Layout: Hooper’s Aggregates
When water damage sealed the fate of the Redruth Model Railway Club’s exhibition layout, its members set about creating this enormous layout with a history to match.
The Redruth Model Railway Club’s latest layout has grit and determination in spades.
We all know the importance of keeping our layout in a controlled environment where it won’t be subjected to extremes in temperature or damp conditions that can warp baseboards and cause us problems further down the line. Unfortunately, not all of us have the space for a dedicated railway room. Railway clubs, many of whom meet in scout halls and village halls, have to deal with these problems regularly if they don’t have a dry environment in which to store layouts. Even clubs with dedicated premises can suffer from damp. It was only when the members of the Redruth Model Railway Club set about refurbishing the old exhibition layout that these problems came to light, and drastic action was needed.
“Our previous layout was starting to get a bit tired, so in 2010 we decided to refurbish it,” explains Mick House, exhibition manager and membership secretary. “However, when we started to lift the track and hard standing we discovered it was mouldy underneath. Our clubrooms have always had a bit of a problem with damp but we didn’t realise just how bad things were.
“We wanted to provide the viewers with some background to the company and the location”
It was obvious that resurrecting it was out of the question, so we decided to start building a new one to replace it on the circuit.”
After much thought and planning, work could finally begin on creating what would become ‘Hooper’s Aggregates’, along with an elaborate back story.
“Since it was going to be an exhibition layout we wanted to provide the viewers with some background to the company and the location. Not only would this give them something to read while trains were making their way from one side of the layout to the other, but it would keep them at the layout long enough for us to show off our party piece. I’ve been to countless exhibitions and find myself drawn to models with unique features. All too often, looped layouts just have trains trundling around, time after time. Our goal was to build a Cornish layout that would automatically load trains and service locomotives prototypically, and that meant having an operational aggregate works.”
Deciding to place ‘Hooper’s Aggregates’ close to the Cornwall/devon border, the club didn’t have to look far to find inspiration for its working 1:76 scale works.
“The ballast conveyor was our biggest challenge. It started life as a belt conveyor, made from the cut-down
“Our goal was to build a Cornish layout that would automatically load trains and service locomotives”
inner tube from a child’s bicycle, and it runs on cylindrical rollers. We soon found that the belt kept riding up over them, so we had to go back to the drawing board. On the second attempt, we installed tapered rollers and this was only marginally better. We eventually found out how to do it properly after opting to use a ‘shaker table’. We took plenty of inspiration from the tables used in the Cornish tin mines, many of which were located close to our club rooms, but it took a lot of trial and error to get the right amount of vibration to accurately deposit the aggregate.
“All of the structures are scratchbuilt from corrugated plastic sheet fixed to a carcass made from hardboard. Naturally, we wanted them to look as realistic as possible so we found pictures of the rail-connected quarries at Meldon and Merehead for our inspiration. One of the advantages of having a club working on the layout is being able to divide the tasks, and several members were involved in the weathering using Tamiya weathering powders, paint washes and dry-brushing.”
‘Hooper’s Aggregates’ is one of those rare layouts which only gets operated at exhibitions, as at over 40ft long it is too big to erect in the club room. Its modular design does allow for selected areas to be worked on between outings, and the club is always looking to add bits to it. With more than 40ft to fill, there is plenty to work on and see!
“We have included a large number of cameos. A good quantity of the buildings are externally and internally lit and furnished. At the locomotive depot, you may occasionally see a Class 66 with its roof panels removed revealing the engine. Emergency services are in
attendance at a road traffic accident on the road over the tunnel. There must be serious injuries as an ambulance and Sea King helicopter(from RNAS Culdrose) are on their way. On the first floor of the Bridge Inn, a disco is under way, while out the front a couple who have had a touch too much Cornish Ale are staggering away. The main road in front of the pub is being dug up (again!) and an unfortunate workman is sitting on a Portaloo reading his newspaper – the door having just flown open (we must get that lock fixed). On the bridge, railway workmen on scaffolding are painting the girders while below them, the site manager is watching the day go by. On the river you can see swans, kayakers
and a fisherman hoping for some trout. Between the river and the derelict farmhouse, there are a couple of joggers putting us all to shame.”
This is another great example of how a club can come together to create a brilliant layout in a much shorter space of time than would have been possible for a lone operator. Despite the fact ‘Hooper’s Aggregates’ was born out of an unpleasant discovery, it never would have been built if the previous layout was still in a good condition, and it has proven itself to be one of the club’s most valuable assets. At over 40ft long, it will be hard to miss it on the exhibition circuit, but make sure you take plenty of time to enjoy every inch of it and keep your eye open for the numerous scenes scattered throughout the busy landscape.