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Outon Road


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Picture of Outon Road at Mansfield show (apologies Ian if you have a copyright on this)

 

As the layout isn't completely finished I thought I would start a topic in here for progress reports, I'm rubbish at blogging as I always forget to post so I'll keep my updates here for now. Anyway a little progress has been made to Outon Road which now means that she can fully run, indeed she more than did her bit at mansfield earlier this month, a fantastic first outing, but there is still plenty to do, and plenty more to add. As the mansfield pics in the exhibitions section show, the layout now has fiddle yards, a name board with light and a yard lamp! A lot more details are in the wings though. However, the modelling bug has again bitten. After running Outon Road at mansfield I now begin to wonder whether a little more Outon is warranted. I have begun to think of an extension. Another 4ft long board through the bridge to the left. This time with a gentle curve though for interest. I'm never going to be able to model the imaginery main yard, however I should be able to do the main line and a loop/siding. The question is do I go a bit silly and try to model a few sidings for operational interest or is that a bit cliche? I kinda feel that it may be more tasteful to just give the trains more breathing room and model more interesting scenery that the railway can pass through. Or do I forget it altogether and do something new? My loft layout is miles away yet and I have a need for some AC electrickery. Anyway, I won't be able to exhibit any extension for a while as the two further exhibitions booked for her this year only have her at 10ft overall and I don't have room to put her up with an extension at home! Anyway ta ta for now, I will post some plans soon, and give updates on the layouts progress. In the meantime some opinions on the directions that I'm considering would be great!

 

Cheers

Cav

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  • RMweb Gold

Agreed - A very nice project

 

The colours and tones seem to be spot on.

 

Am sure I have seen this as a layout topic previously?

 

A fw more photos would be very welcome :D

 

TIA

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Hi Cav,

 

Good to see Outon Road in the layout thread! I enjoyed following in the 2010 Challenge was thoroughly impressed in what you have ahieved in a small space.

The extension sounds like a good idea. I wonder whether a loop for either passing trains and / or running round will allow you to shunt wagons etc into the two sidings on the first board.

How would you then create a scenic break on the new board to fiddle yard? Another bridge may look out of place.

 

Keep up the good work!

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a afantastic layout there and it all looks so real from there, great effort and will watch for any further progress

 

if you dont mind me doing this i have spotted something a bit odd

 

 

i think this may be god looking down

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Ha ha! Nice work Sapper! I have never noticed that before. Of course now I won't ever not be able to see it!!

 

Mudmagnet, my plan is to carry on the two mainlines and add a third line, however I would like the layout to be modular so that I can show it in either Outon Road mode or the longer mode depending on venue. This means that I can really only have two lines running off of the far end of board two that are set exactly as the two running off of board one so that the fiddle yard can connect. However this doesn't really give a long enough run to diverge and make a full loop that joins back on with enough room to store a train. This would be good though if it would! So I am kinda stuck with a long siding, not so good, although it will mean that you can now see the shunting movements and also allow a stop over in the siding mid move to allow a through service past, or split wagon off using the mainline, this configuration would give lots of room for some nice scenery, which I like. My other ideas were a bit more gaudy and included a small yard or stabing point. Its a bit of a squeeze but I could have a little loco layover and fuelling point on there. People seem to like locos to look at or listen to between movements. But do they like that more than good scenery with interesting cameos and features?

 

As for the bridge I see what you're saying but it will need something going over the track. IMO it is just plain awful when a track just goes through a hole in the backscene. A layout is in essence a stageshow and to not have the curtains to the sides kinda spoils the atmosphere I think. If you can hide it behind tall trees, buildings or something then thats pretty good but with the track curving away as I intend, the entrance will be far too on show I think. I don't think I'll use a road bridge though (although I did consider a concrete dual carriageway bridge at first) I might try a metal footbridge fixed right against the backscene (I also considered a mirror on the end, hendre lane style, but with the viewing angle due to the curve I can't see how its not going to look like a potential train crash each time a train heads for the bridge!!). I also need to decide on where the ground level will sit relative to the trackbed!! So much to decide!!

