FUN AND FRAMES

There’s a lot of interesting stuff behind the layout. The control setup is so impressive it’s almost a shame that it’s hidden from view… “The lever frame was bought second-hand. One of our members found it at a swapmeet - the levers actually work,” says Richard. “Some layouts use a lever frame that mechanically operates points, but our frame works via hidden switches. “It is very satisfying for the signaller to operate. You don’t just change switches, you actually have to pull miniature signal levers with working locking catches.” The club have also crafted indicator panels to aid both the signalmen and drivers - another fine aesthetic touch. Finally, the driver controls are neatly attached to hook and loop fasteners when not in use. down the road from where ‘Brixcombe’ is purported to be,” says Richard. In reality, Brixham station isn’t nearly as isolated as ‘Brixcombe’, with a school and a row of terraced housing situated nearby. “There are positives and negatives when building a fictitious location,” he says. “Obviously you can - within reason - do whatever you want. On the other hand, when you make things up, they must look right.” By building a freelance layout inspired by a real location, the FDMRC had the option of falling back

onto the prototype, alleviating the pressure of crafting a realistic landscape entirely from scratch.

REALLY RAILWAY

Part of ‘Brixcombe’s’ charm is that it’s unashamedly railway-focused. From the sweeping curvature of the track right down to the tiniest detail, such as a fire devil (which heats the water crane), every effort has been made to fully realise the railway. Richard says that much of the layout’s success is down to the planning: “We would write down exactly what we were going to do

and then research it. The point rodding is a good example, we spoke to Martin Goodall - a GWR expert and modeller who has featured in publications such as Scalefour News - to make sure our plan was right.” With different modellers all working on the same layout, how has the club achieved such a consistent level of quality? Richard discusses the merits of having the same goals: “One of the disciplines in finescale modelling is that everyone is working towards the same objective - to make a scale model that’s as true to reality as possible.” TO DO LIST Touring the exhibition circuit has identified a few areas that the club would like to improve. Variations of ballast colour are likely to be implemented in the near future, with the scenery receiving a slight facelift, too.

EVERYONE IS WORKING TOWARDS THE SAME OBJECTIVE - TO MAKE A SCALE MODEL THAT’S AS TRUE TO REALITY AS POSSIBLE

“We’ve tried to leave the scenery fairly uncluttered,” says Richard. “But there are one or two places where we feel we ought to add a little more detail, such as bits of scrap, wildflowers, and weeds. “We’d also like to improve the layout’s operation by replacing the magnetic coupler system with electromagnetic couplers. And operating each coupler at the push of a button will give us more control.”

SIGHTSEEING

‘Brixcombe’ is a layout that seasoned modellers are certain to enjoy. It’s beautiful to look at, crammed with operating potential, and is a showcase of marvellous (and often slightly unusual) kit-built GWR stock. The GWR branch line theme might be tried and tested, but when the execution is this good it still stands out. If you get the chance, make sure you see ‘Brixcombe’ for yourself. And (if you ask really nicely) you might just get a peek behind the scenes at that superb control system.

Above: The sense of space is a key observation and mimics the real railway perfectly.

Left: This grounded coach body makes for an excellent cameo; it’s an ancient K’s tooling of a GWR coach, with plastic card doors and roof.

‘Small Prairie’ 2‑6‑2T No. 2172 - Churchward Models kit, with Portescap RG4 motor and gears.

The engine shed was a kit, commissioned from York Models. It’s based on the shed at Wallingford.

The turntable is scratchbuilt. Pieces of brass were carefully cut to mimic those from a brass kit - rivets and other details were added before assembly.

Red or green lights on the display panel indicate which controller is set to operate each track section.

Above: The station and goods shed were built from laser-cut Timber Tracks kits, painted using Railmatch paints.

Below: Signals are a combination of etched and whitemetal components from Masokits and David Geen. The signal box is an etched brass kit from Churchward Models - finished with Phoenix Precision Paints.