Zeitz is loosely based on Goldhorfe on the northern edge of the Schwabischer Alb in South West Germany where the line from Stuttgart divides into two single lines. One line goes to Wurzburg and Nurnberg, the other to Donauworth via Nordlingen. These two routes are in fact important cross country routes and were both electrified many years ago.

The period chosen is a little before this event when a mix of steam and diesel trains hauled local and express passenger trains as well as freight trains. Whilst the layout is not an exact replica of Goldhofe it captures the essence of a busy German country station in the late 60's

Photos by D.O'Rourke

This is a return visit for Montague Fields however it will be barely recognisable to any visitors who saw it the first time. The layout has been developed and redeveloped constantly as the group seek to improve it over the years.

The layout depicts a small quayside beside a major river in North Eastern Railway territory. The line was steeply graded and mostly in tunnel leading down to the harbour and mills. The setting is 1957 when the yard was still a hive of activity.

Inspired by layout designs for an industrial setting by Iain Rice, Canal Street is a freelance 4mm/16.5mm gauge finescale layout. The layout was designed to fit in the load space of a Rover 200 which three members had at that time. After two changes of club rooms work progress slowed and by the time the layout was completed no none had a Rover. However the layout was completed using the original plan

• The lowest level is the canal of the title, complete with the remnants of a narrow gauge line serving the canal and associated premises.
• The mid level consists of a double track line crossing the canal on one of the 5 scratch built bridges on the layout.
• The top level represents part of a busy urban warehouse / factory complex intensively operated by short freight trains.

Why the name ? New Technology and Gate as in Adit, giving NewT.. Gate. This layout is a demonstration of fairly unorthodox construction principles. It may be framed by a "lighting arch" based upon theatrical proscenium arch, located in front of the layout to avoid the top down lighting more appropriate to Equatorial region layouts.

Not many people make baseboards of polystyrene. Any wood involved is to protect the polystyrene, and provide a means of aligning and joining the baseboards. The edges will be foam board with a kitchen worktop material hard surface covering. This is expected to make the baseboards light and durable. The aim is less than 14lbs per baseboard without any major scenic works.

Photos by Alan Austin

Cardwell was created by Clyde as a demonstration of what could be achieved in a limited space. The layout could fit on a shelf on the side of a room if necessary as it is only 15 inches wide by 10 feet long. The electrics are very simple as all points are manually operated and there are few sections.

It was built to try some scenery techniques we hadn't used previously before letting them loose on a large layout.

Photos by Clyde MRC

Kilconquhar Station (pronounced 'Kin-nucher') was situated on the East of Fife Railway between Lundin Links/Lower Largo & Elie. It was opened on the 31st July 1857 as a terminus station, later the line was extended to Anstruther, and then St Andrews. The line finally closed in 1966, but remains of lineside structures can still be seen.

The layout is intended as a true representation of the station & yard. The buildings, backscenes and scenery are as realistic as possible with considerable effort having been made in painting accurate backscenes using colour photos of the area.

Stock is a mixture of kit and scratchbuilt reflecting the line's N.B.R. period the locos have compensated chassis.

Photo by The Kilconquhar Group

Photo to follow

This particular layout was inspired by Scalerail!....well okay then, by the buildings of New Lanark where Scalerail is held each year. Whilst exhibiting a previous layout photos were taken of all the surrounding buildings. These were then modeled in DAS clay and incorporated into a layout set in the West Riding of Yorkshire to recreate the scene of a typical mill community. No railway ever reached into New Lanark sadly.

Photo to follow

The Irish built a number of 3ft gauge lines in the late 1800's many of which lasted until 1960. The setting of this layout is a harbour at the end of one of these lines during the 1950's during which time a selection of fascinating locos and stock was running.

The station is at the end of the pier with factories in nearby streets. Passenger trains and wagons travel on tracks set into the streets to reach their destinations. Steam sound effects and street lights help add to the atmosphere of the layout.

Idaho springs is in the Northern division of the Colorado & Southern Railway in the US. It was built as a 3 ft gauge line running out of Denver and was built to serve the many mines at the foot of the Rockies.

The layout is set in 1937 when the mines beginning to close and the railway was more run down. The layout shows a small section of line from one of the mines over a wooden truss bridge to a depot with freight sidings and a passing loop.

Photos by Geoff Bishop

The Caledonian Railway, incorporated in the Act of 1845, completed its main lines from Carlisle to Glasgow, Glasgow to Edinburgh, and Glasgow to Stirling in the period 1845 - 49. At the same time the Scottish Central Railway was building its line from Stirling to Perth. The layout, although fictional, represents a small urban station in one of these cities. As was common in these days, the desire of one of the Directors to have a local station over-rode the lack of realistic revenue potential.

At this period in the evolution of the railways, rolling stock, and many locomotives, were built by outside companies to their own design, with many similar coaches and wagons appearing on different railways Current locomotives are : C.R. 2-2-2WT, #78, built in 1851, and C.R. 'dummy crank' 0-4-0 ST, #139, of 1853, both built in Greenock by the Caledonian Railway. All stock is either scratchbuilt, or from brass or resin kits.

The station building is based on a standard design found on the Arbroath & Forfar, Scottish Central, Caledonian and Great North of Scotland Railways. The layout is based on a track plan in the Gauge O Guild's 'Small Layouts' book, vol.1, and is intended to show the feasibility of 'O' gauge in a small space, using early stock. The layout is only 8' long, with a 4' fiddle yard. Typical trains of the period would have 3 or 4 coaches, or 4 / 5 wagons.

Photos by Jim Mason. Jim is a member of the Early Railways Group.

E-mail E.R.G.membership@zetnet.co.uk

Courcelle Part is just a small part of a major yard where the Paris-Orleans and Paris-Lyons Mediterranee railways meet, somewhere in the Auvergne around the 1900's. The layout is built to Scaleseven standards and uses the PFM sound effects system.

Photos by Jim Grieve

Back for a repeat performance by popular demand.

This layout was rebuilt from a layout (Norton ) built by the late Dougie Moorcroft of Taunton.( Exhibited at Scale Rail in 1996 ) Virtually all that remains from the original layout are the baseboards and the main buildings. Trackwork is commercial but most of the points have been hand built. The large buildings are made of thin plywood and the smaller ones from card. Stock is mostly scratch built with some kit built items. The layout is set in 1951 just before the branch closed.

Ask the operators and you may get the chance to drive the trains yourself, but be careful, you could get hooked on the larger scales for life.

Maurice is a member of the Association of Larger Scale Railway Modellers.

Photos © C.M.R.C