Most of us have seen layouts of such quality, that we could only dream of building.
One such layout was built by a friend who sadly died a couple of years ago.
View it here at Chadwick Model Railway.
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43 Comments
Oh Charlie What a beautiful little layout, some of the buildings are amazing and the overall ambience is something I would love to be able to achieve on my layout, maybe once I have put in the many hours it must have taken to build that layout maybe I will be somewhere close … doubt it 🙂
Great layout! Fantastic detail! Great trick with the magnets! Could one hide them under the tracks? Or are they to far away from the couplings then?
What a nice layout. I do hope you post a video of your experience operating the layout at the show.
As for operating it looks very similar to an Inglnook style. Why not make up some cards with photos of the stock and then use them to make up random trains.
Have fun operating the layout at the show, I do with mine.
As for the front, why not put a piece of hardboard over it and paint that instead of filling in the holes?
As you know I am a Chadwick Addict. My wife has now banned you from the bedroom. I lost the tablet and she found it on Friday evening vibrate her feet when she went bed early with a headache. No change there then.
I think that point controller might be one of Heathcote Electronics.
Very nive layout and great video. You could open up the back of the fiddle yard so that you could replace engines and rolling stock, as per your timetable. A hinged door would maintain Dave's great work.
One thing that I consider genius, is the entrance at the rear, behind the buildings, to hide the fiddle yard, and the emphasis on the freight works. Also nice, the kickback to the passenger's halt, you can have some action with a GWR Pannier and an autocoach (for the time period). Other solution à la Minories, two engines, one incoming with the coaches, a second one waiting at the station to take them on the return trip. An interesting situation, because you can imagine the railway company will maximalize the use of the engines : one coming with freight cars, shunting and waiting for the passenger train she will take back, while the second can do some more shunting, waiting for the next passenger train to come, or taking away some freight wagons. You have dozen of possibilities on all the big four with mixed traffic tank engines : A V1 or V3 for the LNER, a E4 or a Terrier for the SR, or an Ivatt 2MT tank for the LMS. A standard 2MT or 3MT for the BR would be at home too. That's my pick here for the steam nuts like me !
Thank you for another awesome video Charlie
Hi Charlie I am going down the block detection route, and need a bit of help where to do my blocks
i've noticed you have Anyrail 6 same as me if I send my plan over when iv.e sorted it out and put my blocks in would you have a look at it for me PLEASE and tell me if it will work or are the blocks in the wrong place for it to work
thanks
Regards
Mick
Superb, just lovely. I would most certainly invest in this beauty if I lived your side of the pond. It is very pleasing to the eye. Your buddy was a very clever bloke.
Seems that it has been made with loving care, the coal merchants area is absolutely wonderful and the light halfway across the footbridge brings it all to life. it would be marvelous to display and show the model train people what can be achieved and such a shame a man with such talent is lost to us forever
Sad to see a guy down the road model railway smash up in a skip. House left to the kids and they done a complete clear out. More scenery than track but still not nice to see. I told my wife if that happens to my mountains I come back and haunt her and transmit spirit beams at her doll collection or something like that
That is a stunning little layout Charlie, the only thing I wondered was I didn't see any signals, especially ground signals. With regard uncoupling magnets, wouldn't you put them under the track ?
😢 I posted a long comment on Thursday but it seems to have disappeared 😢
Wondered why you hadn’t replied Charlie, thought that was odd as you usually always do.
The slightly cartoonish Back drop is marvellously atmospheric 🙂 a touch Ivor the engine 😉
If it belongs to the club then it would be an ideal way to show-case the club itself on the exhibition circuit. Just an idea.
Very nice little layout. The only think I myself would have done differently, is have the Small Station Halt moved to just across from the SEVEN STARS HOTEL, (as where it is now on the switch back makes no sense).
It brilliantly has the look of a rundown industrial town in the 70’s. Socially shabby and tired buildings screaming for the developers wrecking ball: it really is a layout of exceptional quality and kudos to the late gentleman who created it.
Buy it. You and the wife might have fun at exhibitions.
Lovely layout, and useful updates and repairs.
What happens to our layouts and stock once we are pushing up the daisies is an interesting question. The model railway magazines are full of adverts of companies who will take on an estate or buy all of a set of stock so there must be money in it. I know it then becomes easier for the widows / widowers, (and a number of clubs and friends help out in these circumstances) but I always wonder how many of the recently bereaved are not getting a reasonable return on items. If I had the time and capital, I would like to set up a not for profit organisation that would take on stock in these circumstances and have a modellers eBay type place where items could be re-distributed amongst enthusiasts for a reasonable sum. Any profits made could go to charities or Heritage, Railways or something.
Of course, this practical response ignores the hours of love and care that have been poured into layouts. Perhaps a well recorded video of the layout could be provided to the bereaved as a thank you.
I nice exhibition layout and I'm sure you and club members will show it off well.
Stayed on holiday for many years at west camel and heard about your club but always at wrong time of year to see an exhibition.
I really enjoy your videos they give a lot of pointers and tips which helps both novice and professionals.
What a beautiful layout, it certainly shows the passion of the builder. I love the housing, shops and back scene. The painted back scene fits beautifully with the overall look much better than a ‘photo one would. The track layout has little play value for me because I am a “goes round and round” sort of guy but incorporating a layout like this one into my system would be fantastic!
how much
Nice video of a great little scene. So are you saying you are not sure if you are an "exhibitionist"?? 😂
OH MY GOD. This is absolutely, BLOODY AWESOME. Its a pity the builder is no longer with us, as I would have told him this to his face. It is without doubt the best scratch built, Or otherwise, I have ever seen.
