Mobile Melbourne Model Train Layout

January 26, 2006

The Eltham Model Railway Circle (Melbourne, Australia) was formed in 1980 and started with a small end to end layout. The model railroad has progressed to a fully operational layout. By the Mid 1990’s the club began construction of an exhibition layout. The exhibition layout had it’s first public Showing at the Strathmore Model Railway Exhibition in August 1999.

The Eltham Model Railway Circle now has a large permanent layout as well as an exhibition layout called “Layout Murranbilla”.

Layout Murranbilla is 20ft long by 8ft 4inches wide. The layout breaks down into 8 modules, each 5ft 10 inches in length and 2ft 6inches wide. The legs are made from tublular steel that are fitted into larger square tubing screwed into each corner.

The layout is built on the open type timber frame, with decking only where necessary for a solid base for the trackwork. Hand holds have been cut into the sides to allow easy carrying.

Power to the track is by way of two commercial battery chargers modified to give a split potential power supply using the two transformers in parallel. This allows the running of one common rail and a common return wire for the whole layout. The controllers were originally purchased from the Melbourne Model Railway Society and were modified by removing the jug style of element from the circuit and replacing this with series connected diodes. This allows for a smoother operation of locos by varying the voltage rather than the resistance.