he True Story of the Rusper Railway
In the 1930s, Christopher L Morgan (CLM) was a stockbroker with McNish & Co, and was also a model railway enthusiast. He had a growing '0' gauge layout which was becoming increasingly difficult to operate single-handedly, and even with the help of his brother Jack there was limited scope.
Therefore in 1935 he started the Rusper Railway Club for the 'model operation of an outdoor railway system', a concept which remains enshrined in the Club constitution to this day. The line was planned on a six-inch Ordnance Survey map of the area between Horley and Rusper in Surrey, and used local names for stations. Track layout and signalling was based on the LBSCR as modified by SR and later BR.
In those early days there were 17 stations on the railway which ran from the back of CLM's garage, through a series of joined sheds and down the back of his garden. At the back of the layout a public footpath ran beside a hedge and it was not unusual for the railway operators to find themselves being watched by amazed passers by.
The fastest service was timed at 2 minutes end to end, but a slow on the main line took 27 minutes. There were different timetables for each day and even a fog service. Many locos were clockwork and therefore loco rostering was necessary with certain trains being hauled by specified locos. Not all of the track was electrified; what was, used 20v AC on an outside third rail.
The railway was closed from 1940 — 45 and reopened soon after hostilities ceased. There were some changes until eventually in 1950 there were 21 stations including Littlehaven, a floating dock on the pond. The layout was fairly complicated and had a number of works including a fully interlocking signal frame in brass. At intervals the Superintendent would place brass rings over the chimneys of locos to signify they were low in water. They were required to visit a water column in the next half hour, or be failed and a relief engine would be required. Needless to say, 'crane shunting'was never permitted!
The whole layout took 21 people to operate although at one time the club had 38 members. However the timetables were cleverly constructed so that it did not matter how many people turned up. By 1953 the system involved 1,666ft of track, 50 locos and 162 items of rolling stock. There were 329 signals and 14 block sections.
In 1958 CLM decided to retire to Switzerland and very generously donated the whole railway to the existing members. The layout was placed in storage until due to lack of space, the decision was made to change to '00' gauge. Since then there have been one name change and back again, and two premises moves until the present site in Hayes near Bromley in Kent was found in 1991.
Today the layout exists in 6 garden sheds which are connected at operating sessions. There are nine stations of which seven have goods yards. The original station names are still used and the railway is run to a timetable with train movements signalled using bell codes.
There are twelve rostered passenger coach sets, six set goods trains and in addition the 'coloured pin' system is used to make up and shunt goods trains. The Club owns about 80 steam locos, the vast majority being out of the box. Club members are allowed to bring their own steam or diesel locos which may be run subject to the Loco Superintendent 'passing' them as good runners.
Membership fees are currently £40 for a full year & pro rata for parts of the year. A visitor is entitled to one visit on an operating day free of charge and up to another three visits at 1/12th of the annual subscription.
