Why P4

Coming out of hibernation

During the intervening years I’d still purchased the occasional model railway magazine especially the Model Railway Journal. You could say my interest had been in hibernation. After a divorce and the children growing up thoughts gradually crept back to model railways. Over a couple of years I started to visit a few local model railway exhibitions. During which time, I gained a full appreciation for how far the hobby had progressed over the previous 20 to 30 years. Just before my hiatus, I had started to build copper-clad EM gauge track, and if I was to start again was the direction I was leaning towards. That said, at an Easter Show in York, I saw Treneglos. Set in Cornwall on the LSWR Withered Arm, it ticked all the boxes for me. When I asked if it was EM gauge, I was very surprised to learn that it was actually finescale OO gauge. I left that show wondering whether the effort of re-wheeling and chassis building required for EM gauge would be worth the visual rewards.

OO gauge or EM gauge?

On a subsequent visit to an EM gauge show at Slaithwaite, I sat in front of a demonstrator. After finally gaining his attention, I asked a couple of questions about converting rolling stock. I can’t remember the questions—only how I felt after receiving the replies. I felt small, a bit stupid—almost as if I shouldn't have interrupted him with such questions…

Another demonstrator at the show held up two wheelsets—one EM and the other P4—and asked me to tell the difference. In his opinion, there was no need to go the extra 0.63mm, as the difference was indiscernible and EM gauge was the more practical and achievable choice. He was very surprised when I correctly identified the P4 wheelset. I left the show thinking more about going finescale OO than EM. I admired the layouts at the show, but my interactions with the demonstrators left me with negative thoughts about joininsg the EM Gauge Society. *

Still undecided

During this time, Nick Cook, who I new from the Mablethorpe and District model Railway Club, had moved to Yorkshire, joined the Scalefour Society along with the Craven Area Group. He kept harping on at me that P4 was the way to go. His opinion was, “Why EM gauge? You’ll still have to re-wheel and build a chassis, and you’ll be running stock on track that isn’t true to scale.” I knew he had a good point… especially as I had nagging thoughts that I would end up disappointed with the results I’d achieve with finescale OO.

Scalefour North

After browsing the Scalefour Society's webpages, I noticed Scalefour North advertised. This coincided with a visit to my mother-in-law in Leeds. My passport was signed and off I trotted to Wakefield leaving my wife with her mother.

What a difference from the Slaithwaite show the previous year! Unlike the stiff, dismissive atmosphere at Slaithwaite, the Wakefield show buzzed with energy. Demonstrators were willing to engage with a complete novice. There was friendly banter alongside clear explanations of how they achieved the results on display..

Overall, it was the look of P4 track that impressed me the most, coupled with its finer wheel standards. For me, both offered a superior visual result compared to finescale OO—and possibly an improvement over EM.

Decision made

I left the Wakefield show wondering whether I could produce models to the standard I’d seen at Scalefour North. After discovering a Local Area Group near my home, I joined the Society. With the local guys support, I took my first steps into the world of P4 modelling; building what started out as a test track then morphed into an exhibition layout. TredethyWharf was born—a project that would challenge me, but ultimately, in building and exhibiting, a very rewarding experience.

* I’ve since met and conversed with a few EM Gauge modellers; I’ve also had the privilege of operating a couple of EM gauge layouts. If I’d had a positive experience at the Slaithwaite show the outcome may have been different.