This 1990s Southern Region layout was acquired last year by members of Beckenham and West Wickham Model Railway Club. GREG MARSHALL explains how this fascinating ‘OO’ gauge layout brings the Britpop era back to life.
Folly Lane was designed and built by Jason Hannant, loosely based on Haslemere in Surrey and is set in the mid-to-late 1990s. This 20ft x 7ft Digital Command Control (DCC) layout was completed in just one year and features a fully automatic level crossing, automatic signalling, DCC operated points with interlocking and a scratchbuilt full size sub-station in ‘OO’ gauge. Under Jason‘s ownership, it attended a series of exhibitions in South West England between 2018 and 2023.
Folly Lane was sold by Jason in July 2023 to eight members of the Beckenham & West Wickham Model Railway Club (MRC), three of whom first saw the layout’s sale whilst on ‘The Chessy Ned’ railtour, which was run in memory of GB Railfreight’s Paul Taylor, who sadly lost his battle with prostate cancer. A week later, the layout was under our ownership. Special thanks must go to Jason for the smooth and fault free handover.
Above: Royal Mail Class 325 325002 sweeps through Folly Lane station with a parcels train, while a Network SouthEast C…
