Barry and Penarth Model Railway Club

Club Open Day

was held on Saturday 21st October, 2006

  • It was held at the Cadoxton Conservative Club, Vere Street, Cadoxton, Barry. (CF63 2HU)

  • The exhibition was open from 11.30am until 5.00pm. Admission £1.50, children and OAPs £1.00.

  • All four of the club's fixed layouts were on show and fully working. This is the one chance in the year to see them all alive and working. There were seven other layouts from N-gauge to O-gauge, including a number of personal layouts of club members.

  • The event was supported by local traders. The club's special edition Dapol wagons were on sale.


    The following club and members layouts appeared:

    The centrepiece in the concert room on the first floor was:

  • the Kingswell Fairground, which has recently been donated to the club by Ray Kingswell. This is an extensive fairground mainly constructed from continental Faller kits, with fully working fairground rides and lots of lights and other details. This has never been on public display before.

    together with

  • Abbeywood, a new O-gauge layout from club member Mike Curtis, which made its first appearance at this year's Redruth Show in March. This is a small make-believe GWR branch terminous, with plenty of shunting opportunities.

    Scharps Park, Brian Scoulding's latest effort depicting Southern EMUs - delightful. This layout has not been seen outside Brian's garage before.

    Eagle's Nest, american 0n30 narrow gauge layout from Cliff Farmer, seen for the first time at the All-American Open Day we held in June.

    Penthar Bay, another OO gauge layout depicting a sea-side terminous. This layout is run in the 1970's period with DCC. Some simplification of the station layout by BR is evident. The old semaphor signals are being dismantled, since two aspect colour lights are in operation.

    The club's resident artist, Dave Woolnough, was also present with his paints and paintings. He brought his latest layout to demonstrate minimum size for a fully working OO-gauge layout. Another exhibit never seen in public before.

    Upstairs on the top floor in the clubrooms were:

  • Holton General, the club's main OO-gauge British outline layout. The main station element of Weobly Marsh is now incorporated on the corridor wall, enabling through running to the top levels of the main layout.

  • Machynlleth, an N-gauge layout with this important Cambrian Railways junction station as it was in the 1950's. There is even a trace of the narrow gauge Corris Railway to be seen at the front of the layout. The room has some photos of the modern day station taken in Summer 2000. Surprisingly quite a lot of the trackplan and buildings still remains. Some dramatic improvements have been made to the scenery, including a full sheep dog trial.

  • White River Pass. Another N-gauge layout, but with an American theme.

  • Cadoc Bluffs, an American HO-scale layout depicting an imaginary line in the foothills of the Rockies. Both steam and diesel hauled trains will run, probably with one or two old-timers as well. The back scene round three sides of the room is really impressive - thanks Dave!!! This layout will operate using Digital Comand Control - ask Brian for more information.

  • Devil's Creek: This award winning and much photographed old-time American HO gauge layout features a passing station on a single track line in the foothills of the Rockies. There are extensive freight facilities and a spur into a mine. Lots of period stock run on this layout depicting various railroads of the American Mid-West. You will need to spend time studying this layout to spot all the delightful cameos depicted.

  • Tafsil, the club's main O-gauge layout, whereby the fixed boards (four road engine shed and curved viaduct sections) in three rooms are linked to the portable station boards operating as a country terminous. Both walls behind the engine shed have now been painted. (Not too many people remember the coal pit alongside Chepstow Castle - artistic licence!!!). The chance to view this alone is well worth the entrance fee. A wide variety of GWR steam will be in operation, including many locos taken over from the valleys railways at grouping. Look out for some migrants from other railways!!!

    The Show was supported by Lord & Butler, P & H MODELS & MIB from Porthcawl


  • For further details contact me david@murky.net