00 – West Wycombe
West Wycombe
The new HW&DMRS club 00 exhibition layout
“I doubt if there is another main line in the country that witnessed such a wide and varied range of trains or steam locos and early diesels than the GW & GC Joint in the 1950s and early 60s. Add to that six named trains, the Wembley football specials, holiday traffic from the Midland to the south coast, excursions and much more! With surviving features of Brunel’s original broad-gauge line and Edward Watkins dream to reach Paris via this route, this all adds up to a unique modelling opportunity on the club’s doorstep”.
The story so far
High Wycombe & District Model Railway Society have chosen West Wycombe station as the subject of our new 00 exhibition layout. We will capture this station and its goods yard during the final years of steam haulage on the GW&GC Joint, 1955-66, when express trains from Marylebone and Paddington, outer London suburban services and a wide range of freight movements were reflected in a very busy 24-hour railway.
The variety of trains types and motive power during this period was exceptional. An ever-growing list of steam and diesel locos that were recorded during those years has topped 90 and is still growing! Obviously most WR examples feature, plus ER and LMR classes during the periods when the management of the Joint line transferred to those regions. In addition, SR locos appear plus a huge array of early diesels.
Add to that a fascinating range of special trains and you have, possibly, an unmatched variety of rail traffic in southern England. Plus, the Brunel heritage. His single-track broad-gauge line reached Wy
combe in 1854 and was then extended to Aylesbury and Oxford. West Wycombe station was opened in 1862, at that time situated in a very rural location west of the town.
So, there it is, a setting right on our doorstep that played host to an unrivalled variety of trains and motive power in the transition era, a project that is achievable in delivery and relatively quick build time, and one that embraces our local railway heritage and notably the stories of Brunel’s impact locally and Edward Watkins dream to reach Paris!
Our Model – Progress as at January 2025
Fiddle Yard
The boards are complete with track laid, point servos all set up and wiring in place and are now stored as work switches to the front scenic boards.
Electrics.
Good progress is being made with wiring now being applied to the front scenic boards. By the time you are reading this the electrical wiring to the end board, where the power supplies and DCC bus are connected to the layout, will have been completed. We are making use of a comprehensive set of power supplies and DCC command and booster equipment, acquired from a previous attempt at building a replacement for the clubs Hinton Parva layout. Included in this work is the circuitry that allows the up line (inner circuit) to be run from an analogue (DC) controller. This has been tested to the extent that a laptop can be used to control locomotives. This will allow mobile phones to be used as DCC handhelds. Work is ongoing on documenting the system including the Cbus programs and software used for point control.
Scenics.
The Up waiting room under construction
Work has started on the these boards laying the cork where required and initial trackwork is now being laid. The baseboards have been cut down where required to allow for the different ground level heights in the station / pub and West Wycombe Road houses.
In parallel work had started on some of the main buildings; the Up waiting room is virtually complete bar the window frame and painting (which will take place at the same time as the main station building, the main station building.
The Friend in Hand pub that will be a feature building right at the front of the layout and at the lower West Wycombe Road level is now nearly finished and awaiting final painting of the external rendered walls.
More details on the build of this model can be read here…
The Friend in Hand pub trial fitted in place.
The terrain around the pub including the steep access road to the station forecourt and goods yard has started to be formed from lightweight polyisocyanurate insulation board and has allowed the position of the Friend in hand pub to be trial fitted.
Drawings are currently being prepared for the four pairs of semi-detached West Wycombe Road houses, that will be located to the west (left) of the Friend in Hand pub along with their front gardens, and sloping driveways and rear gardens that back on the station platform.
Research.
Our ‘Back to Brunel’ research project continues to reveal more information on West Wycombe station during its working life and the route in general through High Wycombe. The contemporary photographs and level of detail that has been provided by people who knew or worked on the Joint during the 1950s and 60s is enabling us to create a realistic model of West Wycombe despite its closure to passenger services in 1958 and freight traffic in 1963, and then the swift demolition of railway structures soon after.
For previous updates click below –