Debenham/Hursley 7mm Scale layouts.

[46444]

I'm having a damn good tidy up at the moment and came across a load of old modelling mags that I think were in my pile of inspirational layouts for me at the time.

 

First up is Debenham by Paul Clarke in the 112th Edition (1999) of Model Railway Journal set in Suffolk in the 50's with two J15's as the motive power. I can't believe how realistic this layout looks and the photography certainly makes you take a second glance to see check whether it's real or a model.

 

Brilliant stuff.

 

Which leads me on to Hursley by Martyn Welch in the November 1990 Railway Modeller. Again the same applies with regards to appearance and the photography by Barry Norman.

 

Still inspirational after all these years-though the tidy up ground to a halt mind!

 

Does anyone know what became of these layouts by the way?

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

[mirreles31]

Hi Mark, I still have the poster size photo of Hursley that came with an issue of MRJ, it was on my wall for years and certainly inspired my finescale modelling in 4mm. Thanks for reminding me of why I do things the way I do . Cheers Phil.

[Buckjumper]

Issue 197 also had a colour feature on the extension to Debenham, though by the time it was published Paul had sold the layout and had started building a new one based on another ex-GE light railway, but this time not Mid-Suffolk.

 

J68 68640 is one of the locos I've built for Paul's new project.

 

[DLT]

I know Martin sold Hursley, I think it was shortly after it appeared at the famous MRJ Exhibition at The Central Hall in 1990.

If you are looking for more coverage than the Railway Modeller had, Hursley had an extensive feature in MRJ number 40, also in 1990.

Thanks for the reminders, I've just had a look myself.

All the best,

Dave.

[Siberian Snooper]

Martin certainly did sell Hursley to a gent who was going to open a model museum along the lines of Pendon, but as far as I am aware nothing ever came of the idea.

 

Cheers SS

[Guest oldlugger]

Issue 197 also had a colour feature on the extension to Debenham, though by the time it was published Paul had sold the layout and had started building a new one based on another ex-GE light railway, but this time not Mid-Suffolk.

 

J68 68640 is one of the locos I've built for Paul's new project.

 

 

Hello Buckjumper,

 

What a fantastic model you've built for Paul! It really looks the business; the weathering is outstanding! Do you build P4 locos to order (from kits and scratch built)?

 

All the best

Simon

[46444]

Thanks for all your replies.

 

That J68 looks beautiful Buckjumper. It will be good to see Paul's new project one day.

 

As for Hursley-it's a shame it has disappeared from public viewing.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

[gc4946]

I saw the Hursley layout briefly when it was shown at Central Hall, Westminster, in 1990 or 1991, there was a long queue waiting to see it, far more were interested in that than all the other layouts put together.

[westerner]

I'm pretty sure my wife and I gave up after queuing for 20 mins and getting no nearer it seemed.. Having queued for the best part of an hour to get in I was more than a bit miffed to find out I had to queue inside to see one of the layouts

[46444]

With regards to Hursley, there appears to be a certain mystique about the layout especially with those long queues.

 

Does anyone know if Hursley and for that matter Debenham still exist or have they been lost forever?

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

[Buckjumper]

 

What a fantastic model you've built for Paul! It really looks the business; the weathering is outstanding! Do you build P4 locos to order (from kits and scratch built)?

 

Thanks Simon. No - I'm afraid my kit building days in 4mm are long over.

 

Mark - last I heard is that Debenham is safe, but I don't know if it will be seen again in public.

[2mmMark]

As I was stewarding on the 2mm Scale Association stand at the MRJ show, I was fortunate enough to get an after-hours view of Hursley.

 

It wasn't quite displayed at its best at the MRJ show. The layout itself was/is magnificent with a totally stunning approach to realism, but the presentation & lighting let it down somewhat, in my view. I don't think it was ever designed as an exhibition layout.

 

The photos of Hursley in MRJ & RM also created a high expectation and perhaps those are a better way of seeing a layout like Hursley.

 

I recall Debenham being at an East Anglian show I exhibited at a few years ago. It might have been Stowmarket. It sticks in my memory because it was a Sunday-only show.

 

Mark.

[Buckjumper]

IIRC there was a second 7mm layout called Debenham on the circuit at the same, which appeared in the Modeller around about the same time as Paul's layout was in MRJ. This was conceived as a terminus, and set in the steam/diesel transition period. The station building was based on Quy on the Mildenhall branch.

