We purchased the baseboards made by Andy Goodman as the prototype for his offering for this challenge at last year’s AGM and set out to devise a suitable 00 track plan. We envisaged it as a sub shed of Machynlleth (89C), with basic servicing facilities – two shed roads and two other loco roads, with water, coaling and ash disposal facilities and turntable – GWR/WR were generally against tender first working.
We decided to use up to the moment electronics and electrical control as described below. In the time frame we had available we decided against scratch building. We chose ready made track (in this case Peco Code 75). operated by servos. The sleepers are not as convincing as Peco’s bullhead but they are almost completely covered by the grotty ballast (Woodland Scenics cinders mixed with sifted bonfire ash). Buildings and structures are a mix of “ready to run” and kit built with just one scratch built small hut. An old Triang coach has been repurposed as a mess coach and we couldn’t resist the motorised Dapol water tank with sound – unfortunately the accents of the crew are Cornish rather than Welsh! The turntable is a cut down Airfix product, which is digital powered (by finger!) for now: we do have a stepper motor for it but ran out of time to fit it ready for today. The only signal is built from a Ratio kit, again servo operated. The coping stones etc. on the card retaining walls are 3D printed.
We opted to use about 35 cms of length for an off scene area where locos arriving or departing the MPD could be put on or taken off the track here by use of Peco locolifts (sadly no longer available). This area also contains the control equipment (see below). The track here is switchable to serve as a programme track – the layout being wired for DCC control. Power is also supplied to the back of the layout where two long boards each containing two yard lengths of track can be connected for loco storage in “non Centenary Challenge“ mode. These are for convenient loco handling in exhibition mode but are not needed to operate the layout within the permitted dimensions.