This is a Club Members Layout originally built by a team of Club members and now in private hands
This layout was originally constructed as part of a quarry/mining environment but was abandoned before completion. Broadland Model Railway Club acquired it as just the two left hand baseboards with almost no scenery and all the electrical wiring removed.
It was extended by one more baseboard incorporating the disused quarry, lake and the fiddle yard. The layout is now presented as a current day preserved railway under the name “Castle Broad Railway Preservation Society” and this provides much scope for a variety of stock. It is loosely based on the railway at Llanberis in Wales; in fact the back scene is a photo of Llanberis but with a subtle change – can you spot it?
The layout was orginally wired using the DC system, separated into 4 ‘cabs’ equating to the four main sections: Main Station and Carriage sidings; Engineering Works and Engine Shed; Lake End Loop and Fiddle Yard; and the branch line to the Mountain. All points are operated by Peco PL-10 motors and we have incorporated working semaphore signals using small servos and programmable circuit boards using Arduino Nano.
Since being acquired by a Club member, it is planned to convert the control system to DCC and greatly simplify the wiring as a result. The layout may be available for exhibition in the future – watch this space.
Exhibition Requirements
| Layout Size | 12′ x 2′ |
| Operating space | 15′ x 5′ |
| Number of operators | One or two |
| Number of cars to transport | One or two |
| Maximum distance for travel | Negotiable |
| Tables & chairs required | 1 table, 2 chairs |