This OO layout is set in the 1950s and is based on a “might have been” seaside resort on the Bristol Channel which is served by a double track main line. Northwick is linked to the Somerset and Dorset at Radstock, to the north and the WR/SR at Yeovil, to the south. This part of the line was originally built by the Midland Railway’s engineers and this company’s strong influence can be seen in the infrastructure.

As a seaside resort, a busy summer Saturday service brings through trains from a wide variety of starting points. London trains are usually SR, having been routed via Yeovil, whereas trains from the north are predominantly LMS. Local trains are SR from Yeovil and LMR from Bath; WR trains are also occasionally seen. Storage space for trains is very limited and so there are many empty stock movements supplementing the actual services. Frequently, as might be expected, a busy summer Saturday saw anything that moved pressed into service including stock which had yet to be re-liveried following nationalisation.

The station has facilities for turning, coaling and watering visiting locomotives, many of which will have travelled some distance from their home depot. Northwick's small locomotive shed serves the station pilot which is kept very busy owing to the cramped station layout. Northwick has no significant industry and a relatively small local population and so goods facilities are somewhat limited, but they are adequate for the town’s needs. The station was built some distance from the centre of town and hence some livestock facilities are provided for local farmers.

Trackwork is SMP Scaleway Code 65 for plain line with handbuilt points using SMP Code 65 bullhead rail and copperclad sleepers. Points are operated by Tortoise, slow-acting point motors and all the track is laid on a sub-base of roofing felt and ballasted with N scale ballast. The entire layout was then “painted” with ash from a bonfire leading to a prototypically uneven and very dirty finish. Rail sides were painted with matt brown bess. The very muted colours effectively disguise the underscale appearance of OO track.

Buildings are a mixture of scratch built items plus the odd kit. The main station building, goods shed and engine shed were scratch built by a very talented modeller who had trained as an architect and who is now, unfortunately, watching us from above. His attention to detail can be seen through the windows of the engine shed mess room where relief for loco crew is available - in more ways than one.

Other buildings are primarily kit built from the Ratio and Wills ranges, albeit sometimes with modifications, although structures from suppliers such as Springside and Dart Castings can also be seen. The interior of the signal box is fully detailed with a Springside whitemetal kit . The signals have been built mainly from Ratio kits, apart from two which are from MSE, and those on the main line are earmarked to be fully operational. The bridge was scratch built whilst the turntable was cobbled together from a mixture of parts of various origins and is motorised using Meccano gears.

The scenery has been predominantly undertaken by two members who have attended the Missenden Abbey residential courses; it therefore owes a lot to the teachings of the scenery tutor - Barry Norman. Grass is based on carpet underlay whilst the trees are wire and flock. We are very grateful to the younger member of the group who patiently threaded the fence wires.

The layout uses conventional cab control, using home built controllers built into the control panel. A controller is available for each of the three primary functions:

• receiving a train from the fiddle yard
• shunting on the main line/despatching a train to the fiddle yard
• shunting the yard.

Coloured LEDs are used to show which controller is switched to which section, whilst other LEDs show operators the setting of the points. This is essential as the point motors are almost silent and it is almost impossible to visually see the point setting from the panel position due to the finescale nature of the track.

As might be expected from a club project, the layout has benefited considerably from the mixture of skills which can be found within the group - soldering, electrical, carpentry, scenics, building and good eyesight! In conclusion, we would say that the Missenden Abbey residential modelling courses have proved invaluable and are well recommended.