[definate maybe]

the RM featuring Hursley is one of the few I have kept in its complete form rather than ripping the interesting article's from. I just wish they had more pictures but the ones they do show are amazing. That magazine also has a great article on Helston as well as a brilliant picture of Dunwich. Does anyone know any further information on this layout? - The only thing I have ever seen of it is the single picture in the exhibition build up article.

[10800]

Dunwich was the fabulous EM layout of Roy Jackson, Geoff Kent and John Phillips after High Dyke and before Retford. It represented a might-have-been location on the Suffolk coast assuming the real Dunwich had not been inundated by the sea. It is featured in MRJ 15, and its locomotives additionally in MRJs 18, 194 and 207.

 

Roy told me he would have disposed of it when it came to the end of its active life, but it was bought by a Michael Brooks who converted it to P4 and named it Ufford (MRJ 134). I don't think this was entirely successful and it was offered for sale shortly afterwards - I don't know if any of it still survives.

 

I have some VHS footage of Hursley and Dunwich from the MRJ show (and North Shields and others) which I really must get converted some time to a digital format that I can upload.

[westerner]

I understand that the running on the converted Dunwich was not too clever.

[definate maybe]

10800, many thanks for your reply. I will have to keep an eye out for the old MRJ's. If you could get your old tapes converted and uploaded I think a lot of people would love to view them.

[robertcwp]

I found this old thread whilst searching for something else. Does anyone have a list of the layouts that were at the MRJ show please? I went to the show but for some reason lost in the mists of time I did not have very long there. Dunwich was the stand-out layout for me.

[Osgood]

On 30/08/2011 at 23:33, 46444 said:

With regards to Hursley, there appears to be a certain mystique about the layout especially with those long queues.

 

Does anyone know if Hursley and for that matter Debenham still exist or have they been lost forever?

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

 

I was lucky enough to acquire Debenham.

Currently trying to work out how to extend the scenic area by 7 ft or so (and can now incorporate a fiddle yard at each end) without ruining the wonderful work of its creator - a daunting prospect!!

[46444]

1 hour ago, Osgood said:

 

I was lucky enough to acquire Debenham.

Currently trying to work out how to extend the scenic area by 7 ft or so (and can now incorporate a fiddle yard at each end) without ruining the wonderful work of its creator - a daunting prospect!!

 

Brilliant news to hear that Debenham is still going strong. 

 

Do you have any photos of the layout? It would be lovely to see Debenham once more. 

 

Thanks, 

 

Mark 

[Osgood]

I'll sort out a few soon.

We share an interest in ironstone too - the idea is to have a separate ironstone quarry-based layout on the opposite side of the room to Debenham  

[PMP]

On 23/01/2021 at 17:32, robertcwp said:

I found this old thread whilst searching for something else. Does anyone have a list of the layouts that were at the MRJ show please? I went to the show but for some reason lost in the mists of time I did not have very long there. Dunwich was the stand-out layout for me.

Dunwich (obvs  )

Hursley

Leighton  Buzzard

Inkerman St

Chipping Norton

North Shields

Charford

Lydham Heath

Hardwick Grange

 

I think there’s two or three more.

 

 

 

[t-b-g]

Wallsea, Tan-y-grisau, Corris, Chipping Norton and Leintwardine made up the full list of layouts.

 

It isn't that I have a good memory it is just that some sad people still have the brochure! 

[PMP]

1 minute ago, t-b-g said:

Wallsea, Tan-y-grisau, Corris, Chipping Norton and Leintwardine made up the full list of layouts.

 

It isn't that I have a good memory it is just that some sad people still have the brochure! 

I should have remembered Corris and Leintwardine, both favourites of that era. I still think it was worth the queuing for a couple of hours outside, and joining the internal queue to shuffle past Hursley. A brilliant exhibition.

[t-b-g]

Just now, PMP said:

I should have remembered Corris and Leintwardine, both favourites of that era. I still think it was worth the queuing for a couple of hours outside, and joining the internal queue to shuffle past Hursley. A brilliant exhibition.

 

Roy Jackson always said it was the best he ever went to. In terms of quality I think he was right. The queuing to get in and the huge crush inside made it rather hard work. I didn't fancy another long wait to see Hursley so I gave it a miss. 

 

I spent most of the time looking at Leighton Buzzard as I was pretty sure it would be the only time I ever got to see it!

 

But yes, it was very special.