reserve the right to make changes to our programme and we cannot be held responsible for layout failing to arrive on the day of the exhibition.

 

Click here to see
pictures of the
Exhibition

 

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Who was there?...

1. Cherwell

4mm scale, OO gauge

Solihull Model Railway Circle

 

A scenic OO gauge, 26 feet 6inches by 10 feet 6 inches, four track mainline with an integral branch line. It features working automatic signals and has largely scratch built buildings with a local theme (The Manor House, The Mason’s Arms, The George Hotel, The Fat Cat Cafe, Kings Heath library, Tyseley Station, and Water Orton Station). The layout was built mainly to display scale length mainline trains, those being run reflecting the varying interests of the membership. Trains run are usually British outline, but can come from any part of the UK mainland and from any date between about 1900 and the present day. If you look carefully you can see pigeons roosting under the station bridge, foxes using the track bed as a shortcut and one fox eyeing lambs, gulls eggs and the shepherd on the upper pasture, cats watching building work in the arch from the platform and gulls above the sea and on the cliffs with a lonely cormorant.

Solihull Model Railway Circle - Exhibition 2011

2. Cinema Sidings

2mm scale, N gauge

Ken Jones

 

An N gauge layout designed and built by Ken Jones using a cinema usherette ice cream tray in 2002. The layout is an inner city derelict area, which in parts, is being renovated behind a building being demolished. Trains enter the yard under a road bridge - now overgrown and used by cows. The main building (Model Power prebuilt kit) once was a hotel with its own grounds. The developers want to lift the track and seal off the entrance under the bridge. So the scene is caught somewhere during this change. Already established on the site, but not yet occupied is one new unit (Kestrel Kit) and a cafe just opened. (Modified Japanese Kit) with internal lights. The theatre, formerly the cinema is still on the left-hand side, note the Neon signs - Theater/Cafe (Noch Folien) used to give added interest.

Solihull Model Railway Circle - Exhibition 2011 

3. The Works

2mm scale, N gauge

Ken Jones

 

This layout was inspired by Mr Ian Redman, who laid the track for Ken. The layout is built in a double video case box. It depicts part of Unit 12 in a chemical works. Arnold 0-4-0 shunters work below the many pipes while workers get on with their work. Note the absence of hard hats. The pipework is custom built and some is from Knightwing. Some of the tanks are from Kestrel and others are by Ten Commandments and Rodney Hodge. The fork lift truck and other items are from Ken’s “keep until needed” box. The layout measures less than 8 in x 5 in [20cm x12cm]. The layout was finished in 2008. It made its first public appearance in Jan 2008 at the Dartford Exhibition, since when the pipework and detailing have been finished. The layout continues to make guest appearances at shows. The layout has inspired others to start building their own layouts, perhaps not in such a small area, and one of the goals has been to show people that you don’t always need a large space to enjoy the hobby. More information and photographs at www.kenjonestrains.co.uk

Solihull Model Railway Circle - Exhibition 2011 

4. Tremore

4mm scale, OO gauge

Nick Palette

 

Tremore is a small (66ins x 9ins) demonstration layout which is set in Cornwall. It supposes that at least part of the former LSWR lines survivied to the present day. The layout features a small station on a through line with a freight line at the rear.

Solihull Model Railway Circle - Exhibition 2011 

5. Tanybwlch

4mm scale, 009 narrow gauge

Nigel Smith

 

Tanybwlch is the popular intermediate station on the Ffestiniog Railway. Set between the early 1990’s and present day. While modellers licence has been used due to the size restrictions, hopefully the atmosphere will be familiar if you have visited the line.

Solihull Model Railway Circle - Exhibition 2011

6. Overkill

ON30 scale

Richard Insley

 

In the closing decades of the nineteenth century the Catskill Mountains became the favourite place for wealthy of New York to enjoy a holiday. Besides the legend of Rip Van Winckle, the area possessed splendid scenery of small lakes, waterfalls, rocky outcrops and forests. Hotels began to appear in the late 1880’s and by the beginning of the ext century the area was dotted with such buildings each bigger and more magnificent. 

