Normski7

A typical operation could be : 1. Loco’s being fired in the shed area 2. Bring one or two off shed and send up to water & coaling area 3. Use a station pilot to bring stock out of the carriage siding and into station 4. Move station pilot to goods line 5. Bring a loco from coaling and turn it on the turntable 6. Bring the 2nd loco down to the coaches in the station 7. Send the turned loco up the line to work a train travelling in the opposite direction 8. Take a train to Westcombe Junction from main station 9. Bring the 2nd back from Westcombe Junction 10. Run the loco around its coaches in Main Station ready for another turn

Hi Nick, The main station allows me to operate exactly as you would see on a preserved railway, ive added isolated sections to the coaling area and both sheds to allow multiple locos to be stored there and move them around as and when i need to. I can also isolate the coaling area to the diesel depot and use a 2nd controller to move things around up there whilst the main controller 1 moves trains between the main station and westcombe junction. I will be able to have up to 6 loco’s with stock on the preserved line at any one time but only be able to move 2 at once. For example i could send a train to westcombe junction from the main station and another from station 3 to westcombe at the same time. I am intending to put a water tower at station 3 for a bit of realism too so loco’s can be watered at either end of the preserved line

Thanks, i wanted best of both worlds with this layout, i love preserved steam railways and wanted to have my own to operate but thought i would miss twin track loop running so i added the upper mainlines to work with. I am very pleased with it so far

Finally Royal Scot runs around its stock and prepares to take the next train out to Westcombe Junction

Royal Scot emerges from Corner Tunnel and runs down to towards the Station the enters Platform 1 Camelot then departs with its own train

Hinderton Hall emerges from Corner Tunnel and enters Westcombe Junction Shortly after “Royal Scot” departs Westcombe Junction in the opposite direction

Bit of operational fun GWR Hall “Hinderton Hall” sits ready to depart at Platform 1 and BR Standard 5 “Camelot” has just arrived at the head of its train having just come off shed Hinderton Hall then departs and heads up to towards Corner Tunnel

My Layout is DC analogue as it would be too expensive to upgrade my collection to DCC

Good advice, thank you, i have always enjoyed following other peoples layouts in this area and some are also building from scratch so i thought this was the correct place to do it

This Layout allows me operate the preserved railway with a variety of loco’s and stock whilst running trains on the mainline around the twin track loop. That also means i can run mainline steam specials on there and bring them off the mainline into Westcombe Junction then on to Station 1, just like the real thing. I have many preserved steam loco’s to use on the line with creative licence, some of which are mercig studio weathered. I have several coach sets to use as well just like the Severn Valley Railway has. Some of my loco’s are scrapped examples so i will be using them as restored home fleet loco’s The stations on the preserved line are built for 6 carriages plus loco but if i do some gala style running i can use 7 coaches at a squeeze The coach sets i have are : 1. GWR Colletts 2. BR Choc & Cream Mk1’s 3. BR Maroon Mk1’s 4. LMS Staniers 5. LNER Teaks 6. Pullmans 7. BR blood & custard Mk1’s The diesel depot is small and i dont own many diesels but id like to add to it Station 1 is loosely based on Kidderminster on the SVR and Station 2 Westcombe Junction is loosely based on Bewdley also on the SVR Please feel free to comment or give feedback or ask questions When i start the scenery i will be using the techniques on Richard from Everard Junction as i think his scenic work is fabulous

Station 3 has no name yet but i have started planning the trackwork this is a work in progress

This will be the viaduct area beyond Westcombe Junction, the mainline and mainline connection incline will be hidden behind a backscene with the viaduct dominating this scenic section with a canal and river underneath it

The Control Panels they need finishing with laminated diagram and signal controls they also require frames and cable tidying

Station 2 Westcombe Junction

Station 1 the headquarters of the preserved railway which is in an old disused goods yard

Hi all, Things have progressed on my layout an aweful lot since i last posted in here in April 2020 and i am keen to update you all I am aiming to drop some construction photos and a full update here soon 1. The baseboards are complete 2. Some of the backscene boards are in place 3. The upper section main line track bed is finished 4. The preserved Station 1 (no name yet) is operational including the 2 run around loops, goods siding, carriage sidings, 2 road steam shed, coaling & water area, diesel depot and sidings. The turntable is not done yet and i need to fit the signals platforms and buffers 5. The preserved Station 2 (Westcombe Junction) is operational and i can run trains between Station 1 & 2. I need to fit signals and build some platforms 6. The control panels for Station 1 & 2 are working the mainline connection into Westcombe Junction is fitted but no mainline to connect to at the moment stay tuned for photos Rich

The next step is to bridge the gap between the End of the Viaduct Board and the Station 3 Board through the Rafter space. Then i will work on the corner piece off the end of Station 1's Baseboard. Both are going to be quite challenging.

