Rowsley

In railway modelling schemes, I find it disconcerting that the use of ‘Hidden Fiddle Yards’ are often deployed. Visitors will in many instances do their utmost to see what is behind the backscenes. In real life we have Motive Power Depots to store and maintain Locomotives and running stock, and this layout allows me to contain a range of Locomotives waiting their ‘Turn of duty’.

The plan was found in the book ‘Through Limestone Hills’ by Bill Hudson, and provides a great deal of plans and inspiration to modellers of all levels. The MPD is therefore a shunters paradise and a feeder to my other layouts, which include Darley Dale, the next Station down the line from Rowsley in Derbyshire. I found much assistance from Keith Miles, a former Foreman at Rowsley, and visits to the Matlock Local Studies centre proved useful; as was joining Peak Rail, who are trying to restore the line. Using a preservation scheme allows for far greater flexibility in visiting stock to the area, as can be seen by visitors to Rowsley now.
The layout size is 7’6” x 2’ and uses Peco Code 80 Electrofrog points and track, with Seep point motors. Initially it had its own control panel, but this has now been incorporated with my other three layouts and all are linked to each other.

17D Rowsley Motive Power Depot circa 1950’s in N Gauge by Don Pearson In railway modelling schemes, I find it disconcerting that the use of ‘Hidden Fiddle Yards’ are often deployed. Visitors will in many instances do their utmost to see what is behind the backscenes. In real life we have Motive Power Depots to store and maintain Locomotives and running stock, and this layout allows me to contain a range of Locomotives waiting their ‘Turn of duty’. The plan was found in the book ‘Through Limestone Hills’ by Bill Hudson, and provides a great deal of plans and inspiration to modellers of all levels. The MPD is therefore a shunters paradise and a feeder to my other layouts, which include Darley Dale, the next Station down the line from Rowsley in Derbyshire. I found much assistance from Keith Miles, a former Foreman at Rowsley, and visits to the Matlock Local Studies centre proved useful; as was joining Peak Rail, who are trying to restore the line. Using a preservation scheme allows for far greater flexibility in visiting stock to the area, as can be seen by visitors to Rowsley now. The layout size is 7’6” x 2’ and uses Peco Code 80 Electrofrog points and track, with Seep point motors. Initially it had its own control panel, but this has now been incorporated with my other three layouts and all are linked to each other.