The size of the Vale scene was recently brought home rather dramatically to one of the museum stalwarts not long ago when in the course of some testing operations he assembled a goods train of about eighty wagons. As it came slowly through the scene towards the station the train appeared totally lost in the landscape. Then, as it rumbled slowly through the station, its size became apparent. This, we feel, is one of Pendon's strengths: the ability to recreate scenes that will never again be seen in the real world.

We are already able to present a limited number of trains, and from July 2004 we aim to run a full programme of trains on the Oxford line. These will operate under automatic control and with working signals. Notes on the trains we shall be running are given below.

Most readers will be aware of the lengths to which the Pendon team go to in order to ensure the accuracy of the individual models. The same standards apply to the train formations, which are based on detailed studies of the prototype. Roye England made extensive notes and took photographs of the trains he saw running through the Vale of White Horse in the period we are portraying. These records, together with contemporary photographs and the official local and through carriage programmes (to mention only two sources), have been used to ensure that all the trains we show are as accurate as possible.

The final programme for the Vale scene amounts to some seventy trains representing the period from 1923 to 1938. Once the Bristol and the MSWJR lines are complete, twenty-five trains will be in operation on any given day. This is a huge undertaking on which considerable progress has already been made.

Initially we intend to show ten main-line trains. Each train has a code for identification purposes. The train number is in two parts: two figures denote the year, and a letter identifies the train within that year.

The first train in the sequence is definitely one for the loco-spotters. This is an early morning departure from Worcester conveying milk and passengers to London, with one of the "Frenchmen" in charge: No.104 Alliance, which, together with Nos. 103 President and the slightly smaller No. 102 La France, were purchased by the GWR for evaluation in 1903 and 1905. Churchward's designs were already well advanced at this time but, always prepared to adopt successful practices from around the world, he acquired the DeGlehn engines to investigate the benefits of compounding. While they were undoubtedly fine machines, the added complication and higher maintenance costs of compounding could not be justified when Churchward's own designs were proving just as economical and were certainly easier and cheaper to build and maintain. By 1923 all three DeGlehn engines had been rebuilt with standard No.1 boilers and were based at Oxford shed.

Heading down the line is a train of empty wagons heading north to the collieries, consisting of about forty private-owner wagons hauled by No. 601, a venerable "Armstrong" outside-framed 0-6-0. There were still a few of these old workhorses around in 1923. Known as the "Standard" goods, these locomotives were built at Wolverhampton works in the 1860s and 1870s. By 1876 there were more than three hundred engines in the class.

Passing through Pendon Parva station is the first of the day's through trains, headed by one of Churchward's celebrated "Cities", No. 3705 Mauritius. The roof-boards reveal that this train has portions originating from Brighton, Margate, and Deal. The first two vehicles are a pair of former SECR "Birdcage" brake composites in early SR livery. The five following coaches are GWR clerestory and "toplight" vehicles displaying a mixture of lake and Garter liveries.

Passing through Pendon Parva, station at speed is an express from London with one of Churchward's splendid "Saint" class locomotives in charge. This is quite a heavy train of ten coaches with a number of 70' vehicles in the formation. The coach working programme for this train shows portions for Hereford, Wolverhampton, Worcester and at the rear, two coaches which will be "slipped" en route for Cheltenham Spa.

Emerging from the tunnel beneath Pendon Parva village is a rather attractive passenger train hauled by No. 4100 Badminton. Somewhat unusually for the Great Western, this train is made up of five matching clerestory coaches. (Study of the trains running on the Vale in the pre-war period shows that the uniform rakes of coaches commonly portrayed on model railways were rather rare in the period portrayed.) This train was commissioned as a memorial to the parents of Dave Badminton, a long-serving member and secretary to the Friends of Pendon.

Emerging slowly beneath the MSWJR line towards Pendon Parva station is a typical "mixed goods" train of about thirty-five wagons hauled by an "ROD" class 2-8-0 locomotive, No. 3022. Even though four years have passed since the grouping, a number of the wagons still carry the liveries of their original pre-grouping companies. The locomotive is one of a batch of 100 purchased cheaply by the GWR from the government after the First World War. In view of the Great Western's standardisation policy, it is perhaps a little surprising that these engines received so little in the way of "Swindonisation". Although they were not much liked by the engine crews, they served the GWR well; some lasted until nationalisation. The model runs as a tribute to the late Tony Smith, one of Pendon's stalwarts, who contributed much to the museum, from woodwork to modelling. He made all the original wagons in the famous "Long Goods" train. The "ROD" was his favourite class of locomotive.

Although this train is in fact scheduled to run on the Bristol line, we can legitimately show it here. Swindon breakdown crane No. 2 together with its associated vehicles is seen heading towards Oxford in the charge of "850" class 0-6- 0 pannier tank No.856, presumably in readiness for a forthcoming heavy lifting job. The diminutive locomotive employed and the absence of "express" headcode lamps would suggest that there is no urgency about this movement. The crane is probably required for some scheduled engineering work; the absence of coal in the accompanying wagon would seem to reinforce this assumption. No. 856 was built at Wolverhampton works in 1874 as a saddle tank. We see her here rebuilt as a pannier tank in the classic Great Western style. This locomotive, in common with so many at Pendon, was built by Guy Williams. The construction of this model was featured in his book The 4mm Engine: A Scratchbuilder's Guide, published by Wild Swan.

Travelling down the line from Reading towards Oxford is a typical pick-up goods train hauled by a Collett "2251" class engine, No. 2264. Stopping as required to collect and drop off wagons, these trains provided a vital service to local communities, mainly carrying general merchandise and the odd "special" load. The train is passing straight through Pendon Parva; there is no business here today.

We now see an express heading towards London, hauled by one of G. J. Churchward's celebrated "Star" class locomotives, No. 4050 Princess Alice. Behind the tender is an LMS 50-foot full brake destined for Southampton from Liverpool, followed by a Great Western 57-foot "toplight", which will be detached at Reading. The remainder of the train, five coaches and a "Siphon G", will continue to Paddington. The last "ordinary" carriage in the train, a 70-foot van third, was the only one built to this diagram. It is shown here in its later condition on six-wheel plate bogies. Some may have spotted the same coach in train 25a, running on 9-foot "American" bogies. (The same vehicle also appears in the "lighted" train in Pendon's Dartmoor scene.) At the rear of the train is a first-class saloon, no doubt conveying a private party. All in all an interesting train. The models were donated to Pendon in memory of the late Ailsa Warner.

Here we have a typical through working to the Southern Railway behind what in 1932 was a new "Hall" class locomotive, No. 4904, Binneger Hall. The train is made up of wagons from all the "Big Four" companies, together with a few private-owner wagons. At the tail is an ex-SECR six-wheel brake van

Here is something quite different; the 4.20pm Didcot to reading "auto" train. It consists of two trailers with a locomotive sandwiched between. Leading, is a matchboard centre corridor trailer (dia. A7), formally a Steam Railmotor. The engine is No 1473. "Fair Rosamund" of the 517 class. She spent many years working the nearby Woodstock branch, so it is quite feasible for her to be rostered on this duty. 1473, was a gift to the museum by the late Fred Rogers.

A 28xx class 2.8.0 No. 2874 can now be seen heading slowly up the line towards London. Comprising mainly of coal in both private owner & railway owned wagons, there is also some general merchandise. A great deal of household coal came from the Midlands whereas welsh coal was generally suited to industrial and railway use. Comprising around sixty wagons, this train has been thoroughly researched for authenticity.