Readham

[SteveC32]

4 years ago I went to the Cheltenham Model Railway exhibition (my home town) and as soon as I walked in a friend, who like me makes models of Fun Fair rides (as that's another interest I have) said "Steve let me show you the future of model railways" as he knew I'd lost some interest in my previous layout. He took me to a demo table where there was a BR Blue Class 25 'ticking over' - I was 'sold' on DCC sound and the rest, as they say, is history. What then followed was 3 years of construction of 'Readham', with a 6 month break in the middle of it due to a break in in my garage where some low life nicked a load of my stuff and I temporarily lost motivation. Readham was always intended to be a tail chasing exhibition layout that would have a station capable of handling full length passenger trains and in April it made its debut at the Cheltenham Model Railway exhibition and I’m pleased to say that after 3 years of hard work and attention to detail it went down well with both modellers and the general public alike.

 

I set really high standards for this layout and have been really picky with myself when building Readham, as I wanted to have models that featured a high degree of detail, anything that didn’t look right had a "version 2" made!

 

So what's its 'backstory'?

 

Readham – “inspired by BUT NOT Reading and Cheltenham”

 

Readham came from the desire to have a modern image DCC sound layout where the locos weren’t just at a constant speed and ‘sound’ and it had to have 2 main design features – a station that would allow full size passenger trains and a tram running through the streets. The architectural influence was also important and the architecture of Cheltenham and the stunning modern Reading station have been the key influences, hence the name of the layout ‘Readham’. All of the buildings feature a high degree of detail and many are replicas of buildings seen in Cheltenham, with others being ‘inspired by’! Everything you see is scratch built from plastic sheet, plastic profile sections, brass rod, foam board, texture paper, spray and hand painted, and 3D Printed components.

 

The station features 3 full length platforms and 1 bay platform. Readham is set in a semi fictional region that ‘allows’ the operation of FGW/GWR, Arriva Trains Wales, Cross Country and South West Trains (when the Bachmann Desiro arrives  ). The station also sees a lot of freight movements, either straight through or held on platform 4 waiting for a path in between passenger operations. Although a Modern Image layout you will see the occasional ‘Diesel Special’ and a couple of kettles (Clan Line and Thomas Hardy) put in an appearance for steam specials. Our intention is to keep the station busy and our motto is “no timetable, just trains – a lot of them”.

 

Starting in the ‘West End’ is the modern retail area (with tram stop), taking design ideas from Cheltenham’s new Brewery Quarter. Leaving this area you go past ‘SandPitt Park’ (a combination of 2 Cheltenham park names – Sandford and Pittville) and up Station Road to the Regency inspired Residential & Retail Area passing a Regency Terrace inspired by Cheltenham’s Imperial Square. Then there’s the iconic Cheltenham Odeon followed by retail units that get their influence from the Montpellier area of Cheltenham. In front of these buildings is Readham Station with a tram stop. Moving ‘East’ there’s a Premier Inn (based on the one at Exeter St David’s – a great train spotting station of my youth!) and TGI Fridays. Around the corner is a Co-Op and Gym and then a Showman’s Winter Quarters (or ‘Yard’) which features a working Faller Drop Tower ride as well as a number of ‘pulled down’ rides and living wagons.

 

The layout has features that make it ‘personal’ to me, for example the Ambulance - as my daughter is a Paramedic, the Showmans yard - as both my son and I are Fun Fair and Theme Park enthusiasts, and there are many more personal links like this on the layout.

 

The layout is 16ft x 10ft (with the scenic section of the sides of the layout covering 7ft of the overall 10ft depth) and is controlled using a combination of NCE Power Pro, JMRI Software and iPhones/iPads. 

 

Like any layout there are always things still to do and Readham is no exception. Before my next exhibition in September I want to 'tighten up' the OLE wires on the tram line so that I can run with the pantograph up and at the moment it looks like the citizens of Readham all pay their council tax as there's not a single pot hole on the roads - that's got to change   and I've still got a few more pieces of stock to fit sound to.

 

Readham is booked for a number of exhibitions over the next 3 years (including Warley) but I'm still keen to exhibit at other exhibitions, so if you're an exhibition manager please feel free to contact me - you're pretty much guaranteed to get a 'Yes please' reply.

 

I've attached a few photos sent to me by people who saw it at the Cheltenham exhibition and if you search 'Readham' on YouTube you'll see some videos also taken by others at Cheltenham exhibition.

 

 

[Craig1989]

Following with interest

[Melangoose]

I watched this layout at the Cheltenham ex last month, its nice to see full length FGW HST's running.

 

 

[Phil Bullock]

Really enjoyed seeing this layout at the Cheltenham show this year!

