Avon Street

Scale - 3 mm to the foot [1:101.6] on 12 mm track ("TT scale")

Built by the Avon Group of the 3 mm Society, this layout is now owned by Westinghouse MRC (some of the former belong to the latter).

This is fictitious location typical of those once found on the edge of many major towns in the British Isles. It is the result of a group “design a layout” competition won by the late Peter Wilkin.  

It occupies 4 boards each 4' long.  Unlike many layouts, it is intentionally not flat.  As you will see there is a single track main line passing either side of an island platform.  At one end the line disappears deep into a tunnel to enter some hidden sidings (a 5 road sector plate), whilst at the other end, it passes over a road bridge and between factory buildings to reach its destination on another sector plate.  Halfway along the outer platform face, a branch line diverges, climbing steeply under a road bridge until it disappears into a tunnel reminiscent of the Avon gorge.  There is a small goods yard on the opposite side to the branch, and a loop which provides a head shunt.  

The Layout was designed to keep three operators busy and to run the stock of the club members of whatever period or company they happen to model.  The Signals made by Trevor Lloyd Lee all work and are connected mechanically, like Peter Wilkin's points, to lever frames made by Peter.  Various 3 mm members made the buildings and scenery.

The layout was built circa 1987 and retired from the exhibition circuit in the mid 1990s.  However, it has been sleeping rather than dismantled.  It has now had its original lighting, with its infamous Heinz lamp shades removed, to be replaced by something more conventional.  The wiring and plug couplers have been renewed in a more robust form and we are confident that they will be more reliable.  It has had all but one of its uncouplers replaced with the 'West Harptree' lifting wire style; the one remaining sprung wire version has an inconvenient baseboard strut below it.

Last updated 07/06/2006