Thank you Charlie, for sharing this with us.
Nice to see you the weekend Charlie at Wincanton, Thanks for visiting. If you get on ok with the layout and you still have it, do you want to bring it next year??? Lovely little layout and you also being a fairly local!! Thanks Steve
Charlie, it is so nice to see that you felt strongly enough about this layout to take over the restoration of it. It truly is a little work of art. I too had acquired a layout by someone I knew who has passed. His name was Dave Methlie and he had built a number of layouts here in the States to promote his business at train shows, some of which were featured in Model Railroader Magazine. I was lucky enough to acquire Dave's Deer Mountain layout with the idea of restoring it. It was in much the same shape as this one. Sadly I just didn't have the time to devote to it that I felt it deserved. I hope that you have the time needed that this lovely little layout deserves.
Those point motors and systems look almost home made, like a DIY solution based in a PIC or similar microcontroller.
What a lovely layout. I am so happy you were able to save it.
This reminds me of the box street yard vibe. I love indsutrial areas. I love the three layers(wall painting and two additional layers coming out. I often wonder if artists like this "see" the completed project before they start it.
What a stunning little layout! Your video and explanation has made me appreciate small layouts, so thank you Charlie.
This is a very intriguing tiny layout. I really like the mood it gives. Your friend put a lot of effort and love into this layout. It shows his dedication. If you want to sell it maybe you can sell it and give (parts of) the money to a charity of some sorts 🙂
I'm also in the first building stage of an even tinier (is this even a word?) layout but still in the very first stage. And it has it's topic also just in shunting, shuffling waggons around. Maybe, if my wife and I move a couple of years in the future I might have more space to extend it. This layout is an amazing inspiration about what can be done even on a smaller scale.
Great video Charlie and a lovely small layout. I’ve a question about the DCC f9 uncoupling. You mentioned specific types of decoder have this pre-configured. Is this something that can be fully (or partially) achieved with other brands of DCC decoder? Not shy to get into programming decoders, just not done any so far.
Hi Charlie, how about running the layout as a mini time machine. Perhaps with a Sugar puff and or Teddy bear for the diesel sequence.
Hi Charlie, a lovely little layout. A basic timetable would be good and improve the operability.
Say 4 passenger workings and two freights (one to the coal yard and one to the warehouses on the left)
Given the lack of a run round loop freights have to be pushed in one direction.
I would suggest a simple dice based selection method for the freights this will randomise the stock used for the freights – using the same formations over and over becomes boring for the operator particularly over a multi-day exhibition.
You can run 7 wagon freights – 6 loads plus a brake van for the guard/shunter to ride in. It just makes shunting a bit more complex especially for the warehouse end.
Regarding the period. You are good up to about 1963 after which small yards like this tended to be closed. This allows class O3 and 08 shunters and other small early diesels in green or black along with your bubblecar in green. Hymeks were still regarded as mainline locos back then.
Regarding prototypical operation. I think reversing the passenger would be unlikely. If you are prepared to make some small changes the the halt could be moved to the headshunt and the existing halt become a loading bank. Such a small yard would only have one train on it at once. It would be quite acceptable to propel the freights in one direction – assume the junction is only a mile or two down the line.
Stock needed would be about 10 coal and coke wagons of various types -16ton steel 5 and 7 plank opens wagons for the coal yard and another 10 assorted wagons for the warehouse mostly vans with a couple of conflats and maybe a sheeted open or two for the warehouse plus two guards vans. Two shunting locos and the bubblecar. Plus spares for exhibition work where the rule is if anything can go wrong it probably will.
One problem I have yet to solve is how do you unload coal wagons on site? The great hand from the sky and removable loads between sessions seems to be the only option as I personally struggle with the sight of full wagons replacing other full wagons. Would love to hear your thoughts on this.
I like the idea of acknowledging the builder on a plaque.
Awesome those scratch made buildings are reminiscent of the type John H Ahern would do. Truly marvelous work by Dave, just shows what can be achieved in a relatively small area. Great that you are looking after the layout. Many thanks for sharing this.
Wow, that's pretty elaborate. Museum Quality. Belongs in a Museum.
Very nice little railway , I like your class 14 as spent many a happy hour as loco crew at my heritage railway with one of these and we used it for regular passanger trains and also engineering /trip working and must say there lovely locos , would love to meet any one that drove them back in there hey days on British rail.
A wonderful memorial to Dave, A top notch scratch builder. RIP SIR :o) Also the head shunt could be easily extended with a tunnel mouth to allow larger trains and fiddle yard out of sight. :o)
🚂🚂🚂🚂😎😎😎👍
A great little layout for exhibitions!
I have now heard of a preserved model railway! This layout successfully carries off the kind of dingy scene that is to be found along many railway lines. The rear view of the houses like this is commonly seen. I think you could easily extend the layout with an oval going around the back, which might be easier for you to operate. Thanks for uploading.
It's Friday but the wrong Friday. Yay Nay Boooo. I come back next Friday. Yay!!!
I am very interested in the coreless motor uncoupling. Is there any information on the coreless motor itself?