The Abingdon Branch

Abingdon is an attractive branch to the south of Oxford.  It appealed to its builder due to the attractive nature of the country termini stations with a great deal of operational and modelling potential.  Both owners, although not born in Abingdon, now reside in the town, which gave it “the local line” interest. This enabled the builders to interview people who had actually worked and travelled on the line, which assisted with research.  Furthermore, The Abingdon Branch by Nigel Trippet and Nicolas de Courtais provided vital information to the project.  Five years of research turned up several hundred photographs, aiding construction considerably. 

The owners began construction in 2004.  However due to the enormity of the project several club members contributed in many ways to its construction.  Since it’s move to a permanent home it has been possible to hold weekly get togethers evenings where members of the team get together.  Evenings consist of planning, working on the layout, playing trains while enjoying tea, coffee, chocolate biscuits, or even a beer!

Track work is constructed from scale-section bull-head rail with C&L chairs glued to plywood sleepers. Every 5th sleeper is riveted and the track soldered to ensure stability.  The ballast is genuine Abingdon Railway Ballast taken from the remains of track bed and crushed down to size.

The majority of the rolling stock is modified ready to run, although a number of the wagons are kit built and fitted with Kadee couplings.

Abingdon is currently run as an imaginative form if the station had continued to operate for both passenger and goods services into the late 1960’s

Further information on the Branch line can be found here.

To find out more about our layouts, please click here.