Since its award-winning outing at the Bristol Exhibition in 2019, this model of Mangotsfield Station has been developed significantly. It’s now covering the length from Bridge Road to Carsons Road bridge, a scale half mile, or approx. 30’ in 00 scale. It’ll also have a fiddle yard, to complete the full running circuit.
Not based on any particular period, the station is modelled in its most pristine condition. Artistic licence has been used to decide on the type of signals used. These changed over time, as well as the trackwork; parts of which were also developed and deteriorated over the lifetime of the station.
Situated on the line between Bristol and Bath (Green Park), it was used heavily for school and work travel. However, it did’nt see the level of traffic expected and unfortunately became one of the stations lost to Dr Beeching’s cuts. Despite that, there’s a large range of locomotives that served the station, whether passing through or stopping, giving almost carte blanche to show any train!
The layout is split into modular boards of varying sizes. This allows relatively easy handling for maintenance. It’s DCC operated by NCE Powercab for the tracks. Megapoint’s Controllers are used for the point switching and signal movement. The signals are modified Ratio kits, using brass tubes, cranks and levers to show the movement of each signal arm. Each signal is lit accordingly. The points and signals are controlled with servo motors, mounted in a 3D printed mechanism supplied by James Walters (Bexhill West).
2025 will see the modular station boards being completed with the additional board for the station to Carsons Road bridge section, along with the development and build of the fiddle yard boards.
