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© Folkestone, Hythe & District Model Railway Club 2026


V7.15

06 / 08 / 2026


Website edited by: Chris Dorrell

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The club had a small test track for members to run OO and N gauge locomotives and stock on, to check running and clearances etc. It has been in used for many years, and apart from being small, it was in need of a major upgrade. Moreover, its replacement will have TT120 track.


The new design will be built on a modular formula to a much-improved design, re-using spare baseboards left over from a previous project. The first phase is made up of 6 boards making an overall size of 8 foot by 5½ foot. Initially it will have two circuits of 16.5mm (OO gauge) and 12mm gauge (TT120). The second phase will add two more 4 foot boards making a total size of 12 foot by 5½ foot. Two 9mm (N gauge) circuits will be added, plus a short length of 32mm track to hold an O gauge rolling road.


The OO track has been laid onto the phase one layout, and the TT120 is currently being set out. The wiring will allow both DC and DCC options. The wiring loom is laid out on top of the board for ease of maintenance but will also facilitate junior members to see clearly the principles of wiring and in particular jointing across baseboards.


It was an exciting moment receiving a generous donation to the club from HORNBY, comprising a TT120 GWR class 43 HST ‘Castle’ set, BR Duchess of Montrose and four Mk1 coaches plus some trackwork. They were put out on display very quickly to acclaim at the quality of finish. Both locomotives are fitted with HM7000 DCC chips and speakers, providing high quality and impressive sounds. It was not long before they were running with clear and realistic engine sounds, including horns and whistles.


One of our junior members set up the Duchess for DCC operation. Soon after, the alternative method of Bluetooth operation was tested using a mobile phone. It was very gratifying to see it working smoothly with coordinated sounds. Downloading the most up to date software is straightforward and the results and number of functions is impressive