Visit - 009/HOn30 Newton Halt by Andrew McMahon and Sheila Perry

Photo 1 Photographer Unknown

Visit

Photo 2 Copyright Emrys Hopkins

Creativity at its best -  Newton Halt by Andrew McMahon and Sheila Perry. 

Newton Halt demonstrates cramped spaces make for spectacular exhibition model railroads. www.carendt.com reports this 009/HOn30 layout - set in the inter-war period - in October 2005 won the Narrow Gauge Competition at the Chelmsford Model Railway Exhibition.

Details to note

•  Artful valance painted to match skirts
•  Tasteful valance support (white/blue turned wood)
•  Two separate skirts that match the fascia
•  Excellent portable lighting
• Cassettes are used to introduce rolling stock into the scene

Also of note is the fiddle yard to facilitate operations.

Exhibition layouts of this sort send me into seventh heaven - how much better off would the American model railroad community be if those with limited resources would tackle a layout such as this rather than talk of "someday, maybe"? Now, will many of us build an elaborate Victorian valance such as we see here? Probably not. But that is not the point. What matters is that taking in such creativity gives the rest of us "permission" to try our hand at a valance that helps convey the story we are trying to tell. Mind you, in any case, the valance should not steal the show from the story we tell with our trains.

The only discordant note on this model railroad are stickers applied to denote either awards or attendance from prior shows. Yes, being invited to a show is a mark of pride in Europe - some remuneration is also attached to such participation. Gasoline prices in Europe what they are, it seems only fair to award an honorarium to exhibitors such as these.

By the way, I believe the Brits use the word "halt" as we would "stop" or "station"