In the run up to the Gaugemaster Model Railway Open Weekend, 3rd and 4th September 2016, RIGHT LINES we will be looking at a few of the many superb model railway layouts being exhibited over the weekend.
This issue, it is the turn of Kuritu Line - a N Scale Japanese Inter-Urban layout built by Ian Milroy.
Kuritu is interesting because it transitions from the agricultural countryside to a busy town. The layout is 6'x2' and double-sided, with town and country built either side of a partition.
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An oval of track circles the baseboard, with sidings. This temple sits next to a level crossing.
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On the urban side, the railway line intersects with the road as it passes down a busy street. Running stock is mainly Kato, with bits from other manufacturers like Modemo and Tomix. The small size of the layout necessitates short trains, but this just adds to its charm.
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There are many quintessentially Japanese features on the layout, such as the Torii Gate on the urban part of the layout. The buildings are a mix of pre-built, and adapted or scratch built buildings - including some Kato buildings from their Dio-Town range.
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The depot on the rural side of the railway adds running interest, and the K23-225 Wooden Double Track Locomotive Shed is also a pre-built Kato building. All of the points are manually operated by dowels and bellcranks. The layout is simply controlled by a Gaugemaster GMC-D twin track controller, one track controlling the main circuit, and the other the track around the depot.
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This view shows the whole layout with the divider down the middle, showing the clear contrast between the two sides of the layout - from the paddy fields, to the urban station.
Kuritu Line is being exhibited at the Gaugemaster Model Railway Open Weekend on 3rd and 4th September 2016, one of nearly 20 layouts on show in many different scales, depicting railways from around the world. Entry is free, with free parking.
If you couldn't join us this time why not try to join us at one (or more) of our upcoming events here at Gaugemaster HQ.