Introducing the Layout

Entry posted by jamesg December 10, 2016

319 views

Haroldston East is a layout that lives next to my desk. In fact, the removable fiddle yard runs along the back of the desk while attached to the layout. The layout measures about 6' wide by 1'4" deep and is built on one baseboard 8" high. The height is taken up by shelves for storing rolling stock and road vehicles not in use on the layout. The removable fiddle yard adds about 5' to the layout, giving plenty of room to run trains onto and off of the layout.

The track plan is a little extravagant for a small station, featuring a double slip. The passenger platform is unusually situated beyond the loop, as this makes more room for shunting freight wagons. There were a few stations with similar arrangements. A locomotive, having brought a passenger train into the platform, must propel the stock out in order to run round, before propelling the stock back into the platform. Multiple units, which I hope will feature on the layout soon, don't suffer from this problem.

Wiring is all DCC. Points are a mix of Peco insulfrog and electrofrog types. They are all animated by servo motors controlled from the DCC controller.

At present, the track and basic scenery are complete. I still need to add the coal yard, some more trees and more low-relief buildings near the platform. The fiddle yard currently has just one track, but it has been designed for conversion to a cassette system for lengths up to 3'.

The date for the layout isn't set exactly. The year is roughly 1960, but BR blue diesels and a Terrier appear from time to time. Here's a lineup of the regular locomotives on the layout; all Midland Railway or LMS types.

Something the layout could do with is some more appropriate rolling stock - I'll keep a look out for some LMS van and open wagon kits. Apart from that, there are plenty of details to add that will keep me busy all Winter.

Please let me know what you think of the layout so far in the comments.

2 Comments