Ripple Road
Cardiff MES
Ripple Road is a 4mm layout on two boards, 8ft by 1ft 8ins which is intended to show the type of small layout for which most people could find space. It has one controller and therefore one operator at a time. There are many isolating sections so that a number of locomotives can be on display although only one can be operated at any moment.
The location is imaginary but might be in Kent, or the Wyre Forest area of Worcestershire or Shropshire. It is dated in the 1930’s when these areas had small collieries and grew hops. Also, both areas had villages named Ripple although neither village had a railway.
It is modelled as a Colonel Stephens’ light railway. Colonel Stephens (1868 to 1931) was an engineer with the Royal Engineers. He had inherited money and established a small office in Tonbridge, Kent, from which he bought, engineered and managed a collection of light railways in different parts of England and Wales.
On light railways standards of construction and safety were more relaxed and speeds were restricted to about 25mph. Expect slow moving trains on our model.