Quaker Lane is the working name for the new 4mm layout currently in the early building stages from Darlington Model Railway Clubs Heritage Diesel & Electric Group. The group decided to plan, propose and hopefully attain the backing from the club to build a replacement for the clubs existing “Parkgate” layout. Planning started around June 2005 although it was soon decided that the small easily portable layout the had been rumoured was simply not conducive to the wish list of the individuals involved; namely scale length trains running through a realistic urban setting with the ability to show off the ever increasing amounts of scratch built, kit and heavily detailed ready to run stock being produced.

It was assumed that the layout although fictitious in reality should portray the North-East of England with both the buildings to be built and the stock and formations to be run. In short we wanted to produce something along the lines of Mostyn, Wibdenshaw, Boldon Junction and Runswick Leamside. Not overly ambitious at all then!!!!! After what seemed a never ending stream of non starters a track plan was decided upon. That was until our resident track and signalling expert pointed out that the track formation would not be permitted in practice and hence the laddered double junction you see presently. It was decided that the whole layout should be based on a continuous curve and that to enable this to work to the best of its ability hand built track work with purpose built point work geometry should be used produced. The next big decision was taken with ease; namely we should embrace technology and go DCC, (actually we had seen and more importantly heard the commercial sound chips particularly those of the class37 and decided that we wanted some of that!) So that was the wiring sorted out.

On to the scenic. It has always been our full intention not to model a specific location but to capture the essence of an area. Finding suitable prototypes within the vicinity , well we have found 1 so far that of Ferryhill Box! The rest of the layout was to be set running through the urban outskirts of a large town or city with an industrial background and a retaining wall 30’ or so in length acting as a natural back scene. Our favourite area has to be the stock most of which is being replaced or upgraded from that seen on Parkgate! As the layout centres around a permanent way yard several members are busy constructing grampus, sealion, dogfish and other suitable stock, whilst it is also the intention to produce the inter-city charter rake BN91. Also in the pipe-line are a rake of the hydro-cyanic tanks complete with barrier vehicles that worked in and out of Haverton Hill. Locomotives are being produced to enable the layout to be run as either 1983 or 1987


Further information and photographs about Quaker Lane can be found at www.quakerlane.fotopic.net