Model Railways
We currently have two small layouts which are primarily intended for the amusement of younger visitors, but which have proved popular with lots of older visitors as well! 
 
The N-Gauge Layout 
The N-gauge layout is fictitious and is called Graham's Town and White Bridge Junction, the former in recognition of the member of the railway who paid for the layout and the latter because there is a junction near a White Bridge! It was created by Tom Newton and Jonathan Day and is compact, the baseboard being a domestic door. It is very popular with our younger visitors who are sometimes allowed to drive the train.
 
50004 at the end of the road
A general view of the layout on a diesel dominated day, with Class 08, 47 and 50 in view
An occasional visitor to the layout is LNER 4498 “Sir Nigel Gresley” (usually when the model’s owner is on site!)
A panoramic shot of the layout, taken from an off-centre viewpoint in order to make best use of the available light. Even so, part of the layout is not in focus. I really must have another go at it. Click on the image for a full size version:
The OO-Gauge layout: Bampton 
 
This core part of this layout was donated by the grandfather of one of our members. It was based on Bampton Station on the Exe Valley line which closed in 1963, and was suited to shunting puzzles. 
 
The first change made at Warcop was a thorough refurbishment and the addition of a “fiddle yard” to make operation smoother and to avoid “hand of God” shunting. 
 
A much larger expansion has since taken place with a village at one end and a large yard at the other, allowing trains to run around a circuit, which seems to be more popular with our younger visitors (and some of us grown-ups who like watching trains going round and round!!). Tom Newton has done a tremendous job of creating the buildings and landscape for this expansion, and work continues to improve the layout further. The layout can be operated under DCC or DC control, allowing plenty of rolling stock to be used. 
A Southern Region "Thumper" DEMU at Bampton Station. As we use a full size "Thumper" it seemed a good idea to have a model one as well.
And 47 799 Prince Henry, also present at Warcop in real life, brings a railtour through Bampton
D1062 Western Courier heads away from Bampton as 20 064 waits to bring a tanker train out of the siding
From a little further back in time, a 2 car DMU waits at Bampton Station
As Bampton was on a Great Western line it seems appropriate that 9761 with a short goods waits for 1444 with an autocoach to come past. 
LMS 4F 4454 somehow found its way to this Devonian branchline with a train of sausages Here it is crossing the viaduct between the station and the village!
And such is the nature of branch lines that the crew of the sausage train have stopped to watch the cricket on the village green
Page last updated on 30th July 2021 by Caroline Mitchell