Barnhill M.R.C

The Fictitious Town

Kingsfield is a fictitious town nestling in Oxfordshire 15 miles west of Oxford. The population of the town is approximately the same as Oxford and has grown in a similar manner over the years. The local commerce comprises of metal fabricators, breweries, timber merchants and other small to medium size industries. Some of these were served in earlier years by the canal which runs through the town to link with both Gloucester docks and the river Thames. There is a strong farming community surrounding the area, and also a nearby race course. The Great Western railway served the town, with a terminus station built in the mid to late 1800’s. This connected Kingsfield with Swindon, London Paddington, South Wales, and the West Country. A local branch line also served the nearby village of Fairford. It was not long before the Midland railway who were extending there routes south, intersected the Great Western at Kingsfield with there own main line. This provided a direct link between Birmingham and Bournemouth, causing the station to be re-developed with through platforms, and a junction being added. As years passed the traffic steadily increased, with both through and terminating services of both passenger and freight to serve an ever growing community. With the increase in traffic, the yard and engine shed grew with an additional building being added to the sheds to accommodate the ever increasing ‘diesel locomotive’.

The Layout

The period modelled is from 1958 to 1965, so steam and green diesels prevail. The model railway has been built using items that can be purchased readily from any model railway outlet. The track is Peco code 100, ballasted and painted with track colour, points are operated by ‘SEEP’ point motors, with power to the track fed through Gaugemaster hand held controllers. All the buildings are built from modified kits to suit the particular era, such as, Kibri or Cornerstone. Rolling stock is commercially available, but detailed in some way. Signals are all hand made from various parts to fit with a signalling diagram produced for the location.

 

From Conception

The layout was first thought out in late 1999 and eventually appeared at its first show 'Bradford' in 2002. 

It has been very popular over the years appearing at most of the Major shows, and exhibitions as far away as Blankenburge and Utrecht. It is still on the exhibition circuit and appears at a number of shows each year, it's last being' Hornby Magazine's 'Great Electric Train show 2016'.

It has appeared in both Railway Modeller and in Hornby magazine. However in the Railway Modeller in 2005 we not only had the honour of being selected for Railway of the month in the May issue, we went on to win Railway of the Year voted by the public, which for us is our greatest achievement.

We hope the layout will still carry on entertaining the public for years to come, and are always happy to show it far an wide. Below are a number of pictures of Kingsfield, taken by Mike Wild of Hornby magazine, if you would like more information please contact us.