Background
Like most people my modelling goes back to my childhood and a Hornby train set for my birthday or Christmas.
My interest in Belgian Railways goes back to the early 1990s when I made my first trip on the ferry to Oostende. I was quickly hooked on blue electrics and the green and yellow diesels of SNCB, I also discovered Belgian beers and chips with mayo.
I had a thirst for knowledge for everything about Belgian Railways, as well as picking up railway magazines abroad (and looking at the pictures), a logical step was to join the Netherlands Society which subsequently became the Benelux Railway Society.
Then, in the early 2000s, SNCB started replacing their diesel hauled passenger trains with units and I lost interest in the Belgian haulage scene.
Like most people my interests changed over time but a chance purchase of a Roco class 52 AFB “Nohab” with sound rekindled my interest in Belgian Railways. I just needed a layout to run it on.
However, I didn’t have the space at home to model somewhere like Dinant, Mol or Gouvy, so needed something smaller, a lot smaller.
A depot layout was the logical solution. However my memories of Belgian Depots are of very large sheds, I didn’t have the space for a layout of that size either.
At one point I did consider building a model of just the headshunt for a carriage sidings, so most of the track and stock would actually be off-stage. All you would see, would be a train arrive with a locomotive and a couple of coaches, the engine would then be detached and run round off-scene.
I also thought about building a wagon repair depot.
However I ditched all these ideas and went for a more conventional depot, although only modelling a small part of it.
Planning and Construction
I laid a rough plan out on the dining room table with models and card mock ups to check everything fitted as per my ideas, and shared this online. One talking point was the 3 way point, and the fact I was told there was only one in Belgium, so this had to go.
The plan was tweaked slightly and this met with approval from the Belgian online modellers.
Measurements of the car boot were taken as I wanted the layout to be portable.
These measurements meant the maximum scenic section I could have was a 5 foot by 2 foot board with small fiddle yards at each end. The layout when set up is only 8 foot long and just fits in my man cave / office.
So I ordered a 5 by 2 box with pelmet and fiddle yard boards for both ends from Tim Horn in early 2020. This was just before Covid and they arrived later in the year, so the layout became a bit of a “Lockdown Project”, although it was never intended to be one.
The layout rests on heavy A frame trestles, the sort you get from high street DIY stores, which means it can easily be turned on its side for wiring etc.
I have played around with the height of the layout and have settled on a track height of 110cm. This should enable wheelchair users and children to see into the layout at an exhibition and my 8 year old daughter can operate it at this height.
The Layout
Location wise the depot is imagined to be in the east of Belgium so this explains the occasional Luxembourg or German locomotive popping in for fuel.
The time period can be set anytime from the 1980s through to the present day, so AFB Nohabs can be seen in both original condition and with rebuilt cabs. However, one of my pet hates is seeing locomotives sat side by side that would never have done so in real life.
I do try to operate defined time periods, for instance, the single car DMUs only appear during 1980/90 operations.
In pre 2000 “mode” the depot provides traction for a few local passenger diagrams as well as freight services, and the shunters that work in the area. The modelled section of the layout includes a fuel point for operational interest.
In post 2010 operation the shed is in use by Infrabel for stabling of locomotives and track maintenance equipment.
Present day it’s still in use with Infrabel, but does have visiting class 66s from Lineas and open access operators.
The shed also undertakes adhoc maintenance on wagons and carriages to add a bit of operational variety as I do like shunting !!
Track and Scenics
The track is Peco code 100, but with the wooden sleepers respaced on the flexi track using a Railway Laser Lines tool. I think code 100 rail once painted and weathered looks OK. One of the reasons for going with the larger rail size is down to the flange depth of some of the older models.
The track is laid on cork to give a bit of profile to the Woodland Scenics fine ballast.
The points are all insulfrog to make wiring easier and with all the power feeds everywhere, I’m not relying on the point blades from carrying current. However, in hindsight, maybe insulfrog wasn’t the best idea as a few locomotives aren’t keen on the points and I do get split second shorts. To fix this now would be a major job so that’s a lesson for next time.
The depot building is in low relief and follows the design of many Belgian sheds and has a passing resemblance to a number of them, although with fewer roads. Gouvy provided much inspiration as that was only a 6 road building. The building is of course scratch built, as is the bridge at the scenic break end.
