Narrow Gauge North

2024

A 009 layout by Brian Twigg
Scale 7mm/1ft
Gauge O16.5
Size 6’6" x 2’

In the world of 009, a modeller called Ted Pollet, a Dutchman, is well regarded as a modeller, and as well as his large home based 009 model, he produced a small exhibition layout of approximately 2900 x 450mm (3ft x 18ins) in old money. He called it “ Nixnie “ which I understand means little, and the design caught my eye as a possible entry level to my move into 0/16.5. I decided to copy the design in 0/16.5, this required an increase in baseboard size to 1350 x 600mm , (4’6” x 2ft) to be able to accommodate the minimal track plan, still a one man manageable size, and my layout of “Knottworthy Magna”, was born. I have acknowledged Teds design in all my scribing’s, and the layout name is a play on words, as I make no pretence of my efforts being worthy of Ted’s expertise or abilities.

So to the layout itself. Because of my increasing disabilities and age, the layout had to be small and light, I was lucky enough to acquire a free piece of 1800 x 600 x 50mm (6ft x 2ft x 2”) blue Styrofoam from a builder friend. This is a very dense version of the foam beloved of modellers for bulking out scenery contours, and this became my baseboard. I made a simple 6mm thick MDF box, 150mm deep to enclose the dimensions of the Styrofoam, fitted 25x25mm battens around the inside of the box to support a piece of 6mm MDF, 50mm down from the top, which supports the blue Styrofoam, and leaves a 100mm free space below for wiring and any works required. I pasted the top and underside of the Styrofoam sheet with heavy duty wall lining paper, on which I could draw the plan of the layout. The plan was simply a slightly modified copy of the “Nixnie“ layout, enlarged to accommodate the increase in scale to 7mm, 0/16.5.

Basically, this is a simple oval, divided diagonally end to end by a 350mm (14”) high central back scene, with a hole for the half circle of track to pass through from one side to the other at each end. The track runs as close to the sides and end of the base board as can be accommodated.

Along one length, (which I will call the front,) is a passing loop to create a station platform, before the line enters a tunnel through the central back-scene divider, before emerging at the other side, (which I will call the back view), onto a trestle bridge crossing a river, and running along the back edge and joining the circle of track through a hole in the back-scene that returns it to the front view. The views through this back scene hole are masked at each side by large trees.

The back view of the lay out has a card kit, half relief factory building, purchased from a company called “Purple Bob”. This backs onto the central divider, fed by a spur from the main line, for the inter change of raw and manufactured goods, into an inglenook type three road siding of two open goods yard sidings and a third covered factory goods facility.