stevie_ruc

So I have priced up the signals Absolute aspects. £1150 Cr signals £560 Wow. Think I’ll be scouting EBay !!!

Ok guys. You get what you pays for I guess.

Simon. Who would you recommend I start buying my collection of signals from?

Are those MBA wagons behind the 66?

Folks need your thoughts please on my Yard/industry to the right of my layout. I have found Northenden Cement terminal and thought it would make a good subject. ..? I have nearly finished the main baseboards and should make a start on the fiddle yards this weekend with an eye to start laying track next week

Simon you have gone above and beyond yet again. Really appreciate it. Tell your boss thanks also! Great that ur boss is an enthusiast too! Simon that is above and beyond yet again. Really appreciate it great that your boss is an enthusiast too! Ah yes I see now. Well I thing I’ll have a bash at making them out of some Peco points. Thanks Stevie

I’ll be using Peco code 75. Im assuming in real life , that when the siding is occupied the catch/trap points are thrown ?

So the next thing I will need help with is the physical placement of the signals. The ground ones are obvious enough. But I would be guessing at the rest. With so much effort being put in thus far I’d like to have them at least in the right place... Also I’ve been researching the trap,points i need. Can anyone point me in the right direction of the real thing that would be in use around the north east of England at the present day? cheers.

Q3 indeed the main lines are not bi-directional just the freight loops. Thanks again Simon for the updated drawing. I have made a start with the baseboards and I'm pretty happy with the way the track is planned. Unless there is anything glaringly obvious now, I'll stick with what I have. Thanks agin to you all for showing such interest and understanding to a complete novice at signalling. Currently working on the benchwork which I hope to have completed by the weekend! I have 7 month old twins so not sure which weekend exactly!

Could the line be protected by catch points? Or should I just bin the fuelling yard ?

Hi Paul I have the NCE system already and used it with JMRI on a previous system. So I am able to reuse the Switch8 point controllers etc etc... I’m fairly proficient with JMRI but I can see I will have a lot of work to do to make this all work together. What in want to do is have a good mix of passenger and freight running through the station. I imagine that the TMD is used as a refueling and stabling point, for minor repairs to locos operating in the local area. Haven’t decided if it will be freightliner or colas rail etc... the engineers yard is there so I can have a bit of fun shunting wagons around before the train leaves for the day to do the works etc... to fill the space on the right hand side below the station I plan a small industry where something g is loaded into some type of wagon and then the sidings used to stack the empty and full wagons before being taken away. I have a good collection of class 66s 70s and a few turbo stars and a couple of HSTs I suppose the main thing I want from this layout is operational interest. I want it to be as realistic as possible. I love the idea of the internal signalling system in the TMD so really want to keep that aspect. My idea for the fielding point was a loco would come of the Mai. With tankers and fill up the tanks. The headhunt would be used as the actual place where the locos are fuelled. I will adjust the length of the tack to enable me to get two lcocs on ther so I can still get a loco out of the depot while one is being fuelled. As I said I am open to layout changes here and there as suggested by the folks on here. I had no clue that the signaling aspect would I treat me as much as it had. I thought There would be 3 or 4 signals and that would be it. I printed Simons plan out on A3 paper and have it above the station. My father was round and I showed him progress on the baseboards and whe he noticed the plan he was amazed to say the least. My thanks to you and Simon and the other members on here for taking the time out to help me along.

This is the layout I was basing mine on....http://www.rmweb.co....305-dallam-tmd/

I love the idea of a operate singling susie,t for the TMD area. Will definitely add operational interest....and another switch Panel. Do you have such a thing as a key for the symbols? I'm planning to run all this with a NCE system and computer control. Though now I see that tremendous digram I'm wondering could I use it as a mimc panel too?

Hi Clive.Thanks for ur suggestions. Im really restricted with space don't you think? Any ideas would be welcomed... Stevie

Yes refuelling and head-shunt done on the same road and the other was for the tankers to come in. But as always open to suggestions. Cheers

Yes Paul always open to new ideas . Hope it doesn't give Simon much work if he would be kind enough to implement changes at this stage?

Oh my goodness is all I can say. That looks amazing. Ill get it printed out and have it adorn the layout. I appreciate that there has been a lot of work went it to it Simon.Ill def add the trap points think they will add to the realism of the layout. As for questions ill have plenty as I go along. Thanks

Hi, is there any update to progress on your interesting layout Thanks

I have literally just got 3 loco lifts arrived in the post today. Great minds and all that. Fuddle yard- could be a new thing.

I like the idea of steel industry to, or concrete... the P/Way yard is exactly as you described. Ill definitely put crossovers between loops 2 and 3 in the fuddle yard, great idea thanks. most of my trains will be double ended with there odd loco hauled train. will make for fun time shuffling in the fiddle yard ! Cheers

So I took on board your comments but don't see any real requirement to change the plan. You have reinforced a lot of things I had thought about while planning. The wall on the platform and the Double slip. You have obviously studied the plan in great detail which I really thank you for. I live in Northern Ireland so its Magazines and Youtube for me,as the only way to see the real thing.! Glad it has taken shape with help from the members on here. Will have to post updates as I go. I have the bases installed already and just need to put down the remaining baseboards. Incidentally the baseboard are sitting on Kitchen units, Good stable platform to work on plus all the storage you could want , I'm surprised more people don't use them Incidentally I've scoured the internet for pictures of ballast wagons being loaded as you suggested for the engineers yard, do you know of anywhere I would see some? Thanks again for taking time to come up with all your feedback. Stevie

Thanks Simon I appreciate your time and effort on this. As you have problem read I received a lot of feed back to get to this point. Looking forward to see what you come up with. Stevie

Ok folks made a few more changes, larger radius curves etc. Big change was I removed the second station and introduced a larger fiddