In October 2007 the Dutch HRCA returned to the annual Eurospoor event, an international 3-day model railway event held in Utrecht each year. To bring something new to the public, we decided to add a 3-rail Hornby Dublo layout to our usual 0-gauge layout. This was the first time a working Dublo layout was to be seen on a large model railway event in the Netherlands.
Our usual 0-gauge construction team was again formed by Niek van Ees and Peter Zwakhals, while Rob van Teylingen did the Dublo layout. During the days Hans van Dissel, Piet Scholten, Henk Brouwer, Piet Buis, Hendrik van der Wal, Hans Kusters and Paul each took their turn to help as steward during the opening days.
We made a special welcome to quite some visitors from the United Kingdom, whom we all invited to have a closer look at both layouts. One UK visitor got hold of the controls running a 0-gauge Lizzie: an old dream come true for him.
The completed 0-gauge layout just before opening time.
The station area on one side of the 0-gauge layout. The station was made from 2 Windsor No. 2 Stations, with 2 Windsor Island Platforms and 8 Passenger Platforms, all from the 1929-1933 period. A Princess Elizabeth is waiting at the station with a train of LMS Corridor Coaches. On the next track a E320 Flying Scotsman with No. 2 Special Pullman Coaches.
Since Eurospoor is an event for realistic railway modelling, we try to add as much scenery as we can to the 0-gauge layout.
Henk Brouwer brought some of his rare export items including double heading No. 3 PLM Locomotives, No. 2 Special Golden Arrow Coach and No. 2 Special EST Composite.
This year we restricted the 0-gauge layout the LMS and LNER. Here you can see some of the 0-gauge locomotives on shed, including 2 Princess Elizabeth, E220 Special Compound, E320 Royal Scot, E120 Special Tank, E120 Special, E120 Locomotive, E120 Tank Locomotive and EM320 Tank Locomotive.
This small static Dinky Toys display received a lot of attention. Being a more know Meccano product then Hornby Trains, this way the stewards could easily made the link with other Meccano products.
Rob van Teylingen put up the Hornby Dublo 3-rail layout. During setting up the major benefit of a smaller gauge was soon to be seen. Rob had already built up the complete layout before the actual event, and made some digital photos as a guide. The Dublo layout was already nearly complete, before the 0-gauge team had finished the first outside loop.
Rob van Teylingen puts a 4-6-2 West Country Class locomotive on the track.
A look at the station area of the Dublo layout with some extra sidings for goods trains.
Rob at the controls of the finished Dublo layout.
The difference in scale between 0-gauge and 00-gauge.
As usual we made up a track plan for the 0-gauge layout on the day. We ended up with a 4-track layout. Each track had its own sidings and all tracks were interconnected. Setting up took us the Thursday before the event, and was completed during Friday morning.
The complete layout team at a welcome coffee brake. From left to right: Henk Brouwer, Rob van Teylingen, Peter Zwakhals and Hans van Dissel.
Running a 0-gauge layout is hard work. Hans van Dissel (right) gives Niek van Ees some advice on putting together a proper Goods train.
A picture taken at track level with some other spectators having the same idea.
Although we used original 20 volt Hornby locomotives for our 0-gauge layout most of the time, we also use some ACE Trains for running. Here you can see the new ACE Celebration Class locomotive in LNER green.
