This coming weekend, 8th / 9th March, Fisherton Sarum will be attending the Basingstoke and North Hampshire Model Railway Society show being held at the Aldworth Science College, Basingstoke, RG22
Basingstoke is of course on the same ex London South Western Railway / Southern Railway South West mainline as, the inspiration for Fisherton Sarum, Salisbury. The steam shed at Basingstoke was also of the same, turn of the century, LSWR design and construction style as at Salisbury along with Eastleigh and Plymouth Friary.
The identifiable features of all these sheds, despite being different sizes, were the glazed gable ends, ,brickwork style, rooflights and ventilators. Fisherton Sarum should, therefore, feel quite at home at this show. A similar watertank build could be found at Eastleigh whilst the wooden coal stage style could also be found at both Eastleigh and Plymouth Friary.
Fisherton Sarum is not the only Southern / Southern Region related layout at the Basingstoke and North Hampshire Model Railway Society show as amongst the 50 layouts attending are the following:
Lee-on-the Solent – P4, branch line terminus set around 1923
Botleigh Old North Road – 00, another shed layout set this time in the 1960’s
Manston Airport – 00, Southern Region steam in the 1950’s / 60’s with airplanes too
Ashbury Brook – EM, 1937 Southern steam on the ex Devon and Cornwall Railway
The doors of the exhibition are open to the public between 10:00 and 17:00 (16:00 on the Sunday) and as usual I look forward to meeting those of you coming along.