A Long Time Gone and Help required

[Topsyde]

HI All,

 

Well it's been a fair few years since I tried to start a layout project of St Johns Junction. Due to moving home etc it's taken until now to get myself a space I can work with again. So with that I need a little help in deciding what I'm going to model. I love the infrastructure, Network Rail yellow stuff, however with this having to be End-to-End I'm thinking terminus station.

 

From the pictures I've added you can see I have a 20ft length and 6 ft end width thats also 4th wide to accommodate the helix. This will undoubtedly allow for limited operation but varied locos and rolling stock to be brought up from the lower fiddle yard area. I'm currently playing with the layout in getting the fiddle yard right to make sure I have facilities to move any loco to any part of the layout.

 

So any thoughts on how the 'Upper Modelling Layer' should be designed in particular with the track layout are appreciated.

 

Looking forward to be working on this for a few years

 

 

[DCB]

I think the lack of replies suggests a bit of a consensus that we don't really have a clue as to what would satisfy your requirements.   Normally a steam age terminus would be ideal for your space four platforms, goods yard, loco depot, nice spiral to storage bit of scenery. sorted.

However dead end BR Infrastructure yards are like hens teeth,  You could model a 4 platform station with only 1 platform remaining in use and one infrastructure siding and run round loop, the rest of the site used for car parking. At £5 each the 200 or so diecast cars would soak up a fair chunk of your budget.

Even C J Freezer never designed one of these so I'm afraid you are a pioneer sir and we will watch avidly as you venture further into the unknown.

[The Johnster]

My initial reaction is that it would suit something based on Aberystwyth, but without the narrow gauge.  Maybe an old steam shed could do services as a per way depot where track machines are maintained, satisfying your need for lots of NR yellow stuff.

[Zomboid]

If you want to focus on lots of yellow stuff and can handle other things being limited, then consider a severely cut down March yard, with the Wisbech line imagined as still being open and running past (behind) the site. I'd provide a hiding place past the yard for a 2 car DMU (or two) can run in and out, whilst shuffling the yellow is the main focus of the layout. You could provide a basic platform if you can't live without a station, but I probably wouldn't bother - "March" is just round the corner. Having it as a through line is a bit more credible in my mind.

 

Only works if you are ok with only using a few short DMUs as your non yellow trains.