Gauge: 'OO' | Period: 1950s | Region: Southern Region | Operating team: Southern Region
Sir Herbert Walker was a forward looking General Manager of the Southern Railway who pressed ahead with electrification and the development of Southampton Docks, both of which brought substantial traffic to the Southern.
My little bit of make believe is that he also decided to back air transport and developed the existing aerodrome at Manston in East Kent for long distance passenger, mail and freight. There had been a branch to the aerodrome when it was built, this was taken out in the 1920s. The new line would have followed the same route, coming from the coastal line just to the west of Birchington.
This proposition has allowed me to build a small station, as the aircraft of the time carried passengers counted in dozens rather than hundreds, but with some rather pretentious art deco buildings to set the scene for a prestigious traffic. It’s just the excuse for me to run the small ex-SECR locomotives that I like, and short trains. The layout is set in the early 1950s when the USAAF were based at Manston and is built to 'OO' gauge.
The buildings are all scratchbuilt from plastic sheet and strip. The stock is mostly from kits, with a some scratch built items. After several years on the circuit I have added an extra baseboard to give the trains a longer run and add some more shunting interest.
We all like talking, so feel free to ask questions at any time. Read the full feature on Manston Airport here.
Find out more about the 2024 Great Electric Train Show and book discount advance tickets here.
