Here we go again with a third set of layouts from the Chatham show…

First, Northport Quay, David Holman’s cameo layout set in County Mayo.  7mm/ft, and real 5’3″ gauge – with handbuilt track to 36.75mm.  Good scratchbuilding, and that crane moves along the quay under its own steam.  Of course the advantage of a prototype like this is that you have to build it yourself, and there’s no worry that someone will make a RTR model just as you finish building yours.

Martin Coombs, The Yard is 7mm scale with standard and narrow gauge, a working radio-controlled gantry crane and lorries.  I was amused by the ‘fiddleyard’ for lorries, used to turn them round for the next trip around the layout.

Something different, with Villefranche-la-Chapelle (HO).  A French shunting yard and adjacent town.

K Street Yard, also in HO, is the American equivalent switching yard.

Chris Bassett’s Hobbs Hill (OO) is a small Southern Region somewhere in Devon.  I liked the operating level crossing gates, and the sound effects from the ice cream van parked next to the crossing.  Lots of good scenic modelling on the layout.

Braughing & Standon (N) is Paul Dunn’s model of part of the ex-GER Buntingford branch.  Buntingford itself is an ideal large branch terminus to model, too.  Lots of lovely scenic work here, showing the train in the landscape – N gauge at its best.

I like Holmshurst, a cameo light railway in O.  If you got into conversation with Ian Burford, the builder told you all about the lovely buildings along the high street backscene, most of which had been businesses run by various relations!

And finally for today (one more to come), there’s Minories (GN) in EM.  Or rather, Not-Minories.  The original EM gauge layout was the correct and compact freezer-esque terminus, but has been extended with an enormous continuous run fiddle yard behind.  It makes things easier for the operators and allows a wider variety of trains, but to me completely wrecks the charm of the original.  But, hey, what do I know about it anyway?