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

Although the planned alterations to the track plan of our previous exhibition layout 'Buckham Hill' were nearing completion it was felt by the 7mm/ft modellers within the Club that the layout, which portrayed a branch line through station, was too large for the Club's current needs.

So the decision was made to discontinue the work on the refurbishment and to construct a completely new 7mm/ft scale 32mm gauge terminus to fiddleyard layout. The opportunity to increase the width of the new baseboards from the Club's customary 2ft to 2ft 6ins would also be taken up, thereby increasing the track plan and scenic options available.

Many parts have been reclaimed from the dismantling of 'Buckham Hill' and with the new baseboards built and all the turnouts and plain track constructed the final positioning of the permanent way is now being decided. The buildings for the layout are being constructed away from the Clubroom by one of the members in order to maintain continuity of build quality. The team have set themselves a goal of having the layout completed ready for a debut at the Club's model railway exhibition in October 2012.

The layout will still be in Southern territory, fictitiously located in the general area of Southampton and set in the inter war years of the 1920s and 1930s.

The scenic section is planned to be 17ft long and with the use of one of the 8ft turntable fiddleyards from 'Buckham Hill' the layout will end up being 25ft x 2ft 6in in size.