‘009’ GAUGE LAYOUT DEFFRO DAWEL
Upcycled but downscaled
The donation of an unwanted baseboard rekindled Ian Arkley’s childhood affection for detail-driven ‘009’ modelling.
Words: Chris Gadsby
Photography: Chris Nevard
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What makes this layout great?
‘Deffro Dawel’ is one of those layouts that makes you pause for a moment when you first see it. There’s a lot to take in despite its size but it doesn’t look overcrowded, and the scenery is simply stunning.
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T heysay that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. When Ian Arkley’s friend decided to change his mind about the layout he was going to build, Ian gained possession of a very small cast-off baseboard and proved the theory. But could he achieve his desired looped running in a space just a fraction over 3ft by 18in? Well, in a decision that involved turning back the clock to his youth, Ian decided to revisit ‘OO9’ as a change from his usual ‘N’ gauge layouts.
“I was in my teenage years the last time I had a ‘OO9’ layout and the spare baseboard proved to be the ideal opportunity to get back into it”, he said. “Yes, the curves are a little tight but everything successfully completes the loop, even the Fairlie.”