Narrow Street

Narrow Street is a 4mm/OO gauge layout, using an extended version of the classic “Minories” track plan by the late (great) Cyril Freezer, first published in Railway Modeller in 1957 (see more here).

Track Plan

The layout has been constructed on lighter weight boards, constructed mostly from 4mm and 6mm plywood in a honeycomb style structure.

The track is PECO Code 75 with concrete sleepers, laid onto cork underlay. Points are electro-frogs, also with concrete sleepers.

The layout is to be designed to be used with Digital Command Control, and uses the MERG DCC system, which is a series of kits you build yourself. These have been built into the layout so there is no need for extra control units, they are all built into the control panel.

The points are powered by servos attached to 3D printed mounts, which are connected to MERG servo control units and are operated from the control panel. This gives the benefit of slow action point movement and also the addition of microswitches for changing the polarity of the frog, and also indicator LED’s on the control panel.

The underside, showing the servos and the control board.

The layout is now fully operational and has attended a couple of exhibitions. I am in the process of making it slightly longer and converting the underground section so that it runs by computer control.