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Hinton Parva is the club’s recently completed British 00 gauge layout. It
has been shown at a number of local Exhibitions in the past two years and we
are now looking for bookings.
The layout has been featured in the November 2003 issue of Railway Modeller,
and also in Issue 2 of The Railway Monthly DVD 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 Harry Fielding
on 01635 551533 or
harry.fielding@virgin.net. The layout is on permanent display in our
Clubroom, and we regularly have Exhibition Practice Runs and you are welcome
to come and view.
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