The project
Our vision
The proposal is for a model railway to be opened to the public in an existing large building in Markeaton Park. The building is located opposite the South Car Park, and is adjacent to the southern end of the narrow gauge light railway that links that part of Markeaton Park with the Mundy Play Centre. Thus there is synergy between the idea of riding on the light railway and then visiting the model railway.
Community benefit
Leisure
The Famous Trains model railway will benefit community needs that are currently under-supplied in the area. Even though a million people visit Markeaton Park (per the Derby City Council’s website), at present there is a finite number of attractions there for families and visitors who may also have technical and transport interests. After touring the Craft Village, playing in the Mundy Play Centre, and riding on the light railway, a family will be able to spend a fascinating half-hour watching the model trains pass by on the 00 scale model railway. The model will have the theme of “famous trains”. Visitors will see and recognise full-length, well-known trains (such as the Flying Scotsman, the Virgin Pendolino, and the Midland Pullman) and will be able to operate by push-button several set piece models around the layout. This charity believes that the model railway will add to the attractions of Markeaton Park in a way that will educate as well as entertain. It will also be something for visitors to do when the weather turns wet.
Education and training
The model railway will be laid out to reflect prototypical operation methods. There will be a main terminus station with sidings and a locomotive depot. The charity’s volunteers will be able to demonstrate the principles of railway operation, and show how railways have developed in the decades of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Training of volunteers will be an essential part of the scheme. Drawn from local people, young and old, volunteers will be able to learn the skills required to construct, maintain and operate a model railway. These skills include carpentry, electrical wiring design and assembly, soldering, modelling in metal, wood, card and plastic, construction of model railway trackwork and scenery, and the electronics involved in automatic and manual operation.
The building
Existing situation
The building and its associated annexe (hereinafter together called the “model railway building”) are owned by DCC and are currently used as a store. The Council has maintained the building sufficiently to ensure its ability to remain safe, secure and dry in its present role as a store. The model railway building is shown on the Ground Plan, which also marks out the existing approach pathways, the annexe and the proposed path links to the narrow gauge railway station and to the South Car Park.
The building dimensions are on the Design Plan. The roof of the main building is formed of corrugated asbestos cement sheet; the internal roof lining does not completely cover the underside of the roof: there is a square hole in the lining of about 1 square metre. The main building is constructed of concrete bricks with a concrete floor. The walls are sound and the floor needs minor repairs. The metal windows are effectively boarded over for security with heavy grade marine ply. The building is not on a flood plane
The main building (22m x 9m) and the annexe (10m x 4m) are used for storage. The annexe has a flat concrete roof. Externally the annexe is being slowly enveloped by a large growth of ivy.
A fence round the end of the narrow gauge light railway prevents direct access between the station and the model railway building.
Proposed development
The Famous Trains model railway charity intends that the main building houses the model railway will occupy the space shown on the Design Plan. The annexe will become the entrance lobby, through which general public visitors will pass to enter the main building. Access to the annexe will be through the double doors that face the terminus of the narrow gauge light railway, and also from the double doors at the north end of the annexe. Access to the main building will be through the double doors at the north-east end of the annexe, beyond which will be a small circulating area where the entrance fees can be collected before visitors pass into the public viewing area.
A roadway connects the exit from the light railway station and a proposed short path to the doorway in the annexe (see picture on right - the annexe is in the background covered in ivy!). This new path will also give virtually direct access from the South Car Park. A short length of new path will also be needed to link to the double doors at the north end of the annexe. For pedestrian visitors approaching from the north end of the park, this entrance will be seen first.
The condition of the model railway building and its change of use will necessitate about £50k to be spent on refurbishment work, including replacement of the main building roof, to suit the building for its change of use from storage to public access. The new roof will be dimensionally similar to the existing roof and will not change the overall height, width and length of the building. As far as can be seen, the roofs covering the annexe and the route to the toilets are in adequate condition and no work on them is required.
Access and egress
All pathways leading to and from the model railway building are level. The planned refurbishing work will ensure that access and egress through doorways is level enough for wheelchairs and buggies to pass through unimpeded. The main access routes for the general public will be from other parts of Markeaton Park using the existing wide pathways from the South Car Park, for which short branch paths will need to link the main pathway with the planned public entrance doorways; from the narrow gauge light railway station for which a direct path will need to be laid; and from the public roads at the A38 ring road using the existing pathways.
Deliveries of materials, particularly during construction of the model railway, will use the south-east double doors, accessing them via the existing paved roadway that leads round the north and east sides of the main building.
Thus the model railway building has been designed for easy, level access from the paths leading from and to other parts of Markeaton Park, the South Car Park, the narrow gauge light railway station and the A38 ring road. There will be no steps on the site and all doorways will be wide enough to allow a wheel chair to pass. Within the main building the model railway will have a low baseboard height so that young children and people in wheelchairs will have a reasonable view of the models. The main public circulating area will be wide enough to permit two wheelchair-bound visitors to pass each other easily.
There are currently two practical emergency escape routes. One is via the proposed normal public access routes through the double doors at each end of the annexe; these doors will be open when the model railway is open to the public. There is also a double door at the south-east corner of the main building in the east wall; this will become an emergency egress door. An additional, emergency egress single door is proposed at the north-west corner of the main building in the north wall. Emergency escape routes are intended to accord with British Standard 5588-8:1999.
Car and bicycle parking
Because the South Car Park is so near to the model railway building, we will not add any additional vehicle parking spaces. Volunteers and visitors arriving by car can use either the South Car Park or that near the Mundy Play Centre. Visitors and volunteers arriving by bicycle may use a small cycle rack, to be located outside the public entrance within the fenced area. The model railway will be within ½km of the cycle route 66.
