This layout is being constructed by a team of students at Stalham High School under the guidance of a group of Club members
The layout is a simple branch line terminus with a station, goods yard, loco shed and a carriage siding; with a fiddle yard using cassettes for maximum storage train lengths. It is designed to provide operational interest with opportunities for shunting, train variety and some scenic interest.
The fictitious location has been deliberately set in the era of the end of the Steam Age on British Railways (1955 – 1968) as this provides the most iconic operating and scenic opportunities. The modern railway in a similar environment would be very simple with Diesel Multiple Units and a single line track or could even have closed post-Beeching!.
September 2024
The project began with a team of 8 students and the first session was devoted to a demonstration of a working layout, allowing the students to operate it and learn the different aspects of creating a model railway. The next few sessions were taken up with carpentry and the building of the three baseboards using frames of 2″ x 1″ topped with 9mm MDF. All of the actual work was done by the students, measuring and cutting the frames and drilling and screwing them togther and then drilling and screwing the tops down. Then the boards had to be connected together, carefully aligning them and drilling for the locating dowels, followed by fixing the joining clamps. The standard of workmanship was very high indeed something we came to expect on all aspects of the project.
October/November 2024
At this point we asked the students to choose the method of point operation, perparing a mock-up of four methods to demonstrate the various aspects. We showed them wire-in-tube, Peco solenoids, Slow motion motors and servos controlled by Arduinos or MERG EzyBus systems. The students chose the servos and EzyBus controls so now we could move onto track laying.
Next came marking out the track plan onto the baseboards and laying pieces of track roughly to check alignments and spacings. Holes were predrilled for point opeartion and wiring and then they started laying the track for real. Each piece required connecting to its adjoining piece and the points required special insulating joiners on the V-crossing (frog). They learned how to lay the track up to the board edge and align it to the next board using copper clad sleepers and rail joining aligners.
January 2025
Track laying continued, slow and painstaking work but they excelled at it and we ran a couple of wagons and a large loco around just to check it was snag-free – it was.
February 2025
With the track laying complete and the point locations identified, we could now add the baseboard cross-bracing. The track was marked out with red and black marks to identify where the dropper wires would go. The students took it in turns to drill the holes for the droppers and then they laid the DCC bus wires – basically a ring of wire to carry the power to the track from the controller.
Next we showed them how to put together the MERG electronic modules, servo mountings and how to add them to the track. We also added all the dropper wires, frog connections and tested the electrical continuity. After a couple of corrections all was ready.
March 2025
While all this electrical work was proceeding, we introduced the subject of scenery and our club secretary showed them how to paint small figures. They really got into this and we also discussed the buildings and other scenery they wish to incorporate into the layout.
April – July 2025
The next few months were taken up by the BMRC members checking & improving the layout electrics and the students, under Rosemaries tuition set about learning and building the scenic items, engine shed, goods shed, low relief houses etc. As we have come to expect, they learned quickly and produced excellent results. Here are just a few images taken during those sessions.
July and August 2025
As the end of term approached we moved on with track painting, and ballasting. We had an issue here in that the gray ballast we were using turned almost black after wetting down and gluing but too late to remove it all and start again.
The backscenes were created and painted and placed on the layout. Then the first steps were taken in adding some scenery, first was the feature item, the bridge & roadway over the station approach and into the town area. Formed by cutting foam board to shape, bending carefully and checking the clearances to the approach track. The layout was fully erected and tested and finally the goal was achieved and the layout was exhibited at our Model Railway Show in Stalham on August 24th 2025
Now for the new term, watch this space.