Pulborough is situated in rural West Sussex on the LBSCR doubletrack
main line from Horsham to Ford Junction. Our model represents the station at its peak in
the years around 1910. At that time the station was provided with extensive facilities -
up and down side goods yards, cattle pens and coal staithes, loop platform for the nearby
Midhurst branch, and loco turning and coaling facilities. The line saw great variety of
stock, from coal and cattle trains, to horse box specials, to branch trains, to mainline
and Royal trains en-route to Portsmouth. The photographs on this page are all of the real
thing. These, and photos of the model are on the "Pulborough pics" pages.
Our model is a full-scale replica of nearly 1/2 mile of track - intended in part to demonstrate the space required for a large station, and the enormous size of some of the engineering features, the cutting for example. The track plan (shown in a separate window) is based on a 40ft to 1in plan provided by British Rail. Buildings are based either on up-to-date surveys where the structures still exist, or on historic photographs where no trace remains on the ground.
The line is now a very
busy commuter line, but sadly little of the original station is left apart from the
enormous station building, the canopy and waiting room, and the signal box. Our model is
intended to preserve rather more - the spirit of a busy main line station in its heyday.
The layout comprises a central scenic section, 30ft long by a maximum of 3ft wide. Ten-road fiddle yards 8ft long are provided at each end of the layout. Trackwork is a mixture of handbuilt turnouts using plywood and rivet sleepers, and proprietary track from SMP all to P4 standards. Fulgarex motor drive units are used for turnout and signal operation.
Construction and installation of fully operational signals, including working ground signals, is now complete. This line features some extraordinarily tall signals, particularly the up home bracket, and the up starter and advanced starter.
The buildings are all
scratchbuilt using a variety of materials, principally card and plasticard. Scenically,
much use is made of dyed lint for grass, and Woodland Scenics material for scrub etc, and
for simulating leaves on the wire-wound trees. The section of the River Arun features a
model of the last surviving Arun barge which won the Chairman's cup at Scaleforum 1995.
The layout has been exhibited around the country since 1986. In 1991 and again in 1996 the layout won 'best layout' trophies at both Scaleforum (Ken York Trophy) and Scalefour North. The layout was featured in Terry Bendall's article in MRJ in September 1991 and more recently in September 1996, to coincide with its second appearance at Scaleforum. The layout also appeared at EXPO EM '95, winning the "Best Layout" trophy.
Pulborough is 48ft by 3ft
overall on a gentle curve and requires an operating area (including barriers) of about 15m
by 3m (50ft by 10ft). If there are any exhibition managers out there who would like to
book the layout for a show, email us on midsussex1883group@lineone.net..
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