BHMRC O gauge layout: Chappel High Road

‘Chappel High Road’ is Braintree and Halstead model railway club’s O gauge (7mm = 1ft) layout.

The layout is approximately 30ft in length and 14ft wide. Targeted minimum curvature is 6ft radius: Comprising of a mainline station with passing platform loops on both the UP and DOWN MAIN line with a pilot loco head-shunt situated at the country end of the DOWN platform loop. At the rear of the layout (Fiddle yard area), the UP and DOWN MAIN lines have passing relief lines to vary traffic.

At the country end of the UP platform loop a junction allows access to a signalled route to the DOWN main line or to the GOODS BRANCH line, station yard head shunt and Engineer’s depot.

The GOODS BRANCH is bi-directional with access to the local goods shed, post office sidings and hidden relief line to the fiddle yard and turn-back sidings.

A locomotive depot and turntable is accessed via the down main from the fiddle yard area.

The rear of the layout comprises of a small fiddle yard on the GOODS BRANCH line with storage sidings to enable train formation, train reversing and train interchange.

The layout can run in DCC or DC mode, or a combination of both. From the two power control options for locomotive control any of the lines can be switched to either option

The 'O' gauge section also has a portable layout, GOSFIELD YARD, for exhibitions: O gauge/7mmto the foot. Set in the Eastern counties and although the village of Gosfiled exists, it was never railway served. The name was chosen to reflect the club's location at the time. So, this gives a certain amount of dramatic licence when it come to the layout and the type of stock that may have served the area.

It is designed be able to depict different eras of train travel, from the time of the' Big Four' up to the late sixties and the end of steam. The main focus of the layout is the large goods shed and yard, which also incorporates two MPD's, and old steam engine shed and a diesel refuelling point. The yard is downline from the Town's station and forms a terminus as it spurs off the mainline under the old viaduct in North Essex. 

Goods are mainly inbound raw materials, foods, dry goods and various liquids. You may sometimes see a brake-down crane from one of the major MPDs stabled there overnight. Outbound empties and local produce from the farms and silk mills. If you would like Gosfield Yard to be at your exhibition, please contact Gordon :- nhumphris@btinternet.com