Layout: Ruffles Road
For a small layout, ‘Ruffles Road’ manages to include many of the latest control systems and ideas. Its creators Simon Veasey and Alain Turner talk to Chris Trevedra about what lies inside
Simon Veasey and Alain Turner have used the latest control systems at Ruffles Road.
When creating their layout, most modellers hark back to a period they remember, and ‘Ruffles Road’ – a microcosm of suburban London in the late 1980s and early 1990s – is no different. Its builders, Simon Veasey and Alain Turner, aimed to recreate something from their past, and have a lot of fun in the process. They succeeded admirably on both counts.
Both Alain and Simon met as volunteers on the Colne Valley Railway (CVR).
“It began in 2018, on and off”, says Alain. “We both ran the model railway at the CVR and wanted to try something ourselves. We split the expenses 50/50 between us and decided it couldn’t be too big because of transport – it needed to fit into a small van.
“We thought we could achieve something – we thought we’d build one we could take to other shows.”
From the start, the motto was to achieve as much movement as possible in a small space. The pair dedicated themselves to different aspects of the layout.
“I work below the board and Simon works above”, laughs Alain.
Initial construction proved to be simple, with help from Murray Beamon, who also happened to be a shop fitter. Sitting on bespoke folding legs, the baseboard breaks into two sections and a fiddleyard.
“We worked it out as we went along,” Simon remembers. “It was mainly built in my conservatory,
a weekend at a time. It took us three sessions before deciding on a track plan – what does and doesn’t look right. There were no major challenges, though; we’re both very flexible, and we were very confident.”
Even at the early stages, both Alain and Simon had several clear requirements for ‘Ruffles Road’.
“We wanted to make sure that all track had power feeds,” notes Alain. “We didn’t want to rely on joins. There’s this myth of DCC being just two wires, and that’s not always the case. We looked at everything that could go wrong and tried to get round it.”
“Also, there needed to be decent copper cladding on the edges of the board,” adds Simon. “That was something I made to add more strength to the track.”
INTERACTING AND INTERLOCKING
The track for the layout is Peco’s Code 100.
“You don’t have to use finescale track to make it look nice”, explains Simon. “As long as you do a nice job on weathering and ballast that’s fine.”
Attention was also closely paid to the Electrofrog points, which use DCC Concepts ip point motors. These were selected because of their lifetime guarantee, and to ensure that they were slow-acting but easy to use.
Alain also runs through some of the other technical aspects of the layout.
“We went for all the bells and whistles. We use a Digitrax control system, which is essentially plug and play, and we use a computer programme so our points and signals interlock in the same way as an actual railway. It was time consuming – the manual for the
programme was 400 pages long – but we got everything we wanted, and beyond.
“We’ve got locomotive feedback, which shows if a locomotive is on the line, and prevents problems. There are also USB cameras in the fiddleyard connected to a screen so the driver can see how far he has to go. There are two Train Tech smart screens, programmed so you can click on them and change destinations.”
The screens are visible, but Simon and Alain are aware that some older members of the public can have difficulty seeing what’s going on, so the information is also displayed on a larger LCD screen for viewers to read. In addition, there’s a display for the operator to explain the moves and therefore avoid the need for shouting at shows.
“It benefits the operators as much as possible,” says Alain, “If there’s a problem, we work out a solution.”
For its main controller, ‘Ruffles Road’ uses a PC
“There are USB cameras in the fiddleyard connected to a screen, so the driver can see how far he has to go”
programme called Train Controller, which acts as the brain of the layout.
“If there’s a problem, it doesn’t short out,” says Alain. “We picked it up from walking round shows and seeing what others were using. It splits the layout into three sections. Half is in one section, then the other half in another, and finally the fiddleyard in the third.”
For Alain, one highlight is being able to run the models off his mobile phone.
“I also love being able to see everything from the computer screen,” he enthuses. “It’s like being a modernday signaller. You push the button, and everything is set. It’s our own little railway in a model. Day and night, lights and sound… Each step we progressed, we did that little bit more. And we haven’t compromised on anything. It would have been nice to automate everything, but the other guys like running trains.”
ATTENTION TO DETAIL
Just as ‘Ruffles Road’ possesses a state-of-the-art control system, its scenery and rolling stock also features the same exacting attention to detail when portraying the
end of British Rail’s blue/grey period as it moved into Network Southeast branding.
A look round the layout takes in a Tube station and ornate station building, together with plenty of detail to delight most modellers.
For Simon, building the station provided a great deal of satisfaction.
“I scratchbuilt the platform and set it on an angle, just to be a bit different. The Tube station is 90% built from scratch. For the station building I used a heavily modified Airfix/dapol building, and included interior lighting and window blanking among other things.”
Other notable scratchbuilt features include a lifting hoist on one of the sidings and concrete hardstanding. Simon recounts that it was painted using emulsion paint.
“I’d seen lots of kits, but never one I was happy with”, he says. “Emulsion is different for me as most of the time I paint with acrylics which have quicker drying times. Everything is then finished off with matt varnish. I use a homemade oil wash to pick out the finer details.”
Move in a little closer, and you can see other details such as a Wills relay box which was modified to show the interior wiring and a toolbox. Eagle-eyed viewers will also notice three familiar ‘spotters’ at the end of the platform (pictured, above).
“That’s us,” Simon laughs, when talking about the figures. “We used 3D-printed pictures of me, Alain and Sam our operator.”
The rolling stock at ‘Ruffles Road’ matches the layout perfectly, with most being modified in some way by Simon. The majority uses Legomanbiffo sounds, while the weathering is professionally done by GC Weathering.
“The Tube station is 90% built from scratch. For the station building I used a heavily modified Airfix/ Dapol building”
MOVING FORWARD
What does the future hold for ‘Ruffles Road’? It spent the first full season of 2019 attending shows. The following year, for obvious reasons, was not as busy.
“It was a shock to the system,” notes Simon. “Sometimes we got negative comments, but that’s going to happen. I know what I would do better, but most of the time I look and think ‘actually that’s quite nice’.
“Our future plans could involve a new section, and I’d like more sidings, but at the time enough was enough. It’s a really enjoyable layout to operate because it’s a period we’re fond of, and one I remember well. I lived in East London and remember things like the introduction of the Class 315 units, for example.”
“You should never be afraid to show your work,” says Alain. “Although shows are quite hard work to do. In that respect I have to say thank you to everyone who’s helped us along the way; we have a great team.”