Layout ideas - free to a good home

[Nearholmer]

It struck me a while back that many of us are harbouring useful layout ideas that will never get turned into reality, because of lack of time, space, money, or just because of complete indolence, and that these could be given away free, in a sort of virtual corner-shop window.

 

So to start, her is "Layout Design seeking sympathetic builder with own plywood and track".

 

It was inspired by a walk round the backstreets of Shrewsbury many years ago, and is a scene on "the wrong side of the river", between two bridges. We are looking at it from the far bank.

 

An impecunious Light Railway has a tiny station here, the terminus of a line straggling out to the middle of a field, miles from anywhere, and a connecting siding trails off through a gate into the back of the GWR goods yard.

 

Watergate Street is climbing up from the river, so Jubilee Terrace (1897) is built in stepped fashion. The rest of the buildings are small engineering works, very tatty warehouses etc, and the whole area is rather run-down.

 

Date is either in the 1930s, when a wheezing steam loco and one old coach provide the passenger service, most trains having a few wagons tacked on behind, or as late as the 1970s, when a stub of the light railway remains open to access an MOD depot and an oil terminal, and the loco is an 03 or an 08.

 

The idea was conceived with "replaceable details", to allow a very long spread of dates - cars; H-type TV aerials; advertising hoardings etc. Loads of scope for things like a couple of boys fishing, the odd abandoned bike, a chap skulking "out the back" for a fag, a dog doing what dogs do in such places.

 

All freight traffic disappears off stage to the GWR yard.

 

Anyway, there it is. Seeking a builder.

 

K

[JohnR]

Thats an interesting idea. What size did you envisage the layout being?

[Nearholmer]

When I first thought of it, I was thinking EM, on something like three 3'6" x 1'6" boards.

 

Nowadays, I tend to think 0, and it might just be possible to get it onto three 4' x 1'6" boards, using 3' radius points, but I think it could really do with being a bit bigger than that, to avoid it feeling too cramped.

 

K

[ohanlonmartin]

What a great idea, especially for people like me who have more ambition than knowledge/imagination.

[Zomboid]

I've always thought that exchange sidings would make an interesting model.

When I have infinite time and money I'd love to build a modular type of system where I can bring a train out of staging to an exchange location, drop the cars to be exchanged off, pick up the new ones and head off to another stressing location. The branch would then be modelled "fully" in so far as it would run from the junction to the industries, up some imaginary steep hill so the train has to be taken up & down in segments, and I could then switch the industries. Each module would also work on its own (except possibly the junction), and could be taken to a freemo event or similar.

 

It's basically CJF's roundy main line with a branch to a high level terminus greatly expanded...

 

I'm thinking American style with a class 1 interchanging with a short line, but the main activities have occurred everywhere pretty much since Stephenson's time.

[DCB]

I've always thought that exchange sidings would make an interesting model.

When I have infinite time and money I'd love to build a modular type of system where I can bring a train out of staging to an exchange location, drop the cars to be exchanged off, pick up the new ones and head off to another stressing location. The branch would then be modelled "fully" in so far as it would run from the junction to the industries, up some imaginary steep hill so the train has to be taken up & down in segments, and I could then switch the industries. Each module would also work on its own (except possibly the junction), and could be taken to a freemo event or similar.

 

It's basically CJF's roundy main line with a branch to a high level terminus greatly expanded...

 

I'm thinking American style with a class 1 interchanging with a short line, but the main activities have occurred everywhere pretty much since Stephenson's time.

 

You can do that with any wayside siding, pull out the outgoing wagons and push in the outgoing ones. or remarshall freights from two different lines into fast and slow,  or vice versa at quite modest stations.  Such as Okehampton.   Many steam age UK yards dated from the 1880s and were very poorly laid out for the traffic of the 20s to 60s. Gloucester Over sidings for instance, or Cheltenham High Street which was OK for southbound but must have been a nightmare northbound. 

 

I like Morton (Moreton?) Cutting near Didcot which originally remarshalled Eastbound traffic between Didcot and Reading to reduce congestion at Acton Yard, a great subject for modelling as long as you don't those awful Triang like Tension Lock couplings like Bachmann still cling to in 2016

[Nearholmer]

There is something very appealing about the "interchange yard as living fiddle yard" idea, especially if it feeds into a decent "hinterland", as outlined by Zomboid, and practiced by a fair few US modellers. A train ferry arriving to deliver wagons to an island system is an even more appealing idea, bit a bit out of kilter with reality in the British Isles.

 

I'm also quite taken by those junctions where the branch station was almost entirely divorced from the main station, Lislaerd being the best, because that arrangement makes for a great "living FY" too.

 

In fact, I've come to think that "dead" FYs have had it too easy for too long ........ They are such a waste of space!

 

Kevin

[Zomboid]

It wouldn't work for every scenario, but the idea of an entirely scenic layout is appealing, particularly if you can avoid using the 0-5-0 and still get good, realistic play value.

[KeithHC]

A good idea this thread as an armchair modeller at the moment I have come up with a couple of thoughts. 

 

1. A Southern Branch line terminus at Godstone could be electrified so BIL and HAL units. Freight would be mainly sand and fullers earth. The branch would link to Redhill.

