Hinton Parva – Exhibition Manager’s Notes
A brief description of the layout for inclusion into your program.
Hinton Parva is the society’s British 00 gauge exhibition layout. It has been shown at many Exhibitions around the South of England, has travelled as far as Warley, Wigan, Hartlepool, Spalding and Peterborough in the past few years and is available for bookings.
The layout has been featured in the November 2003 issue of Railway Modeller, in Issue 2 of The Railway Monthly DVD magazine and in the February 2008 edition of Hornby Magazine. An in-house 15 minute video is also available (complete with out-takes….). Viewing the photos on our website www.hwdmrs.org.uk will give a very good impression of the scale of the layout and the intensity of operation.
The layout is large – 32ft x 12ft, and maximum use is made of this size to provide a running spectacle for the viewers. The complete sequence takes some 50 minutes and involves about 90 mainline movements – trains in, trains running through, trains starting or loco movements. This intensity and variety ensures no dull moments for the viewers (or the operators !!). However – please note that tail-chasing is NOT in our vocabulary.
The layout represents a BUSY junction station on a Joint Midland/Eastern north-south line. The “Branch” purports to be a cross-country line bringing Southern and Western trains from the south-west. As well as the usual “mainline” movements, there is a goods yard constantly shuffling wagons for the pick up goods trains, and a motive Power Depot which has to receive, service, prepare and dispatch locos for the stopping branch express trains, all of which require a loco change.
We operate a varied, late – 1950s, steam/early diesel schedule with stock ranging from “heritage” Hornby Dublo / Trix to modern productions with a large sprinkling of quality kit and scratch built locos and coaches. All locos are “ super-detailed “ with no “off-the-shelf” offerings. Not many layouts feature two Garratts (one an LMS and the other the sole LNER machine) hauling 60 wagon trains OR a W1 ex-LNER Pacific OR 10001,10201,18000, prototype Deltic, diesel and gas turbine locos. The loco stock for an exhibition totals 46 locos – and they will ALL make a running appearance.
Another unusual feature is the working semaphore signals – 37 working arms at the last count. Apart from the aesthetic value of the signals, they also provide drivers with their only means of indications of what they are supposed to do – truly proto-typical.
The layout has been designed to provide a spectacle for the viewers, and we operate with the intention of entertaining.
If you would like further info on this layout please contact Stan Chandler on 01628 822091 or send an e-mail using the link below. The layout is on permanent display in our Clubroom, and we regularly have Exhibition Practice Runs and you are welcome to come and view.
| Van Hire | dependant on the time of hire |
| Petrol/Diesel – Van & Operators Cars | dependant upon the distance |
| Operators | minimum 12 |
| Power | 2 x 13amp sockets |
| Tables | None |
| Space required | 10metre x 4.5 metre (35ft x 12ft) |
| Special requirements | NO STAIRS PLEASE |
For further information e-mail Stan Chandler – the coordinator