Richard Foster,

Editor Minerva Model Railways has unveiled images of decorated samples of its ‘O’ gauge Manning Wardle ‘K’ 0‑6‑0ST – see page 14. The Leeds locomotive builder introduced this design in 1864 and it proved popular with light railways and contractors alike. If Minerva’s new offering has got you thinking about possible ‘O’ gauge micro layouts but you’re undecided about what to build, these images from the vaults of Rail Archive Stephenson will soon help you make your mind up! Brian Stephenson kindly supplied these photographs when Minerva announced its ‘K’, back in May last year. They were taken by photogra‑ pher Colling Turner during a visit to capture the remains of the Selsey Tramway in 1935. The Hundred of Manhood & Selsey Tramway opened in 1897. It was only the second railway to be built by light railway entrepreneur Holman F. Stephens and it linked Chichester with the blossoming seaside resort of Selsey, a distance of just over seven miles. As befitted a Colonel Stephens line, it was built to a budget and was deliberately built to tramway standards in order to save money. Most railways of this ilk hit a boom period before the First World War but suffered after it. The tramway was no exception. Before the war it had enough in the coffers to raise the track 10ft above the level of the surrounding land, after serious flooding in 1910. However, by 1924 it was struggling financially. It renamed itself the West Sussex Railway, possibly in an attempt to make itself more attractive for a takeover. The Southern Railway looked into buying the line but to no avail, and it closed in January 1935. Turner’s wonderful photographs capture the post‑closure scene at Chichester station. These images are full of atmosphere. What’s particularly striking is how neat everything has been left. Manning Wardle ‘K’ R hiansgbinege Rno pcakrked in front of the remains of the Shefflex railbuses. The track is tidy, with just a layer of surface rust on the rails. These images offer a window into a bygone world. The station and even the gas works are long gone, and poor orwilndags irnegdruocecdk to a pile of scrap. It’s hard to imagine that such scenes ever existed. But if you’ve ordered a Minerva Manning Wardle, you’ll at least be able to try to recreate a little slice of what life was like in this part of West Sussex.