Whiteacres is the replacement for SRC’s flagship exhibition layout Littleton Parkway which has been retired from the exhibition circuit and is being adapted to be used as a members' running layout in our clubroom.

Whiteacres has been designed based on experience with Littleton and is set in the midlands in the Staffordshire/Derbyshire area. It is a multi-level continuous run layout with the high level representing a fictitious former LNWR route from Birmingham to Derby and the low level a fictitious truncated ex GCR line with a link to the high level station of which only one throat and part of the platforms and buildings will be modelled.

The main scenic features are the high level viaduct and girder bridges, and the girder bridges on the connecting link which cross a river valley (River Acres). The area around the station and into the valley will include various roads and railway related buildings plus industrial, retail and domestic buildings representing a typical market town. At the opposite end of the layout is a junction from the main high level line to a secondary route (to Nottingham) and a goods line. On the low level there is also a junction but the ‘main’ route is truncated. The intention is to add three further boards to the front of the layout which will include an industrial facility with rail, road and water access and a small diesel maintenance and re-fuelling depot. The possibility of further extensions has also been ‘planned’ as we are not just operators and need to be involved in actual building and modelling.

The track and pointwork is all hand-built and uses slow-motion point motors using the in-built switches for setting crossing (frog) polarity and control panel indications and interlocking. The track plan will allow us to portray a busy secondary main line and the buildings and scenic features will allow us to run stock (with a bit of modeller’s licence) from the mid-1960’s through to the present day. All the stock (rail and road) will be provided by SRC members and will be appropriate to the chosen operating period-which will normally be 1998 to the present day.

The wiring and control panel will allow operation on either analogue (12v dc) or DCC, although the intention is to run only on DCC as soon as possible. Point and signal operation will be via traditional control panels rather than DCC. An extensive fiddle yard (formerly used on Littleton) will store up to 60 separate trains and allow for an intensive and varied operating sequence.

Whiteacres' first outing will be at Warley in November, so we will be taking the opportunity to work on the layout during our exhibition. Please feel free to talk to us about the layout and other modelling topics-we will be happy to try to answer your questions.