N gauge, one of the society's own layouts. At our 70th anniversary exhibition on 17 and 18 October.
17 and 18 OctoberCorfe Hills School, Broadstone
Hawthorn Dene shows the Durham Coast main line of British Railways' North Eastern Region near Easington, at the time when steam was giving way to diesel.
At its heart is the former Hawthorn Dene Colliery. By this time the winding gear has gone and the shafts have ventilation fans, but the washery and screens are still busy preparing coal for household merchants and the nearby landsale yard. Empty wagons come in from the exchange sidings to be weighed before going to the screens, and loaded ones go out again. Waste is carried towards the coast by conveyor and aerial ropeway. Meanwhile the main line brings expresses, local passenger trains, fitted freights and coal trains through the scene. The underbridge is based on the real one at Easington Colliery.
It was built by Les Richardson of Bingham Model Railway Club, who was finishing its scenery in January 2014, ready for its first show at the Grantham Railshow that year. It went on to Ruddington, Soar Valley, Peterborough, Manchester, Alexandra Palace, Warley, the Essex N Gauge Show and Milton Keynes. Railway Modeller used a picture of it from the Manchester show, and BRM filmed it at Peterborough.
It was Les's first DCC layout, and he built up a big fleet for it. At one point he counted 70 steam locos for the main line, six for the colliery, six main-line diesels, two colliery diesels and five DMUs. At shows it travelled with three boxes of eighteen locos, with around 22 in service at any one time.
By 2021 the layout had moved to a new home on the Isle of Sheppey. In June 2026 the society bought it from a private owner in Kent. We mean to keep it running, on club nights and, where we can, at exhibitions, so that Les's work goes on being seen, operated and enjoyed.