First attempt at a UK based model railway

[Longhaireddavid]

Hi there. I am not sure if this is where I post such a request  and if I am in the wrong place, I apologise.

 

A bit of background, For the last 62 years I have been a US outline modeller in both HO and N. I have a - progressing - layout based, lightly, in Connecticut and Massachusetts.You can see what I am doing on my blog - Gentle Model Railways. I have had a couple of attempts at OO and 009 in the last few years but have always come back to US modelling. However, I am getting a bit fed up with having to source so much from the States and pay extortionate shipping charges, VAT plus £8.50 to the Royal Mail for just passing it through Customs.

 

I have decided to give UK modelling another go and am proposing to build a little 3' 6" x 12" portable N Scale layout. I would appreciate some guidance on the track plan as I don't normally create something like this. I am hampered in my plans by the fact that, although I was young during the steam era, I lived in South London so only ever saw Southern Electrics. Hence, I am on dodgy ground with small country terminus designs. As the cost of Model Railroader and Railroad Model Craftsman (plus annual NMRA membership) is quite high, I only see the occasional UK magazine. I do have a really good MR shop nearby - Scograil in Ipswich - so, by going this route I will actually be able to give them some business.

 

Anyway, here is my first thought for the layout.

 

 

 

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

 

[stivesnick]

Hi David

 

The track plan you have drawn is a typical branch station but you will have trouble fitting into 3 foot 6 inches ( I assume the fiddle yard is extra). A small radius Peco code 55 point is about 5 inches long and you have 6 of them in a line. There is not much space left for an engine at the end of the run round loop or between the station and the fiddle yard. You could save some space by putting either the loco shed or creamery on the platform side of the loop.

 

How much space do you have for the fiddle yard? Trains are unlikely to be more than 18 inches long. so would it be possible to make the scenic section bigger to say 4 foot?

 

The other option would be to make the crossover at the fiddle yard end part of the fiddle yard itself.

 

Hope this helps

 

Nick

[Longhaireddavid]

Thanks for the response. Silly me! I am using Empire express (first time I have used it) and, rather assumed that, as it had a full Peco library then the proportions would come out right! I see your point (ha ha). I am off to my LHS tomorrow and I will pick up some track. It won't take me long to put the baseboard together so I can play around with the points (nearly called them switches) on the actual board. The nice thing about foam core is, if it needs a bit more, some quick cutting and a hot glue gun and you have it!

 

Did you find anything other than the length to be a problem? I have tried to make sure that any goods train came come into the loop without fouling the platform track. If I do have the room, could you suggest one more industry?

 

The fiddle yard will be,as you say, about 18" long but it could go out to 21" or a bit more as the desk it will sit on is 5' 3". A bit of an overhang wouldn't be a problem but I don'twant the main board to be too long as I will have to store it vertically.

 

Thanks again.

[stivesnick]

David

 

The type of industry that you use will depend on where the layout is located. Do you have any thoughts on this or what period you want to represent?

 

One difference between modelling the UK and the USA is that nearly every branch line in the UK has had a dedicated book written about it. The Middleton Press and Oakwood Press collections have several hundred books, although some may be out of print. Even if you don't follow a particular line exactly, these books contain lots of information about the type of traffic they carried and the rolling stock used.

 

One advantage of N gauge is that there is scope to include some non-railway scenery within the layout. With this in mind, I would not fill the entire board full of track so there is space for a bit of "town".  

 

Hope this is useful

 

Nick