CLUB LAYOUT - HOLGATE

A 1:148 Scale (N Gauge) reproduction of the East Coast Main Line near York

Layout size : 24 feet length x 8 feet depth

An ambitious project (perhaps too ambitious some might say) to recreate a portion of the East Coast Main Line south of Holgate bridge in York.

The layout dimensions, when translated into N gauge, have enabled almost half a mile of the "real" railway to be reproduced.

The track plan was taken from Ordnance Survey maps of the area and then scaled to the correct size for N gauge.

The baseboards are constructed from 9 mm plywood , supported on "gate" type trestle legs.
The result is that each of the baseboards can be lifted easily by one person – essential for exhibitions.

The viewing area of the layout consists of five baseboards, each 4’ length and 2’6" in depth.

The track plan is as it existed prior to electrification in 1988, and consists of six main lines and four storage sidings, these sidings are often used in real life to stable trains (freight, passenger or even the Royal Train on occasions).

A mass of pointwork just prior to the Holgate bridge allows freight traffic to divert to the two innermost lines – on the "real" railway these then pass to the north of York station immediately after passing under Holgate bridge.

Passenger traffic (up to and including full length HST’s) use the four lines at the bottom of the plan before passing under the bridge and into York station – on the layout these lines curve around in the hidden portion of the layout before filtering down into two lines and passing into the storage sidings.

Each of the four main lines incorporates five storage sidings around the back of the layout, the six foot length of these sidings is sufficient to accommodate full length freight or passenger trains and the locomotives used are of sufficient power to haul such trains without problems.

As of Summer 2012, all track has been laid and wired up, with point motors now being installed and tested. Portions of the layout have been assembled and track joins all tested. 
Next stage is the fairly tedious process of ballasting some 150 feet of track, before commencing installation of the scenery.
Construction of the major scenic feature (the Holgate Road bridge) has now commenced, following a lengthy photography and measuring session of the prototype !