 

From the Hudson River, the narrow gauge Catskill Mountain Railway conveyed holiday makers to the Otis Elevating Railway which took them up the steep escarpment to the grand hotels. From the top the 3ft gauge Catskill and Tannersville Railway ran for over mile to Tannersville and various hotels en route. It was extended a further mile to Overkill creek in 1900.

 

The Railway was nicknamed the Huckleberry Line, and winding its way through a sylvan landscape served many hotel and guesthouses between Otis Summit depot and Overkill with depots at Laurel house, Hatnes corner and Tannersville. At Overkill, the hotel Overkill and the Whyte house catered for the well heeled vacationers.

 

The layout represents the terminus at Overkill in July 1906; when the railway carried over 60,000 passengers in one season, the year when Teddy Roosevelt was president and the year of the San Francisco earthquake.

Solihull Model Railway Circle - Exhibition 2011 

7. Glenuig

4mm scale, EM gauge

Gary Hinson

 

The North British Railway where eager to get a connection on to the island of Mull, to rival the Oban and Cal Lander Railway. Construction was started to provide a railway from Lochailort to Ardslignish on Loch Sunnart. This was soon met by protests from local land owners, the area being prime hunting country and the Lairds had friends in high places. The project was doomed from the start and the line only progressed as far as Glenuig. At Glenuig the lie was prematurely terminated, but was opened to serve the remote community. With the arrival of reliable transport, the village became an important fishing community and a ferry service was established to the small islands. The local ‘water of life’ distillery ‘Moidart’ soon had its own siding and this traffic, fish and timber helped the line to survive. The scene is set between 1975 and 1985; the transition between BRCW types 2 and EE type 3’s. The traffic consists of 2 coach train with the occasional mixed train, 2 coaches and TTB, a small goods service – timber, grain, fish or engineers train. The freight stock is a mixture of unfitted and fitted short wheelbase and longer air braked wagons.

Solihull Model Railway Circle - Exhibition 2011 

8. Four Corners Railroad Museum

4mm scale, OO gauge

Doug Grazier – Cradley Heath Model Railway Circle

 

This museum layout is situated in the south west of the USA and is based in an old locomotive works and repair shop. It now houses a large collection of working steam and early diesel locomotives. Today is the gala day, with many of the museum’s locomotives running and on static display. They are also joined by locomotives from other museum collections and railroads from across the USA.

Solihull Model Railway Circle - Exhibition 2011 

9. Shed 14

7mm scale Narrow Gauge

Ralph Gaskin

 

An experiment in both low cost 7mm modelling and O14. Depicting the end of a Narrow Gauge railway (1930ish), with a small exchange siding.

Solihull Model Railway Circle - Exhibition 2011 

10. Ashburton

4mm scale, OO gauge

Dick Hewins

 

Great Western branch line Terminus modelled on the famous prototype. Can run either Great Western Railway or British Rail eras.

Solihull Model Railway Circle - Exhibition 2011 

11. Town Goods

4mm scale, OO gauge

Ken Jones/Solihull Model Railway Circle

 

Small town goods yard set in the era of the 1950s and 1960s. Scratch built buildings including the goods shed. The layout features working yard lamps and lighting in the warehourse.

 

Solihull Model Railway Circle - Exhibition 2011 

12. Town Goods

4mm scale, OO gauge

Richard Boyce

 

A non-purist Hornby Dublo 3 rail layout. Children are invited to operate/drive the trains.

Solihull Model Railway Circle - Exhibition 2011 

13. Avonbridge

7mm scale, O gauge

Solihull Model Railway Circle

 

The circular part of this layout is made from 9mm exterior plywood with partly aluminium bracing and was completed in 2001. PECO Streamline 'Fine Standard' Code 124 'bullhead' track is used and when the layout is set up as a circle is 13 feet across with two continuous run tracks, later changed to three, with a minimum radius of six feet.

 

In early 2005, work started on the planned eight straight boards to turn the circular layout into an oval. These boards were made in the same way as the boards for the circular layout. The layout is supported on square section tubular steel legs with nuts welded onto one end so that they can be screwed into the boards and rubber door stops on the other ends as feet. Four of the straight boards are used as a five-track fiddle yard while the others will be a station and goods yard. Between 2005 and mid 2007, the track and wiring on the eight straight boards was completed with two main lines and a third track which is used as a goods line.

