Frecclesham 7mm/O
Frecclesham, Newport Model Railway Society.
Frecclesham is loosely based on a location now lost beneath the southern arc of the M25, the trackplan being compressed and altered slightly. The branch line served a growing local community, with passenger traffic increasing as Suburbia encroached. The layout is operated in the period of 1950s
BR Steam.
One of the trains is prototypical, but as this essentially shuttled to a junction station up the line and back again, true prototypical operation would be a little tedious! Hence, for the sake of interest the operating sequence has far more variety of stock and activity than the prototype saw
during this period.
We like to operate to a set sequence as this increases enjoyment for the operators and viewing public. Whilst the name itself is a fiction all the structures on the layout are based on real buildings. The station had simple wooden structures, with the engine shed being demolished after a storm left it unsafe. Just the foundations remain.
Having previously built and operated a 42’ x 16’ layout, we decided as a club we needed something smaller that we could handle with fewer people so Frecclesham has 14’ of scenic section, which in 7mm scale is not excessive. Having created mainly busy town settings in the recent past, Frecclesham is an attempt to create a sense of space that is the preserve of long gone leafy suburbs.
Photos courtesy of British Railway Modelling magazine.