 

Cheers

Cav

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This was one of my favourite challenge layouts and it hasn't lost any of its attractiveness in the intervening weeks!

 

To be honest though, I always thought it would work better if you re-imagined the rear track as a single running line and kept the front road as a goods line/shunt neck for the unseen yard. I'd keep the extension as a plain two lines, perhaps with some disused and lifted sidings to give interest and suggest the yard without actually having to connect to the fiddle yard - something like this maybe:

 

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If you had enough room in the right hand fiddle yard you could run freights in and out on this line. Otherwise it would see locos going to and from the station sidings to stable (they look fine there in the photo without any additional facilities) and maybe the odd shunt appearing out of the left hand fiddle yard briefly before heading back.

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Hi Cav,

 

I understand wher you're coming from. I hadn't picked up on your ideas, but all makes sense. I like the idea of having a footbridge across the track rather than a road bridge.

 

Looking forward to seeing how this develops.

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I think you're right Simon. The extension needs to just have the one single track branch line with the near track being the spur into the off scene yard. I like the idea of just having the two lines. Gives loads of room for lovely scenics and also more credability to the freight shunting movements coming on and off scene. I also like the idea of a disused track. Something not modelled enough I think. I will have a little play on CAD this weekend and see what I can do plan wise.

 

As for photos there are loads on the thread that Simon posted a couple of posts up. But here are a couple of my favs.

 

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And one from the Mansfield show again

 

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Cheers

Cav

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Ha ha the caption thing is excellent!! I never knew outon was so full of comedy!! Perhaps we should start a thread on captions for layout pics!!

 

Just been discussing the extention with the missus and she agrees on the two track method. So thats what i'm going to do!! More later.

 

Cheers

Cav

 

 

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Hi Cav,

What a great layout, I have been catching up on your challenge thread as well, not sure how I missed it but its all very nice. B) I have been thinking of doing a small exhibition layout for a while and fancy having a go at building some points. It's all a while off but this has certainly got me thinking, I had been thinking of a small terminus but having a small fiddleyard each end could be the go. Look forwards to seeing how the extension goes.

 

Cheers Peter.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest Dave.C

Having followed your progress through the 2010 Challenge thread and this one, I have only just noticed the traffic cone on the wall, even though its been there for at least 6 months!

 

Top stuff cool.gif

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Im glad its taken so long to notice the cone. It shows that the subtle details are still being discovered!

 

Ive not really had chance to progress any building yet for the extension but i have some mental visions. Metal factory unit under construction, electricity substation, public footbridge over the line to hide the fiddleyard entrance, security office for entrance to the off scene yard. Ill have to do a plan to show how im thinking of doing it.

 

Still toying with the idea of electrifying the branch to allow me to run some ac electrics but don't know if that would really work.

 

Cheers

Cav

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  • 1 month later...

The extension is planned to start this weekend. I have a pretty vivid picture in my mine so i expect it will be nothing like it once i see it forming in the flesh. Electrification has been given the go ahead by the local authorities, good job i built that scalescenes overbridge with an axtra 30mm in height just in case of future developments. I will have to extend the platform under the road bridge to the right though in order to run 3 car emu services. Ive decided on my track plan for the extension. Simply 3 tracks. 2 in SMP for the main yard headshunt and loco stabling (the rearmost of those tracks to join through to the siding area at outon road station, the frontmost ending at a bufferstop) the very rear track will then be the respaced peco code 75 concrete which will serve as the single track branch line which I have now decided is a fictitous electrified link branch line from preston via bradford to leeds. I know a link exists in reality but it isnt electrified and isnt single track but hey. It just gives me an excuse to run manchester emus and wypte ones too. There will be no points on the new board just assumed movements off scene.

Cheers

Cav

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well I've still not had chance to start the extension and don't see it happening now 'til after DEMU.

 

Anyway just a quick poll really. As Outon Road is the station, on Outon Road in some unknown town I guess, the main yard would be named something different. What do you think I should call it and should I change the layout name to Outon Road and ???. Whats the concensus on this? Do I try to be clever and expand on the double meaning name?

 

Cheers

Cav

 

 

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