Old Priory - 2 - Track Plan
With my plan of using a 40cm wide "shelf" to run most of the layout, I was um'ing and ar'ing over to run a double track or a quad track. I like the sound of a double track, more space for scenery on the "shelf" areas of the layout, but I also like the idea of four tracks running together. Brighton to Victoria is both, but I do like the four track sections between Haywards Heath and Gatwick. I have made a plan for four tracks after checking 40cm would be wide enough for 4 tracks. The picture still shows 30cm, but I just haven't updated it.
I wanted a big through station with express lines that don't stop and decided that had to be on the large board at the back of the loft. The board at 5m wide, should be fine for a nice long station. One side of the loft will be countryside (with possibly a smaller country station, which I have added to the plans, but maybe taken out). So the idea of trains rushing through past fields and cuttings before entering the tunnel that goes along the front wall of the loft behind the computers (loosely based on Balcombe tunnel). On the other side of the loft after the tunnel, I want it to be a vaguely industrial area that turns into a small depot/yard on the larger "shelf" board, maybe based on Threebridges depot.
With that in mind, I jumped onto SCARM and started playing around, 50 pieces at a time! In the end I came up with the current plan. I keep looking at it from time to time, making sure it's what I want, making sure it will work. The green sections are the fast lines, blue are the slow lines and red is the depot area. The track will be peco code 75 concrete sleep, with some bullhead in the depot and pointwork. I am planning to use gaugemaster PM-1 point motors with eletro-frog points. Traintech PC200 point controllers and train tech signals so that I can future-proof it for computer automation later on.
This project will be very slow as work gets in the way, I have an addiction to cars (I have two Nissan 300zx and they are not cheap!) and I work shifts, so some days I end up wasting because I finish 1-2am, then after one day off, move on to my early shifts starting at 3/4am. It's taken me 6 months to get to this point so far.
My total experience is owning an intercity 125 when I was a kid that my dad gave me for christmas, which stupidly I sold to buy a ticket to China! I have spent the past year watching the guys on youtube (Everard Junction, Dean Park Station, Charlie Bishop, etc). I like a challenge, but i suspect as its my first attempt, nothing will work out or look how I imagine it! I currently have a Class 57 that I got for Christmas, one bullhead left hand large point and one Hornby Mixed freight train set with most of the track missing that a friend bought for me last birthday!
I am all ears for ideas and input to my plans. The setup of the baseboards can't really change, but I open to ideas about the track plan!
Edited by Therealnips
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