Construction of Taw Magna began back in 2003, when we retired our previous layout Kirkby Grandfield from the exhibition circuit. The size of the layout has been kept small as it is primarily for exhibition purposes, and to prevent the more senior members suffering from backache when we move it.

The club's 2005 Exhibition was the first public showing of the layout, and again in 2007. It has also appeared at the Romford Haverers O Gauge Group Exhibition in 2006 and 2007, and more recently at Northampton in November 2008 and Kettering GOG in March 2009, where we had a successful day and received no less than four potential enquiries for show bookings in 2009-10.

The layout's most recent outing was to the Beckenham & West Wickham Model Railshow in October 2009.

The layout is based on GWR Branch Line practice somewhere in the West Country. It has been designed to be run as a GWR scene in the 1930-40’s and as BR practice in the 1950’s until the Beeching closure plan. Long term, the group are considering adapting the layout to also represent a preserved line. The current buildings will be removable so changes can be easily made and so introduce some of those modern structures that are often seen at such sites.

This will give the group an excuse to run anything they want from a dock shunter to a 47 diesel! Trackwork is basically Peco with handmade C & L pointwork built by O Gauge section member Don Neighbour. Buildings are mostly scratch built with the station based on Abbotsbury. The Goods shed is a modified card kit. Most of the Locos and Rolling Stock are kit built, and made by group members.