Hazel Valley.
00 gauge/ 4mm /ft. Code 75 rail profile. Control-analogue DC
Come and see this impressive layout running!
Friday evenings from 19:00, with a different theme each session.
18 February 2011 Diesels
15 April 2011 Steam
12 August 2011 Multiple Units
7 October 2011 BR 1970s / 1980s trains
Hazel Valley will be part of the Club's October exhibition, when the theme will be BR in the 1970s / 1980s.
More about Hazel Valley.
The layout is loosely based on railway practice in the Hope Valley, Derbyshire. Alongside the mainline are exchange sidings and a branch that winds its way under the mainline to nearby limestone quarries and cement works. Scenic details capture the tranquillity of the Peak District, which is only disturbed by the passing trains and the bleating of sheep.
Trains depicted cover the north of England British Railway practice of the late 1960s showing different companies' steam loco’s and early BR Diesels. Most trains pass by, but occasionally certain trains leave or enter the exchange sidings and are split up for moving up and down the branch line.
Picture yourself standing beside a double track main line running through the White Peak, with the cry of the curlew and the warning bleat of a sheep as a stranger is sighted. There is a lonely set of sidings that serves local quarries and a branch line to bring the traffic to the main line. The station can represent a thriving steam age facility or a decaying and delapidated disgrace to the post-privatisation era. The signal man has a magnificent view to enjoy between carrying out his duties but his box is exposed to the north-westerly gales. It can be a cold place to work in winter. Oil lit semaphore signals and modern diesel trains- incongruous but prototypically valid. Some of the trains bring ramblers and walkers to this remote spot to enjoy the wild scenery.
Trainspotting.
Standing on the overbridge with your packet of sandwiches and bottle of soft drink gives you the chance to "spot" locomotives from different eras, depending on the running theme chosen for the night. Just recently, there was a veritable procession of Brunswick Green and Copper trimmed loco's from a certain company in the Great West of England.
Along the footpath.
A couple of walkers have paused to consult the map. Oblivious to the passing trains, they continue their walk, heading for one of the district's many good public houses, with beer and food in mind.
Druid's circle.
Local legend has it that nameless rites take place here at the full moon. Would you be brave enough to wait alone long after the last train has gone to find out what really happens?