OO gauge, by Ian Forsyth. At our 70th anniversary exhibition on 17 and 18 October.
17 and 18 OctoberCorfe Hills School, Broadstone
Marley Potts and Witherwack are just north of the River Wear, on the outskirts of Sunderland.
The model shows part of the old Gateshead & Monkwearmouth Railway, running along the north side of the Wear and rejoining the East Coast Main Line further east, at a junction with a connection for Consett. It is only single track, but it can take diversions when the main line is closed for engineering work, as well as serving Sunderland and South Shields.
Local passenger trains run to Sunderland, Hartlepool and South Shields. The main traffic is coal and steel, to and from the docks at Sunderland and Hartlepool and on to Tyneside, with the empties coming back the same way. Iron ore trains run from Tyne Dock to Consett and back, and the National Coal Board has running rights on the mineral line.
Set between 1953 and 1963, it has steam and diesel side by side. The locos and rolling stock are a mix of ready-to-run and kit-built, and the buildings are kit-built, scratch-built and resin. The signals come from Dapol's range, the track is SMP with C&L points, and DCC Concepts motors change the points. Ian is always happy to answer questions.
No pictures of Marley Potts & Witherwack Sidings yet. The best view is from the barrier at the show.
