Hazel Valley.

This layout is loosely based on the railway which passes along the Hope Valley in North Derbyshire. This line acts as the major link between South Lancashire, Cheshire and Manchester in the West and South Yorkshire, Sheffield and North Midlands in the East. The model depicts a portion of this line as it passes through the limestone country at the Southern end of the Pennine Hills in North Derbyshire.

The model is in British 00, ie a scale of 4mm to 1 foot and a track gauge of 16.5mm. The complete layout measures 27 feet by 12 feet overall and consists of 14 baseboards, which form a large oval. Four wedge shaped boards form a semicircle at each end, and 3 straight boards front and back complete the oval. The three front straight boards and three boards of each semicircle contain the scenic section.

The viewer can see a tunnel portal on the West end of the layout, with a double track main line continuing to the East end, where it passes over the branch line and under a road bridge, a farm access bridge and finally a footbridge. The centre is occupied by exchange sidings for the branch line, which leaves the main line shortly after the tunnel. It then descends a gradient to pass under the main line and into a tunnel at the East end. The rear boards provide storage roads for trains. The operators stand in the centre of the layout.

Above : A 2-8-0 Austerity engine rounds the curve with a loaded coal train and is about to pass under the overbridge leading to the farm. Note the bus and the hikers heading for the stone circle in the near foreground.

There is a small wayside station on the layout which only sees the ocasional local stopping service. Apart from the station the only buildings is a Midland Railway signal box and messing facility block on the railway, and a hay barn in one of the fields. There are many fields modelled, with an ancient stone circle in the one near the East end, and a plantation of fir trees in another. A feature of the layout are the long stone boundary walls, which have been modelled by gluing together small individual pieces of card. A watercourse passes under the main lines and sidings before running down a channel to pass under the branch line. Complete working signalling has recently been installed, with both semaphore and colour light types.

Operation consists of local and cross country passenger trains passing on the main line at regular intervals, together with various freight trains, some of which have to enter the exchange sidings. The branch serves a fictitious cement and limestone works, therefore suitable trains are shunted up and down the branch. The layout has now attended several club shows and shows further afield at Macclesfield, Chester and Accrington. As there are very few structures to date the layout, this means that the layout can be operated using rolling stock from the 1950s to the present day as required.

The layout is available for general exhibition. Please contact Kevin Parkinson via the Webmaster if you are interested in booking the layout for a future exhibition.

Above : A selection of further views of the layout;

Top Left - A Class 58 passes the signalbox with an eastbound Speedlink service;

Top Right - An LMS 2-6-4 Tank heads a semi-fast local train towards Sheffield;

Bottom Left - An LMS Class 8F brings a loaded train of ICI Hoppers round the curve and over the quarry branch line;

Bottom Right - A pair of EE Class 37/5s bring a mixed train of cement and lime wagons around past the site of the (new) station. NB the station was in the process of being installed on the layout when this view was taken !

Written by Kevin Parkinson (Layout Manager) with additional notes from the Webmaster.

Updated : 1st June 2006

Home