Baseboard Update Hi All, I have been taking advantage of the good weather and the fact that i have been furloughed for the next 3 weeks by making good progress with more of the baseboards. I have so far created 3 more of them, 2 of them have been quite complex as they have had to change level to accommodate the Viaduct. The 3rd one is for Station 3 at the end of the preserved line. The final pic gives a rough idea of where the viaduct will go, very crude though but it is just an idea at the moment. Take a look at let me know what you think. Rich

So here is my first attempt at the plan for the Station Area 1. Station Area 1 - Preserved Railway HQ, Sheds & Station Background - This area of the Layout used to be a steam shed in the 1930's with a goods / marshalling yard around it. Most of it was flattened in the late 1970's after being abandoned following the Beeching Cuts. The preserved railway group (as yet un-named) took over the site in the 1980's and restored the 1930's shed and some of the sidings as well as building a brand new station building, platform and diesel depot. The Mainline, that is still in use today, will be at an upper level at the back of the layout perhaps on a set of bricked up arches. This will travel the entire perimeter of the layout at the upper level, hidden from view where necessary. This will give me license to run trains continuously. The preserved line will be end-to-end with a middle station. The bridged area will likely take a road that crosses the mainline at upper level with a level crossing. The single track preserved line will enter this scene as 2 lines split by a point just before the bridge. As you see it in the picture facing the bridge, the diesel depot will be on the right (terminating in the sceninc break of the bridge) and the yard turntable to the right of that. The 2 lines then split and either enter the station or the shed area. The 2nd picture shows it looking towards the station. The platform will be loosely based on Kidderminster (Severn Valley Railway) and will feature 1 platform with 2 passing loops either side of it with a station building at the end. To the left of that, as you look at it, will be 2 uncovered carriage sidings for stock (2 carriages are inthose sidings), then the 2 roads for the 1930's shed (again 2 more carriages shown on those lines), then 2 more sidings which will probably house either locos for overhaul or perhaps a coaling area. Access to the diesel depot and turntable will be from the coaling area siding. Bare in mind that this area of the layout has prety much been allowed to be built from scratch since acquiring the land. All thoughts and comments welcomed

I will post some photos of my inital plan for Station 1 tonight Stay Tuned All Comments Welcomed

Control Panel : 1. Switch 1 - Point Motor Left 2. Top LED - Point Set to Top Loop (Red No, Green Yes) 3. Bottom LED - Point Set to Bottom Loop (Red No, Green Yes) 4. Switch 2 - Operate Start Signal Left 5. Switch 3 - Isolation Switch Upper / Lower Loop 6. Switch 4 - Operate Start Signal Right 7. Top LED - Point Set to Top Loop (Red No, Green Yes) 8. Bottom LED - Point Set to Bottom Loop (Red No, Green Yes) 9. Switch 5 - Point Motor Right The other photos are of the Switch Packs i used for Switch 1 & 5 and 2 photos of the signal in use I would really appreciate peoples thoughts

In order to try and teach myself the wiring required for Electrofrog Points, Point Motors, Signals and Track Droppers, all in DC, i decided to build myself a test bed. The test bed is a simple passing loop with starting signals I used the following items : 1. DCC Concepts Cobalt IP Analog Point Motors 2. DCC Concepts Cobalt IP Analog Switch Pack 3. DCC Concepts 12v DC Split Power Supply 4. Peco Code 55 Long Electrofrog Points & Code 55 Rail 5. Dapol Motorised Signals 6. Expo Toggle & Push-to-Make Switches 7. An old model shed roof for the Control Panel 8. Gaugemster Cork Underlay All the points and track work have droppers which are manifolded where necessary under the test bed

More detailed planning is required for the station areas as yet but the first steps have been taken. Please let me know your thoughts if you have any Rich