Hemyock Road

Hemyock Road built by Mark Haynes, now owned by Ian Evans.

Hemyock is one of these small lovable GWR branch line stations so liked by modellers. I have taken the river and turned it under the railway simply because I wanted to model a bridge, there should also be a turnout on the back of the goods siding to a dairy road which I thought would look very cramped so that did not make onto the layout. The space for the dairy was exceptionally small so the buildings don't reflect the prototype at all. With these changes I did not feel I could call it Hemyock, so added the Road to make it sound like a typical light railway station. I can imagine my station being a mile or so away from Hemyock itself.

This layout follows a previous smaller layout built to test the water as it were. Having fallen for 3mm modelling I came up with my take on Hemyock. This would allow the use of the GWR stock I already possessed and allow expansion into the BR era and stock from other regions as one of the aspects of Hemyock is the only typical GWR item of architecture is the water tower, and that does not have the characteristic cowling to the top like so many have. So if you squint at the layout it could be a typical light railway branch station any where in the country.

The boards are made open topped to allow variations in scenery and to house electrics and point operation. The legs also slot into position the full depth of the boards to increase rigidity. Track is all soldered to 12mm gauge, the points being the first I have ever made. It took some fiddling and correction to get where they are now, not perfect but usable. All buildings are scratch built either based on the prototype that existed at Hemyock or built to suit like the dairy beyond the station which bears no resemblance to what actually existed but was in fact based on a building just over the road from where I live.

I think for me the most enjoyment is in building the layout and stock, operating, while certainly interesting on Hemyock Road, come a second. I guess its just where you find the most enjoyment. The main reason for taking up 3mm modelling was that i would have to build most of what I wanted my self, there being no ready to run in this scale except for the now elderly Triang offering some of which do appear on the layout.I think I have stretched myself quite a bit skill wise, but it is probably the best way to learn.

26 May 2016

Ian adds: I have exhibited the layout twice at shows since buying it from Mark but I won't be showing it again until I have built some more appropriate stock and fitted them with DG couplings so that I can operate it as it was designed, ie hands free shunting. On both exhibiting occasions I used stock fitted with tension lock couplings and whilst the layout looked excellent my operational performance wasn't !! Apart from a few minor scenic alterations (new lineside fencing and soon to be added static grass) the layout is still pretty much as shown below. As and when I have made any significant 'developments' to the layout I will try and supply new photos for the website ....but don't hold your breath.

Photos by Mark Haynes

Last updated: 15-05-21