Scale.
4mm;1ft EM Gauge

Size.
10ft 6in long, 16in wide.
The layout has its own trestles and lighting. It fits a hatchback car for transport.

Other Information.
At the turn of the century, a number of railways were built under the light railways act. They could be built more cheaply and were not subject to some of the usual regulations. However, other restrictions applied, especially with regard to loco weights and train speeds (max 25mph). In practice, a journey of 8 miles would be timetabled as a 40 minute journey, an average of just 12 mph. A large proportion of trains would be mixed, with passengers and freight. At times trains would be shunted with the passengers still in the carriages. The lines were often run as one engine in steam, so there was no need for signals, They were given delightful names such as the 'Gin and Toffee' and the 'Crab and Winkle'.

Aythorpe St. Mary is a fictional village in East Anglia. The railway serving it is an amalgam of the real Wisbech and Upwell, Kelvedon and Tollesbury and Thaxted branches.

Notice the low platforms, which meant that coaches had to be specifically altered. The station facilities are spartan to say the least, with an old coach body in use as a parcels store and lamp room. Tickets would be issued on the train; the coaches had end doors and platforms so the guard could go from coach to coach while the train was moving.

Those who have seen 'The Titfield Thunderbolt' or read about 'Toby the Tram Engine' will have an idea of the atmosphere of such railways.

The locos and rolling stock have mostly been made from kits (not always according to the instructions!). Couplings are 3 link type, with the outer two links soldered together to make them much easier to use. Track is the ply and rivet method, from parts available from the EM Gauge Society. Scenery is made using a variety of methods and materials.