PICTURES: Sompting model railway exhibition

Sompting and District Model Railway Club's annual exhibition over the weekend featured more than ten layouts.
By The Newsroom
Published 16th May 2017, 18:35 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 03:17 BST
Lois Dedman, third left, shows her family and grandchildren her late husband Ted's railway layout, which was on show at Sompting and District Model Railway Club's annual exhibition for the first time. Picture: Stephen GoodgerLois Dedman, third left, shows her family and grandchildren her late husband Ted's railway layout, which was on show at Sompting and District Model Railway Club's annual exhibition for the first time. Picture: Stephen Goodger
Lois Dedman, third left, shows her family and grandchildren her late husband Ted's railway layout, which was on show at Sompting and District Model Railway Club's annual exhibition for the first time. Picture: Stephen Goodger

Among them was a rather special one, which had been created by the late Ted Dedman for his triplet grandsons.

Widow Lois Dedman donated the layout to the club and members set to work restoring it before putting it on show at the exhibition for the first time.

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Lois visited the exhibition on Saturday and took great delight in showing her family and grandchildren the restored layout.

Lois Dedman, third left, shows her family and grandchildren her late husband Ted's railway layout, which was on show at Sompting and District Model Railway Club's annual exhibition for the first time. Picture: Stephen GoodgerLois Dedman, third left, shows her family and grandchildren her late husband Ted's railway layout, which was on show at Sompting and District Model Railway Club's annual exhibition for the first time. Picture: Stephen Goodger
Lois Dedman, third left, shows her family and grandchildren her late husband Ted's railway layout, which was on show at Sompting and District Model Railway Club's annual exhibition for the first time. Picture: Stephen Goodger

Matthew Ayling, one of the organisers, said all bar one of the layouts on display at Sompting Village Hall on Saturday and Sunday belonged to the club or to club members.

There were also stalls manned by a select group of traders specialising in new and secondhand railway themed products.

Mr Ayling said: “One of the layouts on show this year by Alan Peacock has been featured in the Continental Modeller magazine.

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“Hundreds attended the exhibition over the two days, beating last year’s attendance. We had people travelling from all over West Sussex to attend.

“There was also one visitor from Basingstoke who travelled by train, of course, specifically to our exhibition.

“A number of visitors expressed an interest in joining the club and we look forward to welcoming them on board.

“There was a range of layouts presented this year showing dioramas from the UK and other countries, including Canada and Germany. The layouts were a mixture of 00 gauge and N gauge.”

The club, based at Sompting Village Hall, is home to more than 20 model railway enthusiasts. For more details about the club, visit www.somptingdistrictmrc.co.uk