Keengate - A New MRC Layout

Card mock up of the baseboards

The Basic Concept:

· To portray a contemporary British multiple-unit passenger and freight railway in 4mm OO gauge.

· To adopt the "American approach" to modelling ie making use of quality RTR supplemented by kitbuilt and scratchbuilt models as required.

· A continuous-run layout, in a conurbation setting.

· Suburban and mainline operations using diesel and AC electric trains.

· Scenic potential and some degree of authenticity while not modelling an actual prototype.

· 16' x 12' to fit in the room available in the club premises.

· Capable of being transported, erected and operated at exhibitions without undue difficulty or heavy expense.

· Available for operation on club nights.

The Layout Design

· This is a modest -sized continuous-run layout. The space available restricts our storage loops (and therefore train lengths) to seven cars length. To get around this constraint we have chosen to model a provincial conurbation - West Yorkshire. This area has a large electrified suburban network using a lot of three-car EMUs, Sprinters and Pacers. It is also served by Virgin Cross Country, (almost the only Inter City operator using genuinely short train formations) and by Midland Mainline who operate Turbostars.

· A very plausible scenario exists based on completion of the part-built MR mainline into Bradford from the south. This scenario would permit intensive EMU and DMU operation along with limited Midland and Virgin Cross-Country services (the least demanding InterCity trains in terms of length). Freight services north and south can also run. Railtours and steam specials over the Settle and Carlisle may also feature.

· The design is effectively a terminus in both directions with a few through services rather than a wayside station on a through route. Electrics will operate in one direction and diesels the other.

· Scenery is intended to be varied, reflecting the local terrain. We hope to feature typical contemporary urban structures such as a multiplex cinema, retail park 'sheds', tower blocks and waterside designer flats. On the other hand the railway architecture may be inter-war LMS or even MR. Stone is likely to feature prominently such as the Liverpool Lime Street power box:

Liverpool Lime Street power box

· The layout will be set in the last 15 years. This allows both early Sectorised BR and contemporary periods to be operated with a scope for 'out of era' vehicles on rail tours and specials.

· Stock will be a mixture of detailed quality RTR and kitbuilt/scratchbuilt vehicles to semi-finescale standards. Trackwork and wheels will be to the NMRA/DOGA/BRMSB standards which are becoming the de facto standards for the best quality RTR.

Articles

Keengate made its first public appearance at Ally Pally on the club stand. Thanks to considerable efforts by Jim Corbett and Jeremy Clark in the run up to the show we were able to display three actual baseboards, which will carry part of the station, the high-level townscape, and the ladder junction in the cutting. The display attracted a certain amount of attention from visitors to the stand and some favourable comments. Dennis's newly acquired Hornby Pacer looked thoroughly at home in what will become the bay platforms - West Yorkshire is very much the heartland of the "Nodding Donkey". Stand crew for the show were Jeremy Clark and my self, Mike Cubberly, Robin Almond, Mohammed Ishmail, Chris Ibbotson, Peter Bird, and Tim Easter, and Jeremy and Jim set up on the Friday.

Mohammed in action at Alexandra Palace on the Keengate stand

The baseboards themselves are made of 6mm ply throughout, with side and end members comprising two strips of ply pinned to spacing blocks. Most of the boards will be simple flat top affairs, the two exceptions will be the boards at the front left corner, where the tracks will be on a low viaduct. The intention here is to use two solid top boards "dropped" at the point where they meet the rest of the layout, with the viaduct structure built up on top. Cross bracing will be fitted after construction, once we have determined the position of the point motors. Visitors to the show on the Saturday will have seem Jim Corbett assembling side and end pieces for the boards as part of the baseboard demonstration.

Since the turn of the year three or four of us have been drawing out the trackplan full size on Wednesday nights at Keen House: we have now drawn out all but two boards and no problems have been encountered - a tribute to Alan Blackburn's planning. All the wood for the remaining boards has been cut and it is hoped to have the remaining boards assembled by the end of April.

Robin Almond is working on design of the electrics, and it is already clear this area will represent a significant commitment. We have a considerable number of Old Pullman point motors from New Annington which we are intending to reuse under visible areas, and current thinking is to use surface-mounted solenoid motors in the fiddle-yard: Mike Cubberley is currently testing one of the new Hornby motors to destruction (It hasn't destructed yet - keep pressing that button!)

The Keengate baseboards (in the background is part of Copenhagen Fields)