Model Railways - Peter Kazer

SAND HUTTON LIGHT RAILWAY - SAND HUTTON CENTRAL

A layout by Peter Kazer to a Scale 1:48 (1/4in/1ft) Gauge 3/8 in

The Sand Hutton Light Railway was constructed on the estate of Sir Robert Walker at Sand Hutton, some seven miles east of York. In part it was built on the line of an extensive 15in gauge “garden railway” previously built in 1912, but this later railway was a much more elaborate affair, eventually extending to some 7.5 miles in length, and constructed under a Light Railway order. It was built to a gauge of 18in and employed stock bought in from the Deptford Meat Depot, supplemented by original vehicles from Robert Hudson Ltd. It had interchange facilities with the N.E.R. at Warthill on the York to Hull line, and served the whole estate, and some surrounding farms. There was a branch to serve Claxton brickworks, and at one time its whole output was sent via the SHLR. A proposal to extend to Scrayingham was never executed mainly because of problems with crossing the then navigable Derwent River. Sir Robert Walker died in 1930 and once the driving force had disappeared the railway quickly followed. Today virtually nothing remains; even the Hall has long since disappeared.

The model is of the central depot and station modelled on 3/8in gauge track, using code 40 rail. The stock is representative of the original in numbers! One coach, one van and two locomotives being at the unusual 1:48 scale it has entailed scratchbuilding every aspect of the model.

Don't know who drew this plan but the front of the layout is nearly straight!

The above photos are from the Model Railway Journal articles published in 2006 and the words from the Narrow Gauge North website.

I attended the Narrow Gauge North Show on 8/3/2008 at Benton Park School Harrogate Road, Leeds to see the layout and talk to Peter Kazer. His sources were the Hartley and Household books and Ron Evers web site. His model is greatly contracted in size, although the three main elements are to scale they were not that close together in reality.

While it is a very detailed layout and appears accurate I do feel that there are a few errors that could have been avoided. Period photos don't appear to show an ash pit or wooden crossing outside the main doors and the third siding is missing. I believe the road crossing at the end of the platform should be wider as it had motorised traffic on it. He said the bridge was 2 1/2 in high which would make it only 10 not 12 ft actual height, perhaps the Stank was high at the time of modelling. Loco number plates are missing from the cab sides and the lack of driver figures looks wrong. Perhaps I'm just too pernickety J.

Bill Heath SH&C History Group