The Club's new 7mm/ft scale layout in '0'

This 27ft x 2ft 6in layout has been built by the Club's '0' Group with help from those in the 'P4' team. There are two types of Club layout. One that is built based on a prototype, and the members buy or build locomotives and stock specifically for the period and location of the layout. Then there are those layouts that are built around the member's own locomotives and stock. 'Lower Shalford' is one of the latter.

The Group has locomotives and stock from two different periods and from all three pre grouping companies that became the Southern Railway. There is only one place where all three came together, and that was Guildford in Surrey. The London and South Western Railway (LSWR) ran trains from Waterloo to Portsmouth, the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) ran between Guildford and Horsham and the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SE&CR) ran at right angles to these between Tonbridge and Reading. All met at Guildford station. As a result the Group has 'invented' the small town of Lower Shalford, and placed it near the River Wey and the Wey & Arun Canal.

In 1864 the Horsham & Guildford Direct Railway was opened and operated by the LB&SCR. We have assumed that the village of Lower Shalford, with its flour mills, was connected to that line soon after opening. The village grew as Victorian villas for the City commuters were built. As the passenger service improved, a triangular junction was laid in to allow direct running to Guildford. In the 1920s and 30s it became a suburban outpost to Guildford. With the additional traffic it was electrified by the Southern Railway. The short electric sets, working to Guildford were attached to the Waterloo trains. Steam hauled stock still runs into the station on its way to and from Horsham.

There are two periods modelled, mid 1930s and early 1950s. lt is intended that at two day exhibitions the first day will see one period, the following will see the other. All the buildings are based on LB&SCR prototypes, with most coming from plans in the book on the Cuckoo Line in East Sussex. The station building and engine shed are from Hailsham, signal box and goods shed from Isfield and the water tower, a shortened version of the one at Heathfield. The town buildings have come from Hailsham, and were chosen for there generic appearance as well as being nearer to where the modellers live than those in Surrey.

The layout isn't complete yet and there is a lot of scenic work still to be finished, such as point rodding, and more shrubs along the back of the layout. The third rail for the electric trains has not been laid yet, so it will be a while before we operate the electric services to Guildford. This is why it is still operated as a steam hauled service.