THE genesis of the 0 gauge l/43 scale Ventnor West layout was around 20 years ago.

I was interested in embarking on this project as my wife’s cousin lives in Castle Close, Ventnor, which is built on the site of the railway.

My wife and I are fairly well known on the model railway circuit, so some of you may have seen other projects of ours.

I found that there was still much remaining of the site which also helped me decide on this project.

The owners of the station building, which at that point was a private house, helped a great deal with the details, and didn’t mind at all when I got my tape and measured their windows, doors, etc.

Little did I realise at the time, how long this project was going to take, and what a mammoth task it would become.

As with all the projects I undertake, I spent a lot of time researching the history of the place, and found out about the part the Island played in the Second World War, which happens to be another interest of mine, hence setting the model in this period.

The model of Ventnor West is now completed all of these years later, and everything you see on the model has been built by myself, and are all faithful copies of everything that appeared on that line in the 1940s.

The model is around 35ft in length, and 4ft wide.

We hope that you will see it on the IW sometime soon.