HOWDUN Scale 4mm - 1ft. Gauge 16.5mm ('00') by Hull Miniature Railway Society

Size: 12ft x 1ft 6ins (3.75m x 0.44m) (plus operator space), Operators: Two, Transport: One car.

'Howdun' is not an 'ordinary' model railway but a display intended to demonstrate many of the techniques which are employed in building model railways. Much of the layout is built with clear plastic, some unusual techniques have had to be employed which you are not expected to copy on your layout but the clear plastic baseboards, control panel, speed controller and platform do enable you to 'see the works'.

Amongst other demonstrations, you should be able to find:

1. Two different methods of joining baseboards together

2. Five different methods of operating points

3. Using cork sheet in two strips each with a tepered edge to define the ballast.

4. Trackwork in three forms

5. Electrical connections made to the track.

6. Two different methods of forming a station platform.

7. A series of trees formed from wire, from the basic trunk to the finished model.

8. Polystyrne sheet construction of a building from the begining to the finished condition.

9. Scenery demonstrated with expanded polystyrene.

10. Two different designs of 'fiddle yard'.

11. Use of a diode to isolate the end of a siding automatically

The explanatory notes distributed round the layout have been summarised in a handout which is free to take (if there are any left). We would much rather talk to people about our techniques than run trains up and down the track.

If we are not actually demonstrating the model to enthusiasts, we are generally very pleased to allow children to 'drive' the trains under supervision. Why shouldn't we let them drive? They are after all, the long distance future of our hobby.

Pictures to follow