 

The now 29 foot by 13 foot oval layout has PECO six foot radius points, switched using ‘H & M’ point motors and micro-switches from a single control panel. A ‘Codar 2000’ feedback controller is used to drive up to three trains at a time. This means that there is an opportunity to provide the layout with scenery and buildings. The layout has been built to display reasonable length trains and allows continuous running, those trains being run reflecting the varying interests of the membership.

Solihull Model Railway Circle - Exhibition 2011 

14. A Scottish Branch

4mm scale, OO gauge

Solihull Model Railway Circle

 

A new end-to-end branch line club layout based on Scottish practice, displayed here partly built to give an insight into layout construction. It is 16 feet long by just over 2 feet wide and we are using SMP code 75 bullhead plain track and handmade Marcway points and is being constructed to run with either DCC or traditional control. There is to be a terminus station at one end and a hidden 'fiddle' yard with a traverser at the other with a scenic section in between. A major part of the concept is the use of very deep baseboards with the railway running through the middle, allowing greater depths and heights of scenery for a more interesting appearance. The major architectural feature is the curved viaduct based on Killiecrankie.

Solihull Model Railway Circle - Exhibition 2011

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Club Activities  
 


SMRC Events:Diary

Our Next Exhibition:

2024 SMRC Exhibition Open Day

Future Exhibitions:

2025 SMRC Exhibition

Outings:

2016
The Great Central Model Railway Event

2014
Dean Forest Railway
- 1960's Mixed Traction Weekend

2013
Chernet Valley Railway, Model Railway and Classic Car Event

The Great Gathering (A4's)
- National Railway Museum, York

2012
Chinner & Risborough Open Day
& Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
1940s Weekend

2010
Didcot Railway Centre
& Pendon Museum

2009
Barrow Hill Roundhouse
& Peak Rail

2008
York Railway Museum

2006
Warley MRC Exhibition

2005
Didcot & Pendon Railway Trip

2004
Llangollen Railway Trip

2003
Five set of to the
Severn Valley Railway

2002
Toddington Railway Trip

Didcot Railway Trip

Archive Section:

2024 SMRC Exhibition

2023 SMRC Exhibition

2022 SMRC Exhibition
2022 Exhibition Photos

2021 SMRC Exhibition
2021 Exhibition Photos

2019 SMRC Exhibition
2019 Exhibition Photos

2018 SMRC Exhibition
2018 Exhibition Photos

2017 SMRC Exhibition
2017 Exhibition Photos

2016 SMRC Exhibition
2016 Exhibition Photos

2015 SMRC Exhibition
2015 Exhibition Photos

2014 SMRC Exhibition
2014 Exhibition Photos

2013 SMRC Exhibition
2013 Exhibition Photos
2013 Alan Bell Exhibition Photos
2013 David Tidman Exhibition Photos

2012 SMRC Exhibition
2012 Exhibition Photos
2012 Alan Bell Exhibition Photos
2012 Mike Pointer Exhibition Photos
2012 David Tidman Exhibition Photos

2011 SMRC Exhibition
2011 Exhibition Photos

2010 SMRC Exhibition

2009 SMRC Exhibition

2008 SMRC Exhibition
2008 Exhibition Photos

2007 SMRC Exhibition

2006 SMRC Exhibition

2005 SMRC Exhibition

2004 SMRC Exhibition
 
2003 SMRC Exhibition

2002 SMRC Exhibtion

2001 SMRC Exhibtion

2000 SMRC Exhibtion

1999 SMRC Exhibtion

1973-1998 SMRC Exhibitions

 
       


 


 




 
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© Solihull Model Railway Circle 2000-2024. Whilst every care has been taken in the preparation of this website the publisher, Solihull Model Railway Circle, cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the information contained in the website, nor for any consequence arising from such information. The articles included and the views expressed on this website are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Solihull Model Railway Circle or its members or advisors. This website is intended to be a resource, but initially it is for promoting the Solihull Model Railway Circle.