Laxfield – Uckfield Model Railway Club Exhibition 2025

Laxfield by John Watson & Rod Cameron – A P4 scale layout at the Uckfield Model Railway Club’s 40th Railway Exhibition 18 October 2025

Laxfield was built by the late John Watson in the early 80s. It's a remarkable survivor and is one of the earliest still existing P4 layouts.
It's now in the care of the Scalefour Society's archivist Rod Cameron and the renovation has begun. I'm carefully restoring the scenics and conserving as much as John's original work as possible which used many of Roye England's Pendon techniques. The grass areas were made using surgical lint which was a popular method back then but have faded badly over the years and there are many 'mothy bits' and bald patches. Rod is attending to the electrics which still mostly function.
The track is fine condition and is as good as the day it was built. The track on the branch was lightweight flat bottom and John replicated this by using ply and rivet construction resulting in robust track which has stood the test of time.
The line was built by The Mid-Suffolk Light Railway Company and ran from Haughley to Laxfield with an unfinished section intended to go to Cratfield.
Laxfield featured in the very first MRJ No 0 in winter 1985
Uckfield Model Railway Club – http://www.uckfieldmrc.co.uk/
The Scalefour Society – https://www.scalefour.org/shows/scale...

0:00 – Introduction – Laxfield
0:18 – Semaphore Signal
0:30 – Wooden Bridge
1:11 – Black Engine Shed
1:45 – Tin Shed and Workmen
2:10 – Coal Stage
2:40 – Wooden Shed
3:10 – Little Blue Car
3:26 – Loading Deck
4:01 – Little Green Car
4:20 – Laxfield Station
5:23 – Cattle Pen
5:54 – Level Crossing
6:22 – Barn
6:47 – Allotment
7:25 – Brick Bridge
7:38 – Wooden Bridge
7:51 – Water Tower
8:24 – End Titles

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