Rabbit warren layout

A rabbit warren layout is a model railway layout. A group of designs, more than a single constructed layout, rabbit warrens provide a humorous display of continuously moving trains that appear to pop in and out of tunnels, seemingly randomly.

The rabbit warren design has a number of key, defining features:

They are based on a single running loop, although twisted into overlapping curves. The baseboard is small, typically 4 by 2 feet (1.22 m × 0.61 m), but a long running line fits in, owing to the curves. Their purpose is to show a continuously moving train, lurching from side to side across reverse curves, with unpredictable re-appearances from the tunnel mouths. Points are few, a single decorative siding, or a passing loop to allow two trains to be run in turn. Some layouts in the 1970s used the early transistorised control circuits then becoming available to run automatically, switching between trains as each entered the loop.

The rabbit warren was invented, or at least given its first UK prominence, by C. J. Freezer, long-term editor of Railway Modeller magazine.

Rabbit warrens began their popularity in the mid-1960s, with the new H0e gauge narrow gauge models from Egger-bahn and later Jouef / Playcraft. These modelled the style of 600 mm Decauville or feldbahn types, although their scale gauge was closer to 750 mm gauge. Owing to the limitations of the model bodies and the mechanisms available, some oversizing of the frame spacing and gauge was needed.

As these British layouts assumed the larger 00 scale of 4 mm to the foot (1:76.2), rather than H0's 1:87, the oversized locomotive bodies were now closer to scale size for the gauge. The coaching stock though had a 'miniature railway', rather than narrow-gauge, look to them, accentuated by the toast-rack designs of some open stock.

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