16mm Suffolk and Borders Light Railway
Come and take a look at the Suffolk and Borders Light Railway, a permanent 16mm narrow gauge layout which can be found upstairs in the main exhibition hall at Bressingham Steam Museum.
It is operated and maintained by the East Anglian group of the Association of 16mm Narrow Gauge Modellers who bring the layout to life most Sundays, and sometimes during the week. They also run the engines during special events and in the run up to Christmas.
The scenery in the display, which has two 32mm circuits, is being developed over time to tell the story of narrow gauge railways all over the world.
At the moment, visitors can see a Welsh scene around one part of the track, showing how slate was transported, and then travel to Asia to see Indian hill railways in another area of the display. There's even a glimpse of railway history from the other side of the globe with part of the exhibition highlighting sugar cane railways in Tasmania.
Another area is being designed to depict a light railway running on the Western Front during the First World War, showing how narrow gauge was used to supply the trenches.
The group also organises garden events during the year - usually during the spring and summer months - where members can meet and run their stock. And if you live in the area or are passing close to Bressingham and fancy a steam up then please contact the area group coordinator by e-mailing sblr16mmcoordinator@outlook.com
Members describe themselves as: "A very informal group who solely exist to yarn and watch steam trains. We don't count rivets or worry about a mixture of rolling stock, we do, however, insist on having a good time, eating cake and drinking tea whilst engaging with the public and answering their questions".
To see how the display was built, and events run by the East Anglian group, please click on this link:
