West
Wiltshire Society of Model Engineers Ltd.
NEW TRACK SITE UPDATE (17 August 2008.)
The West Wiltshire Society of Model Engineers are presently moving the
raised 3 ½” & 5” gauge raised steel track from
our old site in Queen’s Road Westbury to our new site adjacent to
the fishing lakes and golf course at Lafarge Cement Works, Westbury.
The original track was built on what was a rubbish dump by the
membership in the early 70s and the site rented to us by the West Wilts
District Council. Subsequently we landscaped and fenced the site. In
2006 the Society was advised that the Council needed our track site to
build ‘Affordable Housing’ on. Clearly, housing was of more
importance than our railway so the committee offered our full
co-operation. This was a good decision and resulted in the Council
assisting us to find a new site. The Society has, as a result of our
charitable works a good local reputation that, in turn resulted in
financial assistance from the people who purchased our old site. After
a lengthy search, Lafarge Cement Company generously offered us a parcel
of land on the opposite side of the railway line to their works at
‘Peppercorn Rent’. The site is located in the countryside
to the South of the main railway line, has a golf course to the East
and a large fishing lake to the west.
We engaged a planning and design consultant, Mr David Stirling, who
obtained planning permission for our railway and new buildings.
After many very frustrating administrative delays we were able to start
work on our new site in mid August 2008. The Selwood Housing Society
who purchased our old track site are assisting financially with the
track move so that we are able to use a contractor Mr Berni Larkin.
Within a couple of weeks, Berni and his team have cleared the site that
was heavily overgrown, built a road, constructed concrete bases for our
new station and steel containers. Using a petrol-powered auger, they
have bored around 150 holes in the ground for the concrete bases that
support the pylons on which our track sits. The track is now being
erected and should be complete within a couple of weeks.
We will be taking delivery of our new specially designed Railway
Station later this month that has been purchased with a grant from the
Lottery Funds obtained by Chairman Des Clarke.
We will soon be ‘Back in Business’!
Please look in our galleries page for the latest pictures of the new track site.
R Nev Boulton,
Honorary Secretary, West Wiltshire Society of Model Engineers Ltd.