Following the arrival of a new N gauge member to the club, and there being no current N gauge layout under construction at that time, the decision was made to build a new club N gauge layout.

So in Spring 2011 the plans were laid. The new club member was new to modelling but had lots of GWR/WR stock and after some discussion it was decided that a small fictional branch line terminus based somewhere in the West Country would be the basis of the new layout. The main reasons for coming to this decision were firstly because of the above mentioned WR stock and also the opportunity to build a small layout in an achievable timescale whilst at the same time letting the new club member get involved in the modelling under the supervision of the more experienced club members.

It was decided that the layout needed to be easily portable and a piece of plywood measuring approximately 4 foot by 2 foot (in old money) which was in the clubhouse seemed to be just what was required. This was to become the scenic section of the layout and was strengthened by battening in the usual way and construction in earnest began.

The layout depicts the line meandering into view under a road bridge, past a farm and entering into Chilton Stowford station. The station consists of one platform, which on one side has a run around loop and on the other a small bay. The track runs past the bay to a 2 road goods yard which has a head shunt leading to a small dairy.

And lastly why the name Chilton Stowford? If you look at a map of Devon you will find the village of Stowford. And the Chilton part of the name? - well, why not - it sounds good to me!

Layout construction has forged ahead. All track on the scenic section has been laid and ballasted. The road bridge is in place and lots of scenic work at that side of the layout has been done. The farmhouse and a barn have been scratch built and are in place, as has the station platform. All parts of the track which need to be isolated for operation have been identified and the wiring soldered into place.

There is a lot still to be done. The layout needs a station building, a signal box, a dairy building, the scenery to be completed, point motors fitted and wired, the fiddle yard built and some sort of control added. (There are probably other things that will pop out of the wood work as well!).