MODEL RAILWAYS ON-LINE STAFFORD Constructed by Harry Howell Photographed and described by Paul Plowman
2 MODEL RAILWAYS ON-LINE STAFFORD A large 00 gauge layout based on the West Coast Main Line This magnificent layout resides in Sydney, New South Wales and is the result of many hours of meticulous work by it s owner, Harry Howell. It is housed in a purpose built building and the visible area measures 33 feet by 12 feet. The building is divided into two rooms, the main layout room and a smaller one, which is used as an office and for storage. The rooms are on different levels. One enters on the lower level and stairs give access to the layout room. The difference in level is sufficient to be able to pass comfortably under the tracks without the need for a lift out section. Nine storage tracks are positioned high up in an adjacent office. At the opposite end of the layout eight storage sidings extend outside of the building into a weatherproof area in which trains are observed by closed circuit television. Harry has undertaken extensive research with the aid of many books, magazines and site visits to recreate the buildings and settings of Stafford in the early 1960 s. Some compression has inevitably been necessary and trains normally have a maximum length of eight coaches. The layout includes the junction to the former Great Northern line to Uttoxeter and the junction for the cross-country line to Wellington and Shrewsbury. Norton Bridge Station has been included and there is an impressive representation of the four-track main line northwards. The line to Shrewsbury curves around the room to Hoyle Station. Insufficient information was available to construct an attractive country station and Hoyle is purely fictional. The name of the station is in memory of an old modelling friend and is based loosely on Yate and Charfield on the Midland line between Gloucester and Bristol. Above: Princess Coronation Class 4-6-2 No.46245 City of London passes through Stafford with the up Caledonian. Left: A busy scene at Stafford with modern station buildings in the background.
MAY 2004 3 Above: Stafford Locomotive Depot, which includes a scratch built coaling tower. The Merseyside Express is standing in the Down Platform. Above: Princess Royal Class 4-6-2 No. 46212 Duchess of Kent stands alongside the coaling tower. The turnout on which the locomotive is standing appears to have been renewed recently with bright red rust on the rails.
8 STORAGE LOOPS UNDER WEATHER PROOF COVERS 4 MODEL RAILWAYS ON-LINE Above: English Electric Type 3 No. D6827 speeds south on the Up Main Line with a parcels train. Period The period of the layout is set in the early 1960 s during the transition period from steam and diesel to full electrification of the West Coast Main Line. Motive power to be seen on the layout includes red Duchesses and green English Electric Type 4 diesels. Also to be seen are some of the prototype diesels of the period including Kestral, DP2 and the prototype Deltic. Overhead line gantries and cantilevers have been erected along the main line but the catenary and conductor wires have not yet been installed. However, a little modeller s license is allowed with new electric stock already appearing. Similarly, the Hornby blue Coronation was irresistible. A fulllength train of nine coaches has been built using Comet kits and overlays on Hornby coaches. Trackwork Initially the layout was constructed using Peco Code 100 track in the hidden sidings and SMP Code 70 in the visible area. Ron Reilly and Peter Swanson assisted Harry with the construction of 45 hand built points. Jackson wheels were fitted to all of the rolling stock and the back-to-back wheel spacing was adjusted on some 50 locomotives. Within a year, wheel cleaning became a major task. It was found that the flanges of Lima and Hornby driving wheels were touching the sleepers, causing imperceptible arcing from momentary loss of contact between the wheel tread and the head of the rail. The task of re-wheeling all of the locomotives was formidable. Trains were running much better on the Peco code 100 track in the hidden sidings and loops. Eventually the decision was made to relay all of the track in the visible area with code 100. It took a frantic three months to complete the task. The result is a reliable layout with trains running smoothly. I would like to thank Harry Howell for his kind assistance with the preparation of this article and for allowing me the opportunity to photograph his magnificent layout. The next Sydney area meeting of the British Railway Modellers of Australia will be held on Saturday 15th May at Harry Howell s home where members will be able to see Stafford in operation. Prospective new members are welcome and should contact either the Membership Secretary through the BRMA website at www.brma.asn.au or Graham Plowman who is the Sydney Area Organiser. Graham may be contacted via the Editor on the Model Railways On-Line website. Plan: Alex Mathieson 1993. Scale: Each square represents 1 foot
MAY 2004 5 Above: Prototype 4000HP Brush/Hawker Siddeley diesel locomotive Kestrel heads south with a train of container wagons. Above: A Sulzer Type 2 passes through Hoyle Station with a short freight train for Shrewsbury.
6 MODEL RAILWAYS ON-LINE Patriot Class 4-6-0 No.45519 Lady Godiva departs from Hoyle Station with a stopping train to Stafford. On the main line Princess Coronation Class 4-6-2 no. 46239 City of Chester heads north with the Pines Express. A delightful scene on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. Fortunately these scenes of a by-gone age have survived and it is still possible to navigate the canals of England. To give added depth, a mirror has been placed under the roving bridge.