Kirkby Stephen West

 

OO Gauge Finescale Settle and Carlisle line layout

 

This layout depicts on the Kirby Stephen West on the Settle and Carlisle line in the period 1955 to 1964, which covers the early part of the transition period from Steam to Diesel traction.

The OO gauge fine scale layout is a continuous loop with storage sidings at the back and is operated from within the central area.

It appeared as ‘Layout of the Month’ in Railway Modeller, November 2003.

It is also in Hornby magazine issue 5, November 2007.

Stock is a mixture of Steam and Diesel, all of which could have been seen at some time at this location during the time period specified.

It is a mixture of kit built, scratch built and ‘Ready to run’ items.

The RTR items have mostly been modified, enhanced and/or weathered.

As the Settle and Carlisle was used extensively as a testing ground for many locos, particularly the early diesels we have the opportunity to legitimately run stock which would not normally be seen on this line.

Almost all the stock used on the main lines is fitted with the small Bachman Mk 2 couplings and stock used in the Goods Yard is fitted with Kadee couplings, mostly in NEM pockets, so the stock can be converted between Kadee and the Bachman coupling, as and when required.

All the principle structures are scratch built. The signal box is a Ratio kit conversion. The Scenic walls for the fields are a Javis product.

The four signals on the layout are all operational, these are controlled using Fulgurex slow action point motors.

For locomotive control we have 3 Gaugemaster controllers mounted onto the control panel as well as 3 Modelex handheld controllers,

These are wired for ‘Cab control’ so any controller can control any part of the layout.

Switches on the panel allow the operator to choose either the Gaugmaster or the Hand held unit.

There are two more controllers at the back of the layout for additional control of the fiddle yard.

The station building and platform lights, Waiting shelter, Signal box and goods shed are illuminated with a mixture of Grain of Wheat bulbs or LED’s.

Look out for the campfire at the end of the layout which has a Modelex fire simulation module and a Seuthe smoke developer unit installed.