The Marshwood Vale Railway is an example of that rare breed, the English Narrow Gauge Railway. A "general carrier" rather than, for instance, a mineral or industrial railway.

Set in West Dorset, it ran from the GWR at Bridport, through the Marshwood Vale, past Symondsbury, Broad Oak, Shave Cross, and Whitchurch Cannonicorum, to the West coast at Charmouth.

The thinking behind the model is "prototypical freelance" a fictional railway that could have existed, with attention being paid to traffic potential, construction costs, gradients, etc. The result is an amalgamation of features from the Welshpool & Llanfair, Southwold and Culm Valley Railways.

The model is built to 7mm scale, 16.5mm gauge and represents the terminous at Charmouth some time before 1935. Almost the entire layout is scratchbuilt, with a few kits and accessories used where appropriate.

Particular attention has been given to achieving reliable, slow running locos, and authentic rolling stock. Buildings and structures are typical light railway designs, with much use being made of wood and corrugated iron.

Magazines
Railway Modeller June 1995 and November 1996.