Wheeltapper Competition 2026
The Wheeltapper 2026 competition took place on Friday March 20th. This year we were delighted to invite Gordon and Maggie Gravett to judge the competition. Maggie started the evening with a talk about researching the background to their 1:50 scale model of their metre gauge railway Pempoul, which is based on the now defunct Reséau Breton system in Brittany, northern France. The model depicts a sleepy little station and railway junction in rural northern France. They worked on the layout jointly with Maggie modelling the buildings and Gordon the rolling stock. For more details on this superb layout and a link to a video produced by Pilentum Television follow this link: Pempoul. The layout now has a new home at the Ashford International Model Railway Education Centre
Wheeltapper Trophy
Gordon presented the Wheeltapper trophy for the best model out of all the rolling stock categories to John Compton for his model of a LWNR 32’ 6-Wheeled Coach. Gordon remarked that the flush glazing and subtle weathering has made a difference to this model.
This model also was the overall winner of the Passenger/Non-Passenger Coaching Stock category. This tri-composite coach was built from a London Road Models kit. This is the final coach for the local Aylesbury to Cheddington set, which runs on the Aylesbury LNW layout currently on display at Quainton.
Steam Locomotives
The winner of the Steam Locomotives category was Mick Moignard with his model of Shay locomotive #22 in HOn3. This locomotive is a reworked Precision Scale Co brass model. Obtained as a basket case, it has been extensively rebuilt and repaired, modifying it to a well-used logging locomotive from the first quarter of the 20th century. Once reworked and painted, it has been fitted with DCC sound and headlight, , speaker in the smokebox and with a decent keepalive, then weathered and junked up to be ready to get out in the woods and bring down the logs.
Freight and Engineers Stock
The winner of the freight and engineers stock category was Tim Peacock for his model of a GW Gas Tank Wagon, which was built from a Falcon Brass kit. When gas lighting became common, tank wagons of varying types became common for supplying stations. This model is based on GW Diagram DD5 which comprised two 4ft diameter by 15ft long cylinders mounted side by side on an old chassis measuring 16ft 6ins over headstocks. Prototype information is somewhat scanty so the pipe runs on this model are a best guess.
Scenic Models: Buildings, Trees, Signals etc
The winner of the Jack Kine Trophy for Scenic Models: Buildings, Trees and Signals was Paul Wright for his model of a Metropolitan Signal Box.
This model is a scratch-built model of the signal box for Waddesdon Road. Most parts have been cut from Rowmark and Polybak on the club laser cutter. The interior details are from Severn Models and the guttering from ModelU. The brick paper for the roof Was created from a SketchUp texture file, adjusted for the correct size, and then printed on paper. Roof flashing is thin lead sheet. There is a light inside and provision for a smoke unit underneath, A signalman will be added before installation on the layout, so at this stage the roof is still removable.
An over-exposed photograph to show the internal details.
Aylesbury Town 4mm Model
The winner of the Robin Lane Trophy for an Aylesbury 4mm Model was Gary Day with his model of a BR 8-ton Cattle Wagon. The model has been constructed from an Airfix body with scratch-built doors on MJT compensated W-irons and axle boxes/springs, and Alan Jackson P4 wheels. The model has been detailed with Masokits brake levers and V hangers, Accurascale buffers, MJT vacuum cylinder and pipes, and Dingham couplings. Painting and weathering completes the model.
Aylesbury LNWR Model Project
The winner of the category for best model for the club’s EM gauge model of Aylesbury LNWR was Tim Peacock for his model of a Private Owner coal wagon, which was built from a plastic kit. The model has been nicely weathered.
Chairman’s Cup
The winner of the Chairman’s Cup for the best model was Mike Jordan for his model of Great Central Railway 0-6-2T number 936. This model is a GCR class 9F, which was a class that was built between 1891 and 1901. All 131 of these locomotives were absorbed by the LNER in 1923 and were designated LNER class N5. This class was the first one to be built for a British railway to use the Belpaire firebox design.