Shelf Island

Possibly clearance under overhead track for any out of gauge loads ?

 

Isolation sections to hold locos ( unless DCC)

Yes vertical clearances need some care. The original idea was for the track below the bridge to have a limited clearance and accept only small or modified locos like the 03 with the lowered cab height. As it happens, knowing the trains would cope well with 1:18 and building the track beds at 1:20, I've ended up with a quarter inch or so to spare below the bridge. But this slack will be eroded by a longer vehicle. The original plan had passenger trains formed by the 03 with a London Underground driving trailer (like Alderney), but the larger space might allow a bubble car or similar. The design of the bridge structure is in hand, the finished clearance will probably stay an unknown until I have it wedged into place.

 

Wiring is for DCC, but operation will be analogue (one train in steam) to begin with. I want operation to include an interchange of trains from one loco to another on the gradient below the bridge, and I think DCC is the best way to go for me.

Nice list of test features there, a few not covered in the loop test track I'm building,

might just rework it a tiny bit to include them.

 

Look forward to seeing more.

Thanks for this. I've spent an hour or so today with item 9 back to back dimensions. Consistently, every Bachmann loco was spot on, and every Hornby loco about 0.1 mm too tight for the 00-SF section.

 

- Richard.

There is a twelfth item which I overlooked: bogie vehicles bottoming-out on the transitions at the tops of gradients. This never occurred to me, but my Hornby class 155 DMU does. I don't know why I bought this model - I think at the time I guessed it would be comparable to their 153 (which is excellent, but retooled), and it is not.

 

- Richard.