 

2. Southampton West Quay GWR. The DN&SR had a plan to run from what became Shawford junction through Chandlers Ford to enter Southampton from the North. There would be a connection from the Romsey Eastleigh line. The GWR would then have powers over the line from Sailsbury to the junction between Romsey and Chandlers Ford and this line would also take the traffic from the M&SWJR.

 

3. Southern Heights electrified branch built in the Surrey Hills round to Biggin Hill and Orpington. Single track 3rd rail.

 

Keith HC

[Nearholmer]

The Southern Heights has been modelled a few times, despite never being built in reality, including one layout with working outside third rail in 0 scale.

 

But, I suspect that is was intended to have 600V OHLE, tramway-style, rather than third rail, a sort of predecessor of Tramlink, but would be interested to know for sure.

 

K

[Zomboid]

One day I'll build Kingsclere (the home of the actual Watership Down), on the fictional LSWR branch from Oakley to Newbury South. Probably a bog standard passing station on a single line, with a selection of rabbit related industries to shunt. Would see the odd larger locos on racecourse specials, as either Newbury South would be reasonably conveniently located for the racecourse, or a station would be provided like the GWR did.

 

Newbury South would be your basic BLT with some capacity to handle both horses and excursions.

[Taigatrommel]

Surely Fulchester should be a North Eastern layout? 

[Nearholmer]

I think it had a life somewhere else in the UK, before VIz, in a cheesy TV series, but I chose it mainly for the "chester" part, which applies all over England to a place that had a Roman castle/fort, so is good for a long-historied city. I think, but can't speak Welsh so can't be sure, that "Caer" is the equivalent in Wales.

 

Discuss.

 

K

[Taigatrommel]

Viz has a good heritage for layout inspiration, the founders were all railway enthusiasts!  A recent issue even had a class 86 on the cover...

[Titan]

This is my layout. It has actually been built, although the goods yard area is somewhat different. But if anyone wants a roundy roundy for a small space - just over 11 foot by 11 foot which also has a terminus which can accommodate 6 coach trains (or eight coach MU) This may provide inspiration. It is mostly streamline with some setrack where 2nd radius curvature is required on the station throat to maximise platform length, the main running lines curvature being much more generous. If you have more space than me you could choose to either ease the curves or have longer platforms. All platforms can access all lines in either direction making train reversal easy. If you are steam era it should not be too hard to incorporate a turntable somewhere.

 

[TonyMay]

Why do you need a turntable when you've got a triangle?

[Nearholmer]

Titan

 

Good "trad" design, and I'd love to build something like that in Coarse 0, but it would need a double garage. The only way I could do it would be to knock through from my garage into my neighbour's, and I have a nasty feeling that they would spot what I was up to.

 

K

[Titan]

Why do you need a turntable when you've got a triangle?

 

Because halting the trains on the main line every time a loco needs turning causes delay and makes the passengers grumpy.

[Rivercider]

On the theme of scenic fiddle yards it occurs to me that Ashton Meadows Sidings in Bristol would be a candidate,

a fairly small compact yard, surrounded partly by a grassy bank, there is also the Civil Engineers depot which could also be included.

37302 has just been detached from the loaded hoppers and is about to run to the far end of the yard to take empties back to South Wales. The yard comprises only four double ended roads, the two lines on the left are actually the remains of the running lines of the Bristol Harbour Railway. The coal will be hauled by a privately owned diesel shunter along the Bristol Harbour Railway to the coal concentration depot at Wapping Wharf. 11/2/80.

 

To make a yard like this the focus of a roundy roundy layout I would envisage a freight only operation. Two groups of wagons, one loaded, one empty would be needed, loads rotating clockwise, empties anti-clockwise. For added shunting complication both loads and empties include vacuum and unfitted 21t hoppers, and/or 16t minerals if one prefers. Then the trains could be remarshalled in the yard as required. First run as a fully fitted train, then reformed as 21t hoppers only, or 16t mins only. Some wagons could be designated as green cards to be shunted out etc.

 

cheers

 

 

 

 

 

[Satan's Goldfish]

See Freight Return to Eccles Road in the Prototype Discussions forum, Ideal for a modern running mainline and shunting options. adapt geographical location and freight service to suit.

[Zomboid]

See Freight Return to Eccles Road in the Prototype Discussions forum, Ideal for a modern running mainline and shunting options. adapt geographical location and freight service to suit.

I thought that, too. For 2016 operations it's about as modellable as it gets. Though I might pretend the main line was a bit more varied...

[F-UnitMad]

In fact, I've come to think that "dead" FYs have had it too easy for too long ........ They are such a waste of space!

Kevin

Oh I dunno.... they always seem very popular at Exhibitions; sometimes more than the scenic bits they're attached to...

[Quarryscapes]

I picked up a copy of W.G. Rears Anglesey Branch Lines and it struck me that the stations at Llanerchymedd, Llangefni, Amlwch and Red Wharf bay are all crying out to be modelled. Even if not as the prototype locations, the track layouts of the through stations would be easily modified to become a believable BLT.