N Gauge Gallery

Basingstoke Gallery

The Farnham and District MRC's Basingstoke layout is usually described as being 6 years into a 5 year project, with only 3 more years of work left.

The 28 x 8 feet layout uses Peco finescale track on the visible sections, with a more than 200 points, over 3 miles of cable, and a rumoured total of 56 million pieces of ballast (and who is going to check if this is right?).

With only minor use of "modeller's licence", Basingstoke is represented as it was rebuilt in the mid sixties as part of the Bournemouth electrification scheme, although we haven't had the courage to add the third rail yet. All the buildings and signals are scratchbuilt, using research on-site or from published sources. Details such as the canopy supports and telegraph posts have been specially manufactured to our design to speed up construction.

As well as a significant provision of fiddle yard storage (around 400 coaches at a push), we have introduced several bits of electronics to simplify the operator load under exhibition conditions. For more information, see the layout description in Railway Modeller October and November 1998, and Model Rail in October 2000.

The entrance to the GWR station, with pub opposite, shows how N gauge can portray a sense of space. Photograph courtesy Trevor Jones and Model Rail

The complex roofline of the station building took some research, but it results in an imposing building. We haven't had the courage to weather it yet... Photograph courtesy Trevor Jones and Model Rail

The new power box is under construction between the Reading line (with Hymek) and the LSWR main line to Waterloo on the right. Photograph courtesy Trevor Jones and Model Rail

The station approaches from the West, with the coaling stage providing a focus of activity. Photograph courtesy Trevor Jones and Model Rail

Not often seen at shows, this is the rear of the station, showing the goods relief road to Reading. Photograph courtesy Trevor Jones and Model Rail