Irkington Yard
This layout is a shameless copy of Alan Wright’s original Inglenook Sidings.
It was built with Hornby and Peco train set track, designed for simplicity of construction and audience participation.
The drawers in the Ikea Moppe unit on which this layout is based can just be seen in the bottom of this photograph. The unfinished scenery is however very evident. The rolling stock is almost all Chivers 0n30 items based on 16′ prototypes, while the locomotive is from the Bachmann 0n30 ready to run range.
Here is the other end of the scenic section, showing the low relief of the buildings and the small size of the layout. The building shells are made from Estate Agents’ sign board and the shed and tin hut are resin castings by Port Wynnstay.
You can see all eight items of rolling stock in this photograph, from which a train of five must be assembled in the order chosen randomly from a deck of cards. The sidings only hold five, three and three wagons each, so moves have to be planned.
The track is held down with double-sided adhesive tape, ballasted with sand and the backscene is simply a light blue paint sample pot.
At Narrow but Nice 2004, this layout was well received by children and adults alike, all of whom had a go at operating a model railway with a purpose.