Warley Model Railway Club, Unit 1F Pearsall Drive, Oldbury, West Midlands, B69 2RA
Registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) Charity No: 1153792
All images courtesy of Railway Modeller
Construction work on Dalby Wood started back in 2004 when, following the completion of our previous layout Halston Junction and its appearance on the exhibition circuit, a decision was made that our next layout would also have continuous circuits but on two independent levels – representing the British Railways era in the 1950’s and 1960’s with spectator and operator interest the criteria. Again, the setting would be fictitious, but a location where BR Midland and Eastern Region trains could be seen.
Trackwork is PECO Code 100 with standard turnouts in the hidden storage and SMP Code 75 track on the main viewing area with turnouts hand-built to suit the track configuration. All turnouts are operated by 12-volt ‘Tortoise’ motors.
The lower level does not have a station but allows the use of two continuous main lines – each with a freight loop. Trains will appear from the hidden storage at one end and disappear through tunnels back into the hidden storage. Most trains on the lower level will be hauled by ex-LNER, ex-LMS or BR Standard locos plus early BR diesels.
The upper level covers a double-track main line passing via a girder bridge over the lower level tracks into the island platform. At the end of the platform, the route splits into two independent branch lines before returning to the hidden storage area. Goods sidings with shunting, facilities are catered for in the area behind the station plus sidings in the platform area to allow shunting of coaching stock. Trains on the upper level will be hauled by ex-LMS locos (with the occasional ex-GWR interloper) plus BR Standard locos or early BR diesels and DMU’s.
The layout uses three control panels – one for the lower level, one for the upper level and a small panel for the upper level goods sidings. All electrical leads are linked from board to board and to the control panels using 25-way ‘D’ plugs and sockets. The first appearance of the layout in public was at our exhibition in November 2009.
Details for Dalby Wood are as follows:
Gauge: 00 using Code 75 rail section on the viewing side
Overall size: 21’ 6” x 16’ (approx 7m x 5m)
Power points required: one 13 amp 240V socket required to cover the following:
12 – 240V 60 watt bulbs for layout lighting
5 – 16 volt AC transformers
2 – 12 volt DC transformers
2 – 9 volt/5 volt DC transformers
The layout is self standing but 2 – 4’ x 2’ (or 1 – 6’ x 2’) tables are required for holding stock
Insurance value of layout/stock - £10,000
Number of operators: normally 10
Expenses required: we have to hire a long wheelbase van from the Friday through to Monday morning. The cost of the van plus insurance and fuel being in the region of £220 (based on fuel costs Jan 2009) – depending on the distance travelled.
