Our new models room first opened in 2008 contains the Gauge1 Model Railway layout, a large number of model carts made by local people and models by David Wray. There is also a model of Pitstone Windmill made by and donated by Mr John Vivian of Cowley, Oxford in 1982. The model carts were made by Stuart Putman of Dagnall and Horace Fiddler of Cheddington.
Much Hammering Gauge 1 model railway layout was built in the mid 80s by members of the Chiltern group of the Gauge 1 Model Railway Association, an international association for modellers of Gauge 1 trains, known as the Premier gauge it uses a track gauge of 45mm. The majority of the members run live steam locomotives in their gardens.
Members of the Chiltern group wanted to demonstrate and promote Gauge 1 to the public at model railway shows. There already existed a large main line layout that featured long steam hauled express trains which, due to its size was only exhibited once a year at a national model railway show, this layout took around 20 plus members 5 days to erect.
Much Hammering uses electric locomotives and represented a typical British country branch line terminus. 5 or 6 people could erect it in a few hours and it was small enough to visit many exhibitions which it did throughout the late 80s and the 90s, winning many prizes in the process. Being electric it was more acceptable to exhibition managers in these perhaps over cautious times!
Sadly the membership wasn't getting any younger and enthusiasm waned as the Millennium came and went. The layout needed around 5 people to operate it and the Chiltern group approached the Pitstone Green Museum to give the layout a permanent home. The Museum originally housed the layout in its short form in the Nissen hut. Over the winter 2007/8 the museum volunteers purpose built a new building to house the layout at it's full length, the railway has been running here throughout the 2008 season and trains now have a bridge and working water mill to pass on their journey from the tunnel to the station.
Through the tunnel the secret world of the fiddle yard exists where a group of sidings allow the operator to re-marshal trains and switch from passenger and goods trains, a bit like off stage in a theatre where the performers are prepared for there next roll. This yard has recently been lengthened to allow longer more realistic trains to run.
The layout is now cared for by one of the original Chiltern group members now also a Pitstone volunteer together with a Pitstone regular and has help from other keen friends of the layout on the museums open days. More help is always welcome, especially from those with an interest and knowledge of railway working, but the young and not so young are welcome if willing to learn!
It has become obvious that the layout needs to be adapted to make it manageable by 1 person, this process is ongoing and regular visitors see the changes taking place slowly but surely.
The original layout was meant to represent a Dorset branch line terminus, and the name 'Much Hammering' has a Dorset feel!
Pitstone Visitors often suggest we 'place' the layout more locally. The layout now represents a through station on the imaginary line from near Tring to Dunstable. A line did once exist from Leighton Buzzard to Dunstable so it is entirely possible in the late 19th century that local entrepreneurs could have built this line to exploit the valuable chalk production in the area, it would have formed a useful 'triangle' with the Leighton Dunstable line, also another line now runs into the station this imagines a line from Princes Risborough and Aylesbury, This will allow Great Western trains on to the layout and increases the variety of locomotives on the layout, We will be able to operate our GW Push-Pull train, making life a lot easier for a lone operator as no shunting is required.
We particularly like to encourage visiting children to take part in the operation of the layout, changing the points and sometimes are invited to drive.a train.
