Local Suppliers
General Modelling and Model Engineering Suppliers
Suppliers for 16mm Garden Railways
National Societies
Magazines, Books, Exhibitions and General ME Info
Railway Photo Sites
Model Railway Clubs and Societies
Model Engineering Clubs and Societies
Miniature Railways
Stationary Engines and Museums
Narrow Gauge Railways
Standard Gauge Railways
Non-UK Model Railway and Model Engineering Clubs and Societies
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Members, please let me have your recommendations for suppliers in and around Guildford.
| Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Aquarius Plastics | Bar & sheet plastic of all sorts. Very helpful and have lots of offcuts. |
| Lee Spring | A local company supplying a vast range of springs from stock. |
| MJ Engineering | Drawings, castings, fasteners & materials. |
| PT Machining | Machining services, boiler manufacture, repair of steam models. |
| View Models | Second hand steam locomotives from 'O' gauge to 7¼" gauge, rolling stock, track, model traction engines and other steam models. |
| Warco | Warren Machine Tools (Guildford) Ltd. Machine tools and other metal-working equipment. |
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We could publish a list of model engineering suppliers, but we think that this one at The Model Engineering Clearing House is pretty comprehensive. However, here's a short list of suppliers who have sent us information or asked for a link on our site:
| Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Hobbies Ltd. | Various kits, tools and materials, including model boats, steam engines, aircraft and toys. |
| Hornby Train Restorations | OO gauge locos, rolling stock, materials and services. |
| Miniature Pressure Gauge Ltd. | Small pressure gauges for steam models (and other types of gauge). |
| Model Enthusiasts | Sales and spares for Mamod, MSS and Wilesco. |
| Phoenix Locomotives | Manufacturers of 7¼" and 5" gauge battery-electric model locomotive and rolling stock kits. |
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We could publish a list of suppliers to the 16mm garden railway hobby, but it would look very similar to this one (click on Suppliers) on the Association of 16mm Narrow Gauge Modellers site.
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| Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Association of 16mm Narrow Gauge Modellers | The GMES 16mm section is the local area group. |
| LittleLEC | Website about the annual efficiency competition for small steam locomotives. |
| The Old Locomotive Committee (OLCO) | The society for supporters of Lion, the Liverpool & Manchester locomotive of 1838. |
| 7¼" Gauge Society | |
| Southern Federation of Model Engineering Societies | GMES is affiliated to the Southern Fed. |
| The Society of Model and Experimental Engineers |
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| Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Atlantic Publishers | Publishers of Garden Rail magazine |
| Camden Miniature Steam Services | Mostly books. A few drawings and castings. |
| Kevin Robertson Books | Local railway book specialist |
| Live Steam Forums | International model railway forum for 2½" to 15" gauges |
| Lost Models Directory | Part of The Model Engineering Clearing House |
| Meridienne Exhibitions | Midlands ME Exhibition, London ME Exhibition |
| Miniature Railway Magazine | |
| The Model Engineering Clearing House | Run by Andy Clark and Myke Baigent |
| Model Engineering Website | Model descriptions, how to articles, model build instructions, special features and reports of major events |
| Model Engineer | Website associated with "Model Engineer" and "Model Engineers' Workshop" magazines |
| Model Engineer Index | Downloadable index |
| MyHobbyStore | Publisher of "Model Engineer" and "Model Engineers' Workshop" magazines. |
| Narrow Gauge and Industrial | Narrow gauge and Industrial Railway Modelling Review magazine and books |
| Narrow Gauge Net | Narrow gauge online magazine. Book sales. |
| TEE Publishing | Engineering in Miniature, new books, second hand books |
| Trans-Pennine Publishing | Transport books, Vintage Roadscene magazine, lists of events and museums. |
| UK Model Shop Directory | Model shops, suppliers, events, clubs. |
| | Steam and vintage preservation magazine |
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Note that, with the demise of Fotopic, some of the sites listed below are no longer available. Please contact the webmaster if you know that any are now hosted elsewhere.
| Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| South West Rail Photos | Railway Photos by John Williamson |
| Ron's Railway Pix | Railway photos going back to the late fifties from the UK and continental Europe, including main line, narrow gauge and industrial. |
| Southern Images | Mostly railway but also a few images of other transport, buildings, etc. |
| Dudleys-Photos | A variety of railway photos, including garden railways. |
| Southern Railway Photo Net | Standard gauge railways in Southern England. Good indexing by location and loco type. |
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| Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Astolat Model Railway Circle | Meet in Guildford. OO and N gauge layouts. Their annual exhibition is in January. |
| Guildford ‘0’Gauge Group | Meet at Normandy. |
| Farnham & District Model Railway Club | Layouts in N, OO and O gauge. Annual exhibition in October. |
| Liphook & District Model Railway Club and go to the L&DMRC section | N, OO and O gauge layouts. |
| Alton Model Railway Group | OO, O and S4 layouts. Their main exhibition is in February every year, with an exhibition of American layouts in July. |
| Basingstoke & North Hants Model Railway Society | 2mm finescale, OO and O gauge layouts. |
| South Hants Model Railway Club | Portsmouth. Layouts in EM (18.2mm) and S4 (18.83mm) and O gauge. Their annual exhibition is in March. |
| Fareham & District Model Railway Club | N and OO gauge and O9 narrow gauge layouts. Exhibition in October. |
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A more complete list is available at The Model Engineering Clearing House.
| Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Surrey Society of Model Engineers | At Leatherhead |
| Malden & District Society of Model Engineers | Thames Ditton Miniature Railway |
| Bracknell Railway Society | Raised track passenger-hauling and small scale railways |
| Liphook Modellers Club | Clubhouse, 3½" & 5" gauge ground level track and boating pool at Hollycombe |
| The East Surrey 16mm Group | The East Surrey Group of The Association of 16mm Narrow Gauge Modellers, located at Redhill |
| Basingstoke and District Model Engineering Society | |
| Reading Society of Model Engineers | |
| East Grinstead Model Engineering Society | 600ft portable 5" gauge ground level track. Clubhouse with workshop. |
| Sussex Miniature Locomotive Society | Beech Hurst Railway, 3½" & 5" gauge raised track |
| Chichester & District Society of Model Engineers | |
| Brighton & Hove Society of Miniature Locomotive Engineers | |
| Portsmouth Model Engineering Society | |
| Fareham & District Society of Model Engineers | No website found (please contact the webmaster if you know of one!) |
| Southampton Society of Model Engineers | 3½", 5" & 7¼" gauge tracks |
| Bournemouth & District Society of Model Engineers | 3½", 5" & 7¼" gauge raised track in Littledown Park |
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By distance from Guildford
| Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Minzens Railway | 7¼" gauge ground level railway at Knaphill run by Woking Miniature Railway Society |
| Frimley Lodge Miniature Railway | 3½", 5" and 7¼" gauge ground level railway run by the Frimley and Ascot Locomotive Club |
| Great Cockcrow Railway | 7¼" gauge ground level railway near Chertsey |
| Pinewood Miniature Railway | 5" and 7¼" gauge ground level railway near Wokingham |
| South Downs Light Railway | 10¼" gauge railway at Pulborough |
| Swanley New Barn Railway | 1km long 7¼" gauge railway in Swanley Park. Runs every weekend from Easter to end of October and weekdays at peak times. |
| Eastleigh Lakeside Steam Railway | 7¼" and 10¼" gauge railway |
| Royal Victoria Railway | 10¼" gauge railway at Netley, Southampton |
| Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway | 12¼" gauge railway |
| Moors Valley Railway | 7¼" gauge ground level railway in Moors Valley Country Park near Ringwood |
| Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway | 15" gauge railway, 13.5 miles long |
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By distance from Guildford
Google Maps with the locations below indicated.
| Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Rural Life Centre | Museum of rural buildings, crafts and social history. Home to the Old Kiln Light Railway, a short 2' gauge line with both steam and i/c locos. Located a couple of miles south of Farnham. |
| Hollycombe | A varied collection: short standard and narrow gauge railways, steam-powered fairground rides, 7¼" gauge ground-level railway, stationary engines, road vehicles. Located just south-east of Liphook. |
| Kempton Pumping Engines | A pair of huge pumping engines; one has been restored to working condition and is the largest working triple expansion steam engine in the world. (Who remembers the GMES visit in the 70s to see them before the original boilers were removed?) |
| Kew Bridge Steam Museum | An impressive collection of stationary steam engines centred on two original water-pumping beam engines. Also a museum of water supply and a short narrow-gauge line. |
| Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre | Formerly Amberley Working Museum and, before that, Amberley Chalkpits Museum. A huge variety of historical interest. A short length of 2' gauge line with an extensive collection of small industrial i/c locos. Road vehicles, craftsmen of various trades, re-constructed buildings and a museum of electricity. More detailed information on the Narrow Gauge Railway. |
| Milestones | Large indoor museum with re-created street scenes. Located on the Basingstoke ring road. |
| Twyford Waterworks | Preserved complete Edwardian water pumping station and softening plant open at various times of the year to visitors. |
| Eastney Pumping Station | A Victorian sewage pumping station serving Portsea Island. Two restored rotative beam engines. |
| Bursledon Brickworks | Includes a working stationary engine and a short narrow-gauge line with two petrol locomotives run by the Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway Trust. |
| Crossness Pumping Station | Four partially restored Victorian sewage pumping beam engines. Built as part of Sir Joseph Bazalgette's great sewer project to give London proper drainage following the "Great Stink" of 1858. Wonderful ornate cast iron work. |
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Most local narrow gauge lines are of modest length and associated with a works or museum (see above).
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Google Maps with the locations below indicated.
| Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Mid Hants Railway | Our local preserved line, running from Alton to Alresford. Significant gradients which make the locos work hard. |
| Bluebell Railway | The first of the standard gauge lines to be preserved. A large collection of southern locos from the 1872 LBSCR terrier "Fenchurch" to the last loco built at Brighton Works still in operation, the BR standard 4MT, 80151. |
| Kent & East Sussex Railway | A rural line of about 10 miles using mostly small tank locos. |
| Swanage Railway | Leave your car near Corfe Castle and take the train to the seaside. |
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| Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| North County Model Railroad Society | California, USA. The webmaster, Nick Ruddick, is one of our members. |
| Gippsland Model Engineering Society | The other 'GMES' in Victoria, Australia. |
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