The late Peter Bossom’s Thunder’s Hill
THUNDER’S HILL. 3mm. scale / 12mm Gauge.
A study in 3mm. – 1ft. scale showing the attraction of working in this ‘in between’ scale.
Whilst no ready-to-run British outline stock is available now, active support for the scale is offered by The Three Millimetre Society and a growing number of small manufacturers.
Set in East Sussex around 1936-38, ‘Thunder’s Hill’ represents a station on the ‘Ouse Valley’ line built by the LBSCR and serving a wide area of the countryside. Milk in churns and Season Ticket Holders are on the increase thus keeping the line busy. The route also serves as a useful alternative for some trains during the summer months. Rolling stock and locomotives are mainly ex LBSCR although other Southern stock may also be seen.
By choice, much of the layout is handbuilt, although use has been made of kits and commercial products where suitable. The size of the layout is dictated by that which can be carried in an ‘average’ family saloon – and by the firm instruction that ‘any layout will only occupy ONE room in this house !’
The LBSCR ‘Ouse Valley Railway’ project of 1864 collapsed in 1866 due to a financial crisis. Although various earthworks had been constructed this project was never revived and some years later construction commenced on what is now known as ‘The Bluebell Line’.
