Wheeltapper Trophy

James’s model has been scratch built using home made design parts. The main body is plastic with over 300 individual plastic rivets fitted into the side panel strengthening plates. Commercial buffer parts from Parkside and handwheels from Laurie Griffin were also used. The bogies are complex kits from Hobby Holidays fitted with Slater's wheels. The couplings are entirely home made. This model was also the winner in the Freight and Engineers Stock category.

Steam Locomotives

The winner of the Steam Locomotives competition was Mick Moignard for his D&RGW #495. #495 is a 3-foot gauge locomotive of the D&RGW K-37 class. It was constructed in 1928 using a new frame from Baldwin and the boiler, cab and tender of standard gauge 2-8-0 #1004, to make a locomotive similar in capability to the successful Baldwin built K-36 class. #495 remained on-line until the D&RGW closed the narrow gauge in 1968, and was sold to the Cumbres and Toltec museum operation. Sadly, unlike sisters #497 and #491, and soon #492, it has not been steamed in preservation yet. The model resurrects a tired and somewhat tatty PSC brass model, acquired in a very well used state in an estate sale. It was stripped, rebuilt, repaired, re-detailed, repainted and equipped with DCC sound and operating lights. It has been weathered to match the 1950s era photos. The model is HO Scale, HOn3, running on exact 10.5mm track.

Diesel & Electric Locomotives

The winner of the Diesel & Electric Locomotives competition was Tim Peacock for his Bachmann Warship class locomotive. The model has been upgraded with new lamp irons, handrails, speedo and under buffer steps. The roof fan grills are the lovely Shawplan products. She has been repainted, renamed and weathered. The headcodes indicate a Birmingham fitted freight working or a London bound express.

Another entry in the Diesel & Electric Locomotives category was Paul Wright for his Robel 54, 1:160 Scale. This is a Hobbytrain model which has been weathered and new home-produced decals for Volker Stevin Rail & Traffic Material have been added. A hand painted crew has been added as a finishing touch.

Coaching Stock and NPCS

The winner of the Coaching Stock and NPCS competition was Neil Mackinnon for his BR (ex-LMS) dining set (00 gauge). These ex-LMS coaches represent an open first, an open second and a kitchen car forming a dining set as might have been seen on services from London Euston to the North of England and Scotland in the late 1950s. Neil decided to try his hand at these as none of these coaches as available ready -made at the time although Bachmann now produce the first class porthole open saloon. They have been made using old Replica and Mainline donor vehicles (a 60' composite, a full brake and a 57' second) which would otherwise have been thrown out. Before any reconstruction could be done, the corridor connections, all roof detail and the old sides had to be removed. New brass sides were sourced from Comet and the underframe and roof details from Dart Castings and from Comet. External paint is Phoenix Precision BR maroon and the satin varnish is from Humbrol. Interiors are scratch built. Keen Systems close couplings and corridor connections have been fitted. Lining, First Class and No Smoking signs are by HMRS and coach running numbers from Modelmaster Decals.

Freight and Engineers Stock

As noted under the Wheeltapper Trophy above, James Aitken for his 7mm/ft O gauge model of a 55ft SR Crocodile bogie well wagon carrying a marine propeller was also the winner of the Freight and Engineers Stock category.

Another entry in the Freight and Engineers Stock category was Mick Moignard for his D&RGW #09271 Snowplow. The Gunnison plow, #09271 was rebuilt in the 1920s from an old Gondola. It was intended to be used on the various D&RGW lines out of Gunnison, Colorado where conditions meant that a rotary could not be used owing to the risk of slide debris, trees, rocks, in the snow which would damage the rotary blade. The plow blade was an old locomotive pilot plow, leading a car body heavily weighted with rocks to try and ensure it stayed on the rail. It lasted until 1955, when shorn of the blade and the internals, it was used as a winch car in scrapping the branches out of Gunnison and itself then scrapped. The model uses parts from a Narrow Gauge Colorado kit. This supplied most of the laser cut wood parts and the resin plow blade, but much of the detail has been sourced from other parts or scratchbuilt. As you may imagine, this car got heavy use in the winters, and tended to be repaired or rebuilt, and repainted, most summers, so it changed in details many times. This model is as close as can be ascertained to 1950 condition, with little weathering. The rocks are Colorado dirt!

Other entries for this particular category included the following:

Road Vehicles, Boats, People, Animals etc

The winner of The Robbie Robinson Award for road vehicles, boats, people, and animals was Paul Wright for his Dutch River Steamer, 1:160 Scale. The model was built from an Artitec resin & etched brass kit, painted with acrylics. Another entry in this category was Paul Wright's Mini Me. This was a 3D scan of himself in three sizes: in 1:43, 1:76 and 1:160 scales and painted in acrylics.

Scenic Models: Buildings, Trees, Signals etc

The winner of the Jack Kine Trophy for Scenic Models: Buildings, Trees and Signals was Gary Day for his Romford Footbridge. This is a 4mm = 1ft scratch built model. Plasticard and Plastistruct main girders, Slaters lettering on brass rod framework. Laser cut roof arches supporting Ambis corrugate roof. Brass section OLE mast for connecting gantry. LED bulbs to illuminate walkway and height restriction signs.

Another entry from Gary Day is his Romford Island Platform Canopy. This uses brass columns to support laser cut lattice beams, laser cut dagger boards, wet & dry papered flat roof, perspex glazing and Plastistruct frames.

Dioramas & Figurines

The winner of the Dioramas & Figurines category was Steve Hatt for his Project 50 1/35 Scale Diorama of 'Fictionville', somewhere behind enemy lines around the 1940s, depicting German heavy haulage, loading stage, main line and civilian sector with tram-car. This model also won the Chairman’s Cup. Steve says that there is no specific historical background to the model but he loves building in 1/35 scale and this allows him to blend his passion for both military modelling and railways. Locos and rolling stock are from Trumpeter models, the tram and figures are from Miniart. The club laser cutter was used to make railings and central building. 3D printed parts were used including lamps shades, drink cases, water tank etc. and everything else was built from scratch. There is still lots to do including lighting, animation, more figures and he is planning on an extension at the tunnel end. This model has been 18 months in the making so far with around another year to go. He wants to add the same level of detail throughout as that depicted in the garage ruin to the left hand end of the diorama.

Okehampton 7mm Wagon Project

The winner of the Derek Turner Trophy for the Okehampton 7mm Wagon Project was Steve Hatt for his 12T 7 Plank Mineral Wagon

Aylesbury Town 4mm Model Project

The winner of the Robin Lane Memorial Trophy for the best Aylesbury Town 4mm Model was Ian Gearing for his BR 12T Van. This is a 4mm = 1ft scale scratch built model based on a Parkside kit, Masokits Etches, Railmatch Acrylic paints, and Model Master decals.

Trophy Winners