Small Diesel running/servicing shed

[scottystitch]

I have become inclined to knock together a small diesel depot set alongside (in continuity - 1962-64) with my Perth General main layout plan, primarily to display my motive power whilst the latter is being built but also with half a mind to display at small shows around about.

 

A starter for ten is laid out below. The viewing angle is from the bottom of the plan, with a representation of the Perth and Carlisle walls as a backdrop at the top edge of the plan. Locomotives enter from the right (obviously), go for fuel and water/sand and then either to the servicing shed for attention or straight to the stabling roads.

 

The idea is that this has been squeezed by necessity into a small scrap of land, the operational railway still occupying huge swaths of land around Perth. Perth's large main steam shed is still employed in providing steam motive power and so isn't capable of giving up space for diesel servicing. A row of Metcalf terraced houses make up the front scene, with the MPD raised , probably ground level being about the height of the back yard walls.

 

Motive power will be lots of 26/27s, 25, 24s, 17s, 40s, 44/46s and a 47.

 

The Servicing shed I have envisioned as being a couple of Scenecraft examples knocked together, or similar. The scenic area is 36 inches long, by a foot deep. Scenic break will be a road bridge with one of the arches being the entry road for the MPD. All track is code 55, DCC controlled trains and probably wire in tube point control, with polarity switching. A sector plate or cassettes will form the fiddle yard.

 

As this is a first attempt at the plan, all constructive comments, criticisms, suggestions, questions gratefully received. My initial concern is, is there too much stabling for such a minor, essentially refuelling, facility?

 

[DCB]

These small diesel depots were as rare as hens teeth.  I think Fort William had one but I don't think it had refuelling facilities, I think a road tanker refilled the Corpach Gronk.

 

Muir of Ord had one in 1988 when the Ness Bridge was down and the far north line ran Dingwall - Wick and Dingwall - Kyle with trains using Muir as a depot.

 

Perth actually has a very model able DMU Depot, approx 5 roads times 3 coaches tucked beside the station accessed through a hole in the station wall on the site of historic carriage sidings

[scottystitch]

Hi David, and thanks for the reply.

 

The DMU depot wasn't as such in the timescale being proposed here. Originally it was a carriage shed with later stabling for first gen DMUs as they became more widespread (as far as I am led to believe/have researched). As far as I am aware there has never been any fuelling facilities at this shed. Since at least the late 70s, diesel fuelling has been carried out on what was the former Platform 8/9 and still is.

 

It is only in recent times that the facility has become so important in terms of DMU servicing for Scotrail. The carriage shed will be modelled as well as the adjacent motorail facility on my Perth General layout (see separate planning thread).

 

In reality, as steam was phased out of Perth shed, a couple of refuelling points were installed just outside the main shed building for diesel locomotives. However I wanted to try and alter things slightly to engineer a reason for the above plan...........

[MarshLane]

All looks quite good.  In terms of too much stabling, I would suggest its one of those areas that was unique to each location.  The amount of stabling would have been adapted to the number of locomotives expected to be working on or off the shed.

 

To me, you have locos arriving onto the fueling roads, from where they would proceed to the servicing shed if due an 'A' or 'B' exam, or if not (and subsequent to any exam) they would then go off shed, or onto the stabling roads.  In my mind, for railway operations, its logical - but its also a model, so while keeping the realism, it also needs to meet the requirements of the builder  .. i.e. you!

 

I'd say it looks interesting, and i'll be following  Im doing a similar thing, albeit in O gauge, set in the North East in the mid-late 1980s, with a similar, although not identical track layout.

 

Rich

[scottystitch]

All looks quite good.  In terms of too much stabling, I would suggest its one of those areas that was unique to each location.  The amount of stabling would have been adapted to the number of locomotives expected to be working on or off the shed.

 

To me, you have locos arriving onto the fueling roads, from where they would proceed to the servicing shed if due an 'A' or 'B' exam, or if not (and subsequent to any exam) they would then go off shed, or onto the stabling roads.  In my mind, for railway operations, its logical - but its also a model, so while keeping the realism, it also needs to meet the requirements of the builder  .. i.e. you!

 

I'd say it looks interesting, and i'll be following  Im doing a similar thing, albeit in O gauge, set in the North East in the mid-late 1980s, with a similar, although not identical track layout.

 

Rich

Thanks for the reply Rich,

 

I'd hoped the flow would work reasonably well, thanks for confirming that.

 

Regarding stabling, I think there would be a handful of locos that would sleep overnight, maybe for the first trains to Inverness and Edinburgh, and that then throughout the day, a number of locos would take on fuel, water, sand and sit waiting for their next turn.

 

I think I will print out the track plan and see how it looks with motive power on it.

 

Scott

[MarshLane]

Hi Scott,

Yes all sounds logical to me, plus there would be a larger number on shed over the weekend as well remember.

 

Rich

[rob D2]

The only question mark I would say is at a lot of diesels locations fuelling was/is on a through track to increase operational flexibility I guess and stop locos getting locked in

[scottystitch]

The only question mark I would say is at a lot of diesels locations fuelling was/is on a through track to increase operational flexibility I guess and stop locos getting locked in

Thanks Rob. I suppose I could change things around to try and make that fit....

 

Perth's current fuelling road, however is a dead end.

 

I shall take a look and see if I can engineer an alternative, and see how it works.

[luckymucklebackit]

Probably the best example of a small diesel depot was the one at Millerhill,

 

 

 

Jim