MID-SUFFOLK RAILWAY SYSTEM by Roger Kingstone

My earliest model railway was a "4mm/00 gauge" terminus to fiddle yard (a multi-track turntable) which appeared at several shows in the 1970s



The only picture I have is that from a newspaper. The terminus was called "West Mersea" and set in the 1950s. The photograph shows the loco running-round the passenger train. Also, the flip-cards on which the running sequence was shown.



I then moved to "0" with a similar layout and this also started as "West Mersea". This was a fictitious light railway using some much-modified Gakkon plastic kits. These were 1:50 kits of Japan's first train, a 3ft 6in British made 2-4-0T and three x 4-wheel coaches. I widened these and motorised the locos with ex Tri-ang loco wheels and motors. I also built a GER tram loco No125 at that time from a Highfield "kit".  The same layout became "Westerfield - Mid-Suffolk" for which I built Middy No 1 and GER 0-6-0T No 87, (from a Gladstone kit). Progressively other Middy and GER stock was built. At home in Colchester, the station part of the layout was hinged on the garage wall with a single line permanently mounted on the end wall over the car bonnet. On the opposite side of the garage, three fiddle yard sidings allowed running when the car was removed. The layout continued to go to shows with the "train turntable" and even appeared at Alley Pally (Alexandra Palace)! 



On our move to Norwich, just over 30 years ago, the opportunity was taken to install the layout in an upstairs room, albeit the terminus could still be dismantled and exhibited. At a show I purchased a cardboard model of the Southwold Station building and this replaced my crude building. Subsequently, the layout appeared at shows as Southwold (re-gauged).



Then, a few years ago I also acquired a very nice model of a typical M&GN station building. By then I had made several M&GN locos etc which encouraged me to present the layout as "Cley Quay" at shows. Eventually the task of moving the layout up and down stairs made exhibitions much less of an enjoyment, so the rotating fiddle yard was disposed of. Ironically, the original section is the only part with any serious scenic work and so, Mid-Suffolk Railway System was born!

Mid-Suffolk Railway System



This 7mm layout assumes the Mid-Suffolk Light Railway was extended from Kenton to Westerfield, Laxfield to Halesworth and Needham Market, the Southwold line was re-gauged, with further extensions to the Norfolk & Suffolk Joint Line, allowing M&GN trains to run to Southwold.

The layout is set around the First World War period and measures 21feet by 16feet and was described in detail in The Gauge O Guild Gazette November 2019 issue.

Photograph captions:
Southwold Station approach, GER Y14 has arrived on a passenger train and a general view showing Southwold goods yard in the foreground, Debenham in the distance.
Photographs by John Hobden.