PHILIP WADDINGTON drew inspiration from West Yorkshire to recreate a pre-Grouping slice of nostalgia in ‘OO’ gauge, focused on the famous Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway. Photography, Jonathan Newton.
I BUILT THIS layout to celebrate the railways of Yorkshire, and although it is set in the ‘Big Four‘ and British Railways eras, the availability of new models means I am now increasingly focusing on my real passion - the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway (LYR). In its present form (there have been previous iterations), it measures 15ft 4in x 11ft and is analogue controlled.
Above: Stanier ‘Jubilee’ 4-6-0 5690 Leander awaits departure from Halifax station as a Webb ‘Super D’ 0-8-0 rumbles by with a mixed goods.
I started in the 1970s by building a model of Halifax station, and a decade or so later finally began constructing a layout, with baseboards made of 3in x 1in planed timber and chipboard tops. A removable viaduct unit, which featured a river, canal and lock was built, although scenic additions meant it became impossible to lift up.
In 2015 I moved again to my present home which has a larger room for the railway. Additional baseboards and other alterations were made to extend the layout to make the most of the larger room…
