HEDGES
HILL CUTTING
South
London suburbia in the early 1990s
‘Hedges Hill Cutting’ is one of those trendy small layouts. It’s very small indeed. When built the overall dimensions were just 65 inches by 22 inches although recently the width at the back has been increased by a few inches to enlarge the fiddle yard so that more trains could be run. However, there are just 38” of visible running track on the viewing side.
Well known modeller Ian Futers stated in Railway Modeller (October 2001) that small
layouts are “popular on the exhibition circuit as visitors can imagine
building a similar style of layout at home”. And it’s size has attracted a number of
complementary comments, particularly from the female half of couples, such as “that’s
a nice small layout, isn’t it dear?” with the unspoken part to their male
companion probably meaning “why don’t you consider something that small?”
Overall size; 1650mm x
640mm (5’5”x2’1”) Scale;
1:148 Viewing area; 1650mm by
380mm/240mm Gauge; 9mm
(N gauge) Track; PECO code
80 (electrofrog points) Buildings; Scratch built Scenery;
Urban/commercial/industrial Period;
Early 1990s Location; South
London Prototype;
NSE third rail
LAYOUT
FACTFILE
WHY N GAUGE AND WHY SO
SMALL?
N gauge is the obvious choice for small layouts these days. It, and its fine scale equivalent version (2mm), enables a lot of railway to be modelled in a small space. N gauge gives that spacious natural look and feel of real railways and provides the opportunity to create dramatic landscapes and run full length trains. It is well supported by the trade and there is a specialist N Gauge Society which produces a regular full colour quality journal, it’s own wagon kits, and has a mail order shop for those more difficult to obtain bits and pieces. It is well worth joining the society. I have been a member for nearly 20 years.
The original narrow
width of the layout was the maximum that would fit through the loft hatch where
the layout was stored. Also being the first exhibition layout that I have built
it is a test bed for my own modelling ideas and I didn’t want the hassle of
joining baseboards. So the whole layout was designed to fit on one board that
could be handled by one person and to ensure that I could at least get it
somewhere near to completion before interest waned and I wanted to start
something new.
CARDBOARD CITY
All the buildings and structures on the layout, with the exception of one SR platelayers hut (in the single line refuelling yard), are scratch built from cardboard. Obviously some commercial modelling products have been used, such as the Ratio water tank and factory chimney, Plastruct girders. PECO wagon tanks, and occasionally plastic embosses roofing sheets, but the vast majority are made from card either covered with brick paper or simply painted with acrylics.
Many of the buildings on
the layout are of actual prototypes, either modified to suit the location on
the layout, or built as they really stand. For such a small layout there are
quite a few buildings. And all of them are modelled, along with the railway, in
space a maximum of 15 inches wide and less than six feet long.
There are three pubs
(the Ship and Royal Standard from Croydon and the
Beehive from Peckham), a wealth of shops (Halfords,
British Gas showroom, Hedges Healthfoods, Ace Cabs,
Newsagents, and Ladbrokes) plus one closing down and one up for let (which is
typical for the era), a bank (Lloyds), a building society (Lambeth), an Indian
restaurant (Natraj), over twenty domestic houses,
various industrial buildings, a London Transport underground station (based on
New Cross Gate station without its’ pitched roof), a gas holder site and a
brewery (very loosely based on Robinsons Unicorn brewery in Stockport). Please
note that the LT station is assumed to be the ground level entrance with the
tube lines and platforms deep underground and out of sight below Hedges Hill.
The North end tunnel
entrance is based on Denmark Hill tunnel (with three lines instead of four) and
the middle road bridge is loosely modelled on Goat House bridge at West Norwood
complete with its outside sewerage pipe.
WHY SOUTH LONDON AND
HEDGES HILL?
Simple. I lived in
various locations in South London for quite a few years so my railway
experience and interest is in the electric third rail network,
which is not very often modelled in N gauge. Selecting the Network South East area of London obviously
means an urban setting with buildings and industrial developments as opposed to
the more usually modelled and unjustifiably popular green rural scene with
fields and farms. But then I like and admire urban settings with their
interesting architecture and civil engineering.
And Hedges Hill? Well,
there are plenty of ‘hills’ in South London such as Brixton Hill, Herne Hill, Denmark Hill, Sydenham
Hill, Gipsy Hill and Forest Hill, and all of them have railway stations/lines
running through. Therefore, Hedges Hill seemed like the suitable, appropriate
and authentically named fictitious location that I required. And finally, well,
my surname is Hedges.
THINGS
TO LOOK OUT FOR
Careful observation of
the layout will reveal items, sometimes overlooked and not often modelled on
modern layouts, especially in N gauge, but that are typical for the location
and era. For example;-
- ATM – my cash machine is scratch built
from card, only took half and hour to complete and is sited in the side
extension wall of the the building society.
- Electricity transformer sub station –
mine is scratch built from plasticard and is located between the LT
storage shed and the gas holder site.
- Yellow box road junction
- Graffiti – there’s quite a bit daubed
on the cutting walls and defacing the plate girder bridge.
- Gatso
traffic speed camera – the bane of today’s motorists
- For sale signs – as well as one of the
shops being available to let, one of the London style terraced houses is
up for sale.
Hedges Hill
Cutting viewing side track plan
Layout information
Layout
name; Hedges Hill
Cutting Owners
name; Grahame Hedges Address: 19 Grasmere
Way, BYFLEET, Surrey, KT14 7BX Telephone; 01932 400504 Email: Overall size; 1650mm x
640mm (5’5”x2’1”) Scale;
1:148 Viewing area; 1650mm by
380mm/240mm Gauge; 9mm (N
gauge) Track; PECO code
80 (electrofrog points) Buildings; Scratch built Scenery;
Urban/commercial/industrial Period;
Early 1990s Location; South London Prototype;
NSE third rail Electric Multiple Units; Class 416/4 2-EPB (Farish/BHE/TPM/Kato),
Class 421 4-CIG (Farish/TPM/Green Max) Diesel Multiple Units; Class 159 and 101 (Graham Farish) Locomotives; Class 31 (TPM) Class 33, 37, 56 and 47 (Farish),
Class 60 and 73 (CJM) Coaching stock; BR MkI, NSE MkII
and NPCS (all Farish) Freight; Various (Farish, Minitrix,
N Gauge Society, PECO, Roco, TPM Space; see attached sheet Power
points; one required Table; small one required for stock Barrier; required to be provided Layout
insurance value; £500 Stock
insurance value;
£2000 Number of
operators; two Lighting; not required (integral included)
CONTACT
DETAILS
LAYOUT
FACTFILE
TYPICAL ROLLING STOCK
EXHIBITING
REQUIREMENTS
Space requirements (not to scale)
Viewing side Access Min 12” Barrier
required to be provided 65“
Hedges Hill Cutting layout
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