 

PS are those coach couplings sorted yet? Hee hee

 

Phil

[SteveC32]

Phil, I've bought the close couplings for the MK1s (for the diesel specials) but have yet to fit them, fitting sound to my Windhoff and one of my 66s queue jumped the couplings

[Phil Bullock]

Phil, I've bought the close couplings for the MK1s (for the diesel specials) but have yet to fit them, fitting sound to my Windhoff and one of my 66s queue jumped the couplings

 

That's the trouble isn't it Steve! So many projects to do - things keep jumping the queue here too.

 

Great fun though..

 

Phil

[SteveC32]

That's the trouble isn't it Steve! So many projects to do - things keep jumping the queue here too.

 

Great fun though..

 

Phil

It is Phil and my 4 car Voyager is going to get new lights, sound and DCC conversion before the Mk1 coach couplings get done - I have to stop my fellow operators running the 5 car Voyager into the 4 car bay platform.

[SteveC32]

For those of you that would like to see Readham, listed below are the current exhibitions that it is booked to attend. I will update this list with the current provisional bookings when they become confirmed bookings.

 

2017

- Culm Valley

 

2018

- Leamington Spa

- Great Central Railway

- Great Electric Train Show

- Newbury

- Manchester

 

2019

- Bournemouth

- Basingstoke

- Taunton

 

2020

- Nottingham

- Cheltenham (return visit)

- Fareham

- Warley NEC

Edited October 14, 2017 by SteveC32

[SteveC32]

New date added;

 

Chiltern Model Railway Exhibition (Stevenage) - January 2018

[SteveC32]

If any of our Devonian contingent on RMWeb have time on their hands this Saturday then why not come to the Culm Valley Model Railway exhibition in Willand, 10:00am - 4:30pm, Readham will be one of the layouts in attendance. Come up and say high, 'Team Readham' are a friendly bunch

[Ed Winterbury]

Congratulations for getting into the Warley show!

Is there a track plan?

[kevinklein]

Honestly, this is getting absurd. No answer for weeks?

You may find, that being impolite will not get the response that you are hoping for.

[Ed Winterbury]

Just meant it was getting slightly weird. Sorry if anyone was offended.

[RANGERS]

One I've missed but very nicely modelled. Love the showman models as well.

[SteveC32]

Just meant it was getting slightly weird. Sorry if anyone was offended.

I’ve been very busy with my other hobby! I don’t have a track plan in ‘electronic’ format.

Edited October 14, 2017 by SteveC32

[SteveC32]

One I've missed but very nicely modelled. Love the showman models as well.

Thanks for your comments. I’m currently working on 2 more rides and their lorries and a Showmans living wagon and lorry - all will be on the layout at the Chiltern exhibition in January.

[SteveC32]

Another new date for Readham

 

Bristol Exhibition (Thornbury) - May 2019

[Ed Winterbury]

And the other hobby is...

Could you please send it over with some photos and a description? It's for a free booklet style magazine I'm creating.

[SteveC32]

And the other hobby is...

Could you please send it over with some photos and a description? It's for a free booklet style magazine I'm creating.

My other hobby I refer to is Fun Fairs. My best mate, of many years, is a Showman with a number of rides. When he has busy fairs I help out - I ‘build up’, operate, and ‘pull down’ any of his rides (my favorite of which is the eXtreme). Now you know the link to my Showmans Yard (Winter Quarters) on my layout.

[Ed Winterbury]

Thank you!

[SteveC32]

Readham’s confirmed Exhibition dates for 2018 are:

 

- Chiltern Model Railway Exhibition (January)

- Leamington Spa (March)

- Great Central Railway (June)

- Great Electric Train Show (October)

- Newbury (October)

- Manchester (December)

 

Quite a lot of detailing enhancements have been made since Readham’s debut and a lot of new scratch built lorries and ride loads have been made for the Showman’s Yard on the layout.

 

We look forward to seeing and chatting with RMWeb members at these exhibitions, please come up and say Hi - ‘Team Readham’ are a friendly bunch

 

If any exhibition managers are reading this post I still have 1 spare date in 2019 (either November or December) and 1 spare date in 2020 (December). 2021 has 2 provisional bookings so I have space for up to 4 more. If you’re interested in booking Readham please message me.

[SteveC32]

Another 2019 date confirmed for Readham - DEMU.

 

2019 exhibitions are now:

 

2019

- Bournemouth (February)

- Basingstoke (March)

- Bristol (May)

- DEMU (June)

- Taunton (October)

 

We can take one more booking for 2019, either November or December

[SteveC32]

Another 2019 booking for Readham received tonight:

 

Burnham & District (December)

[SteveC32]

Readham’s booking for the Bristol exhibition in May 2019 has been moved to 2020 therefore if any exhibition managers are looking for a modern image DCC sound layout for May 2019 then we’d be pleased to hear from you.

[DJTrains]

Great to chat with you at the Great Electric Show Steve,   and well done for the award -  well deserved.   Hope to see some more pics here in time...   Its certainly given me some inspiration to replicate the reading style canopy - in N gauge !    Do you have any other 'channels' such as Facebook, twitter etc ?

 

Cheers,

Dave.