Chipboard Junction

An 8 × 4 sheet of particle board on trestles, a box of sectional track, a controller and a Saturday afternoon. Build the layout, then run it.

Building

1. Choose a track piece. It clips on at the yellow arrow, just like real sectional track.
2. Curves come in 1st radius (371 mm) and 2nd radius (438 mm). Sixteen curves make a full circle.
3. Flip last swaps a curve left/right, or turns a point around so you can join into it from the other end.
4. When two ends meet within a few millimetres they join automatically, the way real sectional track has a little play in the joiners.
5. Add platforms, a station, houses, gum trees and a hill with a tunnel. Drag, rotate or delete anything you have placed. Select a platform or the station building and type its name in the box; the name appears on its sign.

Playing

1. Turn on Sound, switch to Play and turn the controller knob. Like a real DC motor, nothing happens until the volts get past about 2 V.
2. Take the curves flat out and the train will tip over, just like the real thing. Running off an open end or hitting the buffers too hard also ends badly.
3. Changing a point under a moving train splits it and derails it. Only throw points ahead of or behind the train.
4. Try Cab ride for a driver's-eye view through the township and the tunnel.

Keys: ↑↓ speed, Space off, D direction, H horn, C camera. Drag to orbit, right-drag or shift-drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom.

What is real in this game

• Track geometry follows Hornby/Peco "Setrack" style sectional track: 16.5 mm gauge, 168 mm standard straight, 1st radius 371 mm, 2nd radius 438 mm, 22.5° per curve, 67 mm between parallel tracks, 22.5° points. Sources: Jon Scaife, Track geometries for Hornby SeTrack; Hobbyco, Hornby and Peco track sizes.
• That geometry dates back to Tri-ang's Super 4 track of 1962 and the System 6 track sold through the 1970s. Sources: Model Railway Forum; RMweb.
• Lima entered the Australian market in 1970 and made NSW 38, 42, 44 and 422 class models, Victorian S and B class, the SA 930 class and Commonwealth Railways stainless steel carriages. Source: Wikipedia, Lima (models).
• The NSW 44 class: 100 Alco-design Co-Co diesel-electrics built by AE Goodwin, Auburn, 1957 to 1967; 17.81 m over couplers; 80 mph (129 km/h). The model here is 205 mm long, which is 17.81 m at 1:87. Source: Wikipedia, NSW 44 class.
• The NSW C38 class: 30 Pacific (4-6-2) express passenger engines built 1943 to 1949; later repainted bottle green, with 3801 and 3830 returned to green in the 1960s. Source: Wikipedia, NSW C38 class.
• The NSW 42 class: 6 EMD-design units by Clyde Engineering, 1955 to 1956; 18.98 m over couplers; 114 km/h; original Special Maroon livery. Source: Wikipedia, NSW 42 class.
• The NSW 422 class: 20 units by Clyde Engineering, 1969 to 1970, the first Australian locomotives with non-streamlined dual cabs; 18.44 m over couplers; 124 km/h. Source: Wikipedia, NSW 422 class.
• Victorian Railways S class: 18 by Clyde Engineering, 1957 to 1961; 18.72 m; 133 km/h; VR blue livery. Source: Wikipedia, VR S class.
• Victorian Railways B class: 26 by Clyde Engineering, 1952 to 1953, with a streamlined cab at each end; 18.70 m; 133 km/h. Source: Wikipedia, VR B class.
• SAR 930 class: 37 Alco DL500B units by AE Goodwin, 1955 to 1967, the basis of the NSW 44 class; 17.94 m; 113 km/h; SAR maroon and silver. Source: Wikipedia, SAR 930 class.
• HO is 1:87 and British OO is 1:76.2; both run on the same 16.5 mm track. Source: Wikipedia, OO gauge.
• Particle board is sold in 2400 × 1200 mm sheets (the old 8 ft × 4 ft), commonly 16 mm thick. Source: Plyco, particle board dimensions.
• Controllers of the era turned mains power into a 12 V DC track supply; the knob sets the voltage. Source: Hornby Hobbies forum on the H&M Duette.

What is simplified

Buildings, carriages and wagons are generic period-style models, not copies of particular kits or prototypes. The C38 is drawn in non-streamlined form. The 422 class and the carriages are shown in representative colours where the original scheme was not confirmed by a source. Speeds, tip-over limits and sounds are tuned to feel like a 1970s toy train rather than measured from one. Scale speed is shown as HO: model speed × 87.