Entry posted by Jongudmund
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As I mentioned previously, the DCC train set came with a loop of track and a siding, which is the base oval and expansion pack A. I also bought three Hornby extension packs at less than half price - packs B, C and D.
Together they give me two ovals of track and another siding, along with a level crossing to add some operational interest.
I decided to lay out the track to get an idea of the size board I need for the layout. The following photo is how Hornby suggest you lay out the track.
I don't really like the look of this as the crossing is next to all the pointwork, which seems unlikely in the real world. I know this is a 'roundy-roundy' trainset and there is a prototype for everything, so somewhere there is a level crossing butting right up to a crossover between two main lines and siding off, but I still felt it looked ugly. So I moved the point of the inner siding to the other side.
I felt this arrangement of the siding worked better. I could imagine driving across the level crossing and past the buffer-stop on a siding. I'm not sure why, but that felt more authentic. However, there was still the crossover. At the moment I don't have any point motors, and initially I might be changing everything by hand, so it felt sensible to see if I could put all the points in close proximity. This version would also give a nice uninterrupted bit of straight track on the other side.
The only issue is that the outer and inner sidings are opposite. So a train would need to change direction and propel wagons into one of them. There is also one way into the inner loop and no corresponding exit, so a train going in would have to change direction to get back out again. That's not a huge problem, but I could have an 'opposite junction' so trains could drive into the inner loop, circle it a few times and then drive back out. Unfortunately that would mean losing the sidings.
But that really is just a roundy-roundy and I'd quite like something to shunt wagons into. Option 3 still feels like the best way to go. I was playing around in Microsoft Paint, and wondered about using the inner siding as an oil terminal. That would give me an excuse to build some industrial-looking buildings, shunt wagons in and then take them back out again. Tanker wagons are ideal for this as they look the same if they are full or empty. Plus I like tanker wagons - the older style, not TTAs. If the siding was private industry I could put a fence between the main lines and the siding, which would break it up even more and hopefully make it look less like a trainset. (Not that I'm trying to hide that - it's the name of the blog after all!)
So, in this plan, lorries and cars would cross the level crossing to access the depot one way, and I'd put a bridge across the lines as well. I'd fill the rest of the space with industrial buildings and put a retaining wall the far side of the bridge to imply a higher elevation, as if the railway went through an urban cutting there. Again, this is about masking the curves a bit and reducing the trainset feel ever so slightly.
I'd welcome comments. If you think these trackplans are rubbish, please help me find a better one!
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