With a combined interest in narrow-gauge and military layouts, it was decided that we should build a layout, loosely based on MOD sites, such as 'Dean Hill' and 'Chilmark'.  The challenge was to construct the layout for this year's Club Model-Railway exhibition, which was held in March.  An early decision was to keep to 'micro' layout proportions, with a fiddle-yard at the back, and a detachable scenic board in the front.

The fiddle yard would represent munitions storage in the form of magazines, entered through one of four doors at the back of the layout, with a common return rail entering through a transit building.  The finished layout has a track area of 576 sq. ins.

Set roughly in the 70's and 80's, Farleigh Down represents a MOD site which receives stores and distributes munitions. The transportation of the munitions on site uses rail operation, and so supportive movements are also required for loco maintenance.

FARLEIGH  DOWN

O-9 Narrow-Gauge (7mm/ft.)

by Paul Levy and Ellis Johns

The lightweight baseboard is made from thin ply, with ‘lightening’ holes used to keep the weight down (weight of removed plywood from these holes adds up to just over one kilo).
Track is a mixture of Peco 'OO9' and code 80'N-Gauge', with Peco point motors.  The scratch-built locos use Kato tram chassis, which have proved to be both reliable and cheap. Rolling stock is made from 'N-Gauge' chassis and kits from the Avalon range.  Eventually the layout will cater for both conventional and digital control.  The layout has also provided a good test bench for developing innovative features such as opening doors to certain buildings.