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The Arun Valley Railway is a fictitious light railway set in Sussex. It is a modular system, built to 00 gauge, and is used by four members of the Wellington British Railway Modellers in Wellington, New Zealand.
Arun Valley Railway modules are each self contained with their own backscene and end boards. The system is a truly modular one because any module can be connected to any other, and the track is set at the same place at the end of each board. The system is based on a module length of 1300mm and a width of either 200mm or 300mm. Outside corner modules are based on a square of 650mm with the back corner removed, inside corners on a squashed hexagon based on a 1200mm square. Within each module the scenery is complete on its own, with the breaks between modules being concealed by the end boards.
The modules are set at a height of 1200mm from the floor to the track bed on tripod trestles. The first module assembled will use two trestles and the rest are each piggybacked onto the previous one and so need only one trestle. The baseboards are connected by M6 or 1/4 inch bolts through the module frame ends. The materials used in the construction of the baseboards will variy depending on the builders choice. 50mm x 25mm timber with softboard tops is common but MDF tops are also used and some are made from 4.5mm plywood. Ground contours are built up from carved polystyrene with plaster over the top or wire mesh with reinforced plaster.
The modular system electrical supply uses a bus running the length of the layout, with an RCA socket at the right hand end of each module and a corresponding plug at the left hand end to connect each module electrically. This means that usually only one engine can be used at a time. Some modules, such as Stane Street have a separate controller position available. Others use switches to enable individually controlled trains to enter two tracks from each end at the same time. To enable more controllers on longer layouts a special unit containing a double pole double throw switch and controller input can be used to create a section break.
At exhibitions a timetable is sometimes used. Owing to the flexible nature of the modules a different one is usually needed each time! For our most recent appearances a flip chart system enables the public to see what is happening and this seems to be appreciated. The Arun Valley system has been seen at 25 exhibitions locally in the last 11 years.
Exhibitions attended up to 2001:
For more recent shows there is now an AVR Shows page
The rolling stock used on the Arun Valley is generally from the Southern Region of British Railways, as would have been used from 1948 to about 1964, but generally anything goes within reason. Steam engines are small tender or tank types, ready to run ( RTR ) or kit built. Diesel shunters are also used.
Passenger coaches and goods wagons used are RTR or from kits. Most makes available are represented.
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