Narrow Gauge South 2008, part 1
009 exhibition model-railways narrow-gauge photos sparsholtI had a very enjoyable day at Narrow Gauge South in Sparsholt on Saturday. Increasing contact with other modellers through this blog, web forums and my local 009 Society area groups means that these events are becoming as much social occasions as just turning up to look at some trains. Thumbs up too for the catering, the £1.80 cottage pie ranked as the best model expo food I’ve ever had. So, some photos.
When I posted previously about Dick Wyatt’s Dovey Valley Railway appearing at NG South I was looking forward to seeing it, and I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint. The intricacy of the track plan is not really apparent when viewing it close up as the undulating scenery is carefully staged with view blocks, and this makes it quite difficult to just “follow” a train around the layout. It hides its age well, too, with the long trains running smoothly and locos crawling to a halt at stations in defiance of their long service. Brilliant stuff and I hope to see it again some time.
From the old to the brand new. John Thorne’s Purbeck was making its first exhibition appearance, and it looks like it’s going to be in demand for years to come. It’s a somewhat imagineered depiction of the Furzebrook Tramway and other narrow gauge lines that served the clay workings on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, but really captures the look of the area and features a number of delightful little touches including a working wagon turntable.
Also on show with Purbeck was this scratchbuild of one of the Furzebrook’s oddball locos, the open cabbed Tertius.
Another vintage 009 layout on display was Laurie Maunder’s Mols Coed, which takes inspiration from the Ffestiniog.
My local 009 Society area, the Sussex Downs group, was represented by Mark Holland’s Temark Valley which is set in North Yorkshire and features interchange with standard gauge and a canal, as well as mining operations.
A ‘freebie’ from the Sussex Downs group was Phil Savage’s micro microlayout, Tuppenny Handley, which is built inside a cheese box and uses a 2p coin as the inside rail of the circuit.
Nottery Quay by Chris O’Donoghue, which oozes Sussex coast atmosphere. The town section is based on Rye, one of the Cinque Ports and a similar setting to the initial ideas I had for Fairlight.
It would have to be a monster post to be able to cover all the highlights of Narrow Gauge South in one go, so look out for part two tomorrow!