The main scenic feature is the water tower, this is a kit from the French company Kit Nord and is based on the one at Steenbrugge depot and is still there to this day. Although expensive, I do feel this kit hits the mark. I have added a few additional details such as the ladders and walkways.
The fuel point is again scratch built using odds and ends and is based on the one at Gouvy.
I wanted some catenary on the layout and this is by Sommerfeldt, and of course uses the Belgian range of components. One of my requirements was to be able to “run pantographs up” on the electric locomotives although current is still collected from the track.
I have also used a number of different “Scale Model Scenery” bits and pieces for the lighting towers and the concrete fencing, although they are OO scale they look OK.
Electrics
Control is DCC using a Roco Z21 with Wi-Fi handset controller. Point control is also digital, with DCC Concepts Digital IP point motors with route setting on the phone / iPad using the Roco App. The layout can also be operated by a wired handset and this feature was added as a backup for exhibition use.
The shunt signals, including the raised one, are slightly modified DCCconcepts plug and play products. Again they look OK to my eyes, although they show red / green lights but should really should show red / white or yellow lights to represent real Belgian shunt signals.
The main aspect signals are B Models products connected to a Roco digital switch pilot unit, again connected into the Z21 Route Setting.
The level crossing is a Busch product and again connected into the route setting. I did consider adding a bell/siren for the crossing, but thought that would become annoying after the first couple of rings.
The layout has integrated LED lighting, with 2 strips of different LEDs to blend the light hidden in the front valence.
Motive Power
The locomotive list is too large to list with models by Piko, Roco, Van Biervliet / B Models, Trix, Marklin (converted to 2 rail DC), Olearts, Mehano, ESU and LS Models.
I have an example (in some cases quite a few) of most Belgian Locomotive classes that have been produced as RTR models.
My older Roco and Marklin DC Models have all been converted to DCC, again using ESU chips, despite their age, some being over 30 years old, but they run very well.
Most locomotives are sound fitted, either factory fitted or subsequently added. My first purchase of the AFB Nohab visually looked great but I thought the sound was poor without proper “notch changes”. This introduced me to tweaking sound projects and using custom sound projects. I tend to use ESU chips as these are easy to amend using the Lokprogrammer. There are a few Belgian Modellers who produce some excellent sound projects and I have used a number of these.
Some of the locomotives have added “stay alives” to improve their creeping around the layout.
Rolling Stock
Again this is from most of the main manufacturers with a few oddballs including a Kibri Belgian breakdown crane (which is a bit of a fake as the SNCB used a different type of crane).
This is the first layout on which I have used Kadee couplers. I did try using Kadee magnets, but to me these looked too intrusive so I found a better (in my opinion) solution. I have tiny magnets hidden between the sleepers around the layout to enable hands free uncoupling. I have them in rows of 4 and these were stuck down very carefully with superglue. These magnets are very strong, in fact so strong that a handful of vehicles can’t be fitted with Kadees.
Operation
The layout is designed to be operated by one person from either the side or behind. At home I operate from the front and at exhibitions I prefer to do this to engage with visitors.
Locomotives can enter from either end, on the depot bypass line or under the bridge. At the rear on the right hand side there are a couple of carriage sidings, again to provide some more interest as locomotives run to and from the depot.
The depot bypass line and 2 carriage sidings are the only lines that are fitted with overhead electrification, so electrics are confined to these lines.
The shed is in low relief and assumed to have access from both ends. Roads 1 to 3 are normally for locomotives only, Roads 4 and 5 are normally for carriage and wagon repairs. A fuelling point enables diesels to take fuel on Roads 2 and 3. Roads 2 to 5 have access to the short fiddle yard behind the shed doors, where stock can be magically changed over.
As well as the odd coach or wagon for repair, I also run a staff train with a single M2 coach and a shunter. This actually happened at Mons up to the early 2000s!!
Charters and railtours were also popular during the period of time the layout is set so I have a steam locomotive (26.101) which was preserved by PFT.
The future
No layout is ever finished and there are more small details to be added. I’d like to detail some of the stock and the “railtour train” needs lots of people inside the 3 K1 vehicles.
The layout has had two exhibitions both at Paisley in 2022 and 2023 I learnt a lot from operating it for two days solid. It ran perfectly, apart from a points failure which was subsequently confirmed as being a dodgy point motor which was replaced under warranty.
One day the layout might even get a proper name, its working title was “Belgian MPD” and this has stuck so far.