LAYOUT | N | CHANDWELL
Chandwell is a fictional major market town in West Yorkshire, sitting on a loop of the River Chander at the lower end of Chanderdale, to the west of Wharfedale and Airedale. The town is served by a four-platform terminus station, with a curved viaduct taking two main lines through the tunnels of Bakers Hill to Halifax and Huddersfield, and Leeds and Bradford. A branch line to the Chandwell goods yards and upper Chanderdale via Chandfield was closed in the early 1950s. The viaduct that carried the branch line was partially demolished in 1960, and the new indoor market, precinct, and market tower were built as a brave forward-looking modernist statement in concrete and brick. In present-day 1993, Chandwell has fallen on hard times after a long period of decline.
The model
I live in West Yorkshire, so I think “model what you see” is a great way to venture into a first layout. I have many happy memories of doing North East Rail Rovers with my family in the school holidays. We must have travelled thousands of miles. I remember the sights and smells, and so it was obvious that I would model that era.
The trackplan is based on that of Bradford Interchange, albeit on a
