Concept

Now, dear readers, I will talk about the layout itself (finally I hear you shout). This used to be on several fora, firstly on Rmweb where it attracted some attention but alas due to a silly misunderstanding and something dumb I allowed to happen it isn't anymore, in fact I am banned by IP! It was on others to but to be honest...I found the novelty has worn off and they bore me. Perhaps this is due to loco knowledge these people have (that 33 has one too many pipey things - perhaps it does, who is going to know as it trundles along more to the point who cares.) or the polictics or the clique factor but they now turn me off.

Yeah...it's the polictics, an obscure group of people all vying for perceived power...but it's power over nothing. Big fish in little pond doesn't quite cover it...how about shark in a puddle...flapping about and being generally annoying and flappy!

Anyhoo.....

Shelvington: In The Beginning (pardon the repeats):

Layout Name - Shelvington
Scale/Gauge - p4
Size (length/width/height... not forgetting to include operating space!) -Stage 1 4.7m x .45m with stage 2 6.25 x 3.25 in an 'L' max width .45m
Potentially an exhibition layout
End-to end
BR/SR early 1975Era/region/location

Matt's mum's parents lived in Fairlands, near Guildford and an aunt and uncle lived in Woking. So childhood holidays always involved trips on BIGs and CIGs, REPs and TCs, Tadpoles, VEPs and 33s on West of Englands, the Waterloo and City stock and of course VECs and TISs on the Isle of Wight. So it is our aim to build a layout in the Surrey/Hampshire border somewhere in the Guidlford/Aldershot/Woking triangle.

The fictitious history is that the LSWR build a direct line to Farnham off the Portsmouth Direct at Worplesdon, which became a junction station and was renamed Mayford (which it is actually closer to than Worplesdon). The line passed through Worplesdon Village and skirted around the site of the the 1930's Fairlands development before arriving in Shelvington (the layout is going to sit on a shelf in the hobby room!).

The line continued on with a station at Normandy, and then under the Guildford -Reading line near Ash. The fictitious line then joined the actual route of the Guildford - Farnham via Tongham line with stations at Ash Green and Tongham, joining the Aldershot -Farnham line at Farnham Junction. Shelvington became an important junction station with the arrival of a secondary line from Guildford. Tired of wranglings with the SECR for joint running over the Reading -Rehill line (actually the LSWR built the Guildford-Ash bit - but that doesn't work for my story!).

The LSWR built a line which left the Portsmouth direct North of Guildford at the fictitious location of Wooden Bridge Junction (where the A3 passes under the Portsmouth Direct). This line curved around the north west districts of Guildford, passing under the Aldershot Road at Rydes Hill, where the Southern provided a precast concrete halt in the 1930's (inspiration is Three Oaks on the Ashford-Hastings line), before joining the Worplesdon -Farnham line at a four platform 'V' station at Shelvington. This line continued on to join the LSWR mainline East of Farnborough Main, with a loop back to Ash Vale. Only the line from Mayford Junction to Farnham was electrified by the Southern at the time of the Alton electrification. The attached map gives an idea of my work of fiction!

Fictional (in part) Map

 Dear Dr Beeching saw no value in the the lines continuing west beyond Shelvington, but the lines east to Woking and Guildford were profitable. Shelvington station was rationalised to just the central platforms forming the 'v', most of the buildings were demolished and a clasp building in the height of 1960's modernism erected.. Signalling is largely still mechanical (signal box based on Wool), although colour lights have arrived for the platforms which didn't have a signal at the east end.

Trackplan

In the early 70's one of the other platforms was rebuilt for the stub half hourly DEMU service to Guildford with every other train going on to Redhill and Tonbridge, two DEMU stabling roads and a refuelling point are also now provided.

There will be lots to identify it as a modernish (it is set nearly 30 years ago!!!) image Southern layout, with Alder Valley buses, concrete buildings, warm red brick and tile hung buildings.

And of course the Farnham line nearby was a regular host to test trains, so expect to see a W&C single car, 4 VEC and  a 2PEP (aluminum one is enticing)

So...that's it in a nutshell.