This is only the club's second OO layout since we moved
to our current clubroom. It was designed to be better in every respect from the
previous layout which had evolved over many years and had been changed many
times.
Design The layout has many layers and this will keep us busy for
many years to come without the need to change the rest of the layout. Each layer
will be built in order and, as the whole trackplan has been designed on
computer, each section can be built to allow for the next piece to fit in
without alteration. This also helped with the construction as we did not have
room to build the new layout with the old one in place so the new one was
designed and each piece cut out and stored in the clubroom. Once all of the
pieces had been cut out the old layout was removed and construction of the new
one could begin. Construction The layout has been made using 12mm plywood for the main
structure with 6 & 9mm plywood for some of the gradient sections and curves.
The whole of the main layout was built, the track laid and wired in less than 12
months. The photos show the layout as it progressed. The boards have been
designed so that all of the joints overlap to add strength and to try to stop
the joints in the boards separating and causing jumps in the track.
Location The layout is completely fictitious and is based
somewhere near Salisbury on the London & South Western Railway (LSWR) main
line with links to the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway (S&DJR) from a
junction near Templecombe and the Great Western Railway from Westbury. This
allows us to run an interesting mix of trains, mostly Southern Region with some
Western and some cross country services from the S&D line. Track The track is code 100 Peco streamline with electrofrog
points on the main layout as we have to cater for a wide range of wheel
standards. However, the high level terminus will be code 75 and as a result some
stock may have to be banned from running over this section. We have tried to use
only large radius and curved points on the main line with some medium radius
points on the branch and in the fiddle yard. We have also fitted Peco
microswitches to all of the point motors to provide an indication on the control
panel how each point is set. The spare set of contacts have been used to provide
power to the frog to give extra reliability. Layout The layout has two main circuits which are on the level,
with two relief lines dropping down underneath to the 12 road fiddle yard via 1
in 30-40 gradients. The uphill gradients are a little flatter ranging from 1 in
84 1 in 45. This does mean that some engines need assistance to haul large
trains out of the fiddle yard, especially with heavy coaches. The Engine shed is
at a lower level at the front of the layout with an underpass to the up main
line so that engines can be crossed over without having to stop the whole
layout. Stock Like most clubs all of the stock is owned by the members,
and a very wide variety of regions and eras are represented, from 1900s GWR to
Virgin Pendolinos.
The Station Throat
An express awaits departure
Any member's stock is allowed to run on the layout at
club meetings but at open days the stock is restricted to 1950s & 60s BR
steam and Diesels. The majority of members have stock that fits this period,
with Southern, Western, Midland and Eastern regions being modelled.