Welcome to Newbury Wharf

Introduction 

Newbury Wharf is a model of the imaginary terminus of the narrow gauge Newbury and Lambourn Tramway. In 1873 it was proposed to build a 3ft narrow gauge tramway from Newbury to Lambourn, a distance of about 13 miles. Only about 2 miles of this was built before it was decided that not enough money could be found from investors to complete the line, and it was wound up.

The line did eventually get built, opening in 1898, but as the standard gauge Lambourn Valley Railway, which later became absorbed into the GWR, before being finally closed in 1973.

You can read more about the proposed and real railways in the Lambourn valley https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambourn_Valley_Railway and https://www.amazon.co.uk/Illustrated-History-Lambourn-Branch-Robertson/dp/090686724X

My layout imagines that the original tramway was built, but following World War I, it was relaid to 1ft 11½" due to the availability of surplus War Department stock. Somehow the line survived through the years after WWII and has survived to make into the modern day in preservation. 

Newbury Wharf is the terminus of a branch from the line from Newbury station to Newbury Wharf to allow interchange with the canal traffic of the Kennet & Avon Canal. Although originally it was only goods that would have been served by this station, a modern station building has been built, and track relaid to provide the facilities a preserved narrow gauge line requires.

The image below shows the proposed track layout. The majority of the track and station is in the location of the present-day wharf car park, and fits between Newbury Library, the West Berkshire Museum and the Tea Shop by the Canal (one of my wife's favourite tea shops) https://www.teashopbythecanal.co.uk/ 

The layout is going to be built in 014, which is O scale (7mm to 1 foot, or 1:43.5) but with 14mm track which is a scale 2 feet. All the track will be hand laid, using techniques from John Clutterbuck which can be found http://o14group.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/O14_track_articles.pdf.