Harpenden is the layout of Dave Potter, a long standing member of OMRC.
Harpenden appeared at the OMRC 2002 exhibition and also at Scaleforum 2003. It also appeared at Abingdon 2006.
Harpenden GNR was a passing loop station and onetime block post on the Hatfield to Dunstable branch line. The station comprised of a passing loop with up and down platforms, a cattle dock, coal staithes and a goods shed. These facilities handled a variety of traffic such as cattle, coal, vegetables, fruit and manure. Before the First World War horse races on Harpenden heath used to generate extra passenger traffic and the cattle dock was used for the shipment of horses.
The line, although single, was kept fairly busy with half a dozen or so passenger trains in each direction and freight trains carrying sand, cement, lime, scrap iron, hats, cars and coal. At weekends and at night the signal box was locked out along with the loop and the station was run as a single line. this explains the wrong way facing bracket signal which was worked from the signal box at Luton.
The model is not an exact copy but is based on the prototype due to physical constraints or lack of information. The main source of information used for the design and building of the layout came from the book "The Hatfield, Luton and Dunstable Railway" by G & S Woodward, 1977 edition. The track layout was copied from the published signal box diagram. This was then reduced on a photocopier to an appropriate size and placed in the signal box with telegraph instruments and the correct number of levers all painted in their right colours.
It is built on the doughnut principle to give the advantages of end to end or continuous running in a compact area, essential for a one man layout. The track is mainly 'Ratio' flexible to 18.83 gauge which has been used where the curve is four feet radius or above. Pointwork is hand built using "Brook-Smith" components, as has trackwork of less than four feet radius to take advantage of the gauge widening facility that this method provides.
Locomotives and rolling stock consist of a mixture of scratch built, kit built and converted proprietary items, all with compensated chassis. Buildings and signals are all scratch built with the exception of the goods shed which is a converted kit.
The model was built in the late 1970's and has been exhibited for about 25 years or so and is beginning to show it. Recent work to the layout has consisted of the addition of a photgraphic backscene.
