BURTON OLD BRIDGE

OR AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS BOB!

I’m penning this on behalf of Chris and as it goes back to 2006 some details of history are hazy!
“Why Burton old Bridge?” you may ask. Well copious amounts off beers was being consumed in an ale house in Burton on Trent at the time and a bridge had to feature in the layout.
But originally conceived as a 4m/m modern image tail chaser layout with DCC control. It would feature overheads along with a viaduct as central feature. Station platforms on one end board leading into a fiddle yard so having not to build a big station. Opposite end was a tunnel that lead onto the viaduct. The fr was a representation of the Royal Mail depot at Stafford.
With only two thirds being able to be constructed and tested in Chris’s “den” it was decided to hire he’s local community hall for a Sunday in order to get the whole lot up.
The following images show the size and challenge we had!

ALL IMAGES ARE CLICKABLE

REPROBATES CHRIS DAY, MARK WINCHESTER (ex member)
and JOHN RUSSELL

Bill central

MIKE CHESTER (ex member)

The viaduct awaiting brick cladding to be added. Built by Gordon Lynch ( ex-member)

Some shots of the tunnel under construction, I worked some solid overhead wires in tunnel for the possibility of full over-heads later. Tunnel construction was during a good summers day with cutting and gluing loads of card strips to form the scenic base and covering with plaster bandage.

The next shots are the loading of a van for our first outing to Newmarket followed by setting up and the show itself. At this stage the layout was incomplete but workable!

The impressive and well loaded fiddle yard.

And finally pictures taken at I believe a Southwold show a year or so later when complete.

Words Ian Harper