CRUMLEY & LITTLE WICKHILL Scale: 4mm - 1ft. Gauge 9mm ('009' ) by Hull Miniature Railway Society

Size: 16ft x 16ft (4.8m x 4.8m) (plus operator space), Operators: Four, Transport: Van hire + one car

The Roth Valley Tramway (RTV) is a fictitious 2'6" gauge railway serving several small communities high in the Pennines around the Lancashire/Yorkshire/Cumberland border area. When the RVT eventually reached Crumley the company realised the intended roadside station site was on a slope! Luckily, a conveient side valley on the edge of town provided a level site for the yard solving the problem.

This proved a fortunate choice when the next extension was planned and the directors realised the next town was 300 feet higher up... An existing mineral tramway up the valley was aquired, the top of the valley levelled to give a reversing point (named Little Wickhill after a local farm) from which a new line was constructed up the side of the valley and onto the moor top.

The model depicts this section of the RVT in the early 1930s. The best days are gone but traffic remains reaonably heavy. Road services have siphoned off some passengers but the line is still the shortest route from Moorton to Ramton so traffic remains steady. To reduce costs, several diesel locos have been tried but larger trains still need steam locos which have their own servicing facilities at Crumley. From time to time the line also hosts new locos on trial from various Leeds based manufacturers, the steeply graded line giving a good test for locos intended for colonial railways.

Ref: Railway Modeller, January 2009

Almost all of the whole layout can be seen here. Must be after 1935 as only internal combustion power on view.	Number 11 coasts downhill past the quarry. Running late judging by the waiting train in the distance at Crumley Station.
The 'POSH' pickering set, waiting for the big Hudswell Clark diesel to bring its freight into Wickhill	Number 7 beats the bus to the crossing; thus getting the passengers further down the valley
Crumley from a light aircraft over the valley. Must have been taken before the articulated railcar replaced this steam passenger working	Down the 'long bank' comes number 12, on the brakes to prevent nasty accidents in the sand drag!

Exhibition Managers please note that viewing is from the TWO fourteen foot sides of the triangle.

This layout is no longer available for Model Railway Shows: