Layout: ‘Blue Circle Layout’
This innovative circular layout reveals how it’s possible to compose a realistic scene and run trains in a small space.
Adrian Taylor guides us around a circular layout built by Paul Rolley.
We’re used to looped layouts where you can watch trains go round and round, but ‘The Blue Circle Layout’ is actually round. So round, in fact, that you could roll it down a hill in Gloucestershire. But there’s nothing cheesy about this layout. It’s almost the perfect micro layout. It’s compact, perfect for allowing the modeller to pay plenty of attention to detail. But thanks to its innovative circular design, there’s something mesmerising about sitting back and watching trains moving round it.
You may think there’s something familiar about the design of ‘The Blue Circle Layout’. It’s the brainchild of Paul Rolley, and his ‘Castle Works’ layout of a similar circular design was featured in the
May 2012 issue (MR169). His self-assigned brief was relatively straightforward: to create a portable and original layout that would fit through his loft hatch and which he could build in a few months. The inspiration? Regular visits to the Wenvoe quarry on the outskirts of Cardiff.
Before his plans had progressed any further than a simple sketch Paul paid the site a visit, during which he took photographs of the buildings and infrastructure so he could ensure that the model was as accurate as possible. ‘Castle Works’ featured a diamond crossing to create a figure-of-eight shape for non-stop running. This time, he opted for a folded, figure-of-eight arrangement with gradients taking one track over the other. With a diameter of just 4ft, he had to use first radius curves to get the track plan to fit.
To get the layout through his loft hatch, Paul designed it so that it could split into two 18mm MDF sections that could be connected with wooden flat dowels when in use. It worked well but it did make the layout heavy!
LEVEL-HEADED
To achieve the desired elevations, Paul used polystyrene risers from Woodland Scenics. This also ensured smooth gradients that wouldn’t be too steep. To flesh out the landscape around the risers, he used polystyrene and polyurethane insulation. The main quarry buildings are Walthers kits.
“To get the elevation required, Paul used polystyrene risers from Woodland Scenics”
As with all model railways, some compromises had to be made on ‘The Blue Circle Layout’. Paul quickly realised that, with the roadways in place, the buildings couldn’t be placed in a believable fashion, and he wouldn’t be able to replicate the Wenvoe plant as he’d originally planned.
“Paul claims that he couldn’t get the plant to look realistic, but if you didn’t know it wasn’t an exact scale replica of the Wenvoe plant you would have no idea,” says the layout’s new owner Adrian Taylor. “What really makes it for me is the back scene. This is a photograph Paul took while he was on his site visit. Since he was down at eye level when he took it, the image depicts a nicely elongated perspective, which makes the layout feel much bigger than it is. It’s one of the reasons why I was so keen to follow its progress online, and when it came up for sale I just had to go and meet Paul.”
Adrian bought the layout in the summer of 2017 and then set about refreshing and adding to the original work, rather than clearing the board and starting again.
“I had no need to change anything in the design as it was already close to completion and modelled to a very high standard. One change I did make was to the underlying structure. I fixed the sections permanently together, as I didn’t need to get it through a loft hatch as Paul had. Other than that it
was just a case of adding a few extra features – a Faller USB ambient sound module of site works, plus lights, vehicles and adding some moving parts to the scenery, for example.”
There is one location on the upper level which allows for the two on-site locomotives to switch. Both were were added by Adrian. Because of the tight curves on the inner circle, short-wheelbase locomotives have been used, with a Hornby Peckett and Model Rail Sentinel transporting stone around the plant. The real Wenvoe quarry isn’t rail connected, but the former line to Barry was only 100 yards away, so it’s feasible that a branch could have served it.
There is no definitive era for ‘The Blue Circle Layout’, although the plant was built as closely as possible to how Paul photographed it in 2016. Adrian sees it as depicting ‘anything from the 1980s onwards.’
“That’s why it features a mixture of eras, with steam locomotives on a modern site works. Both of the locomotives have been modified by friends of mine. The Sentinel started life in BR unlined black until my friend got his hands on it with some yellow paint, while the Peckett is relatively unaltered apart from the application of new Blue Circle transfers.”
As it was built with exhibiting in mind Adrian added a blue curtain to cover the unsightly trestle tables and to match the ‘Blue Circle’ theme. ‘The Blue Circle Layout’ has proved extremely popular at shows in the south of England where it’s starting to make more regular appearances, as it’s an ideal space filler. Adrian sets the stage for an ‘operational site’ feel at exhibitions by placing cones and a ‘Danger, Keep Out’ sign in front of the layout.
CIRCLE OF LIFE
“I really must give a lot of the credit to Paul for ‘The Blue Circle Layout’ as it’s mostly his work. All I’ve done is freshen it up and add a few extra features. It sits nicely in the corner of the signal box, the clubroom for the Bognor Regis Model Railway Club (MR255), and it’s a great way for some of our new junior members to get the hang of controlling a locomotive if they’re new to the hobby.”
From the way the line carves its way through the landscape to the brilliantly weathered plant and the photographic backscene, there isn’t a single part of this model that doesn’t make you stop and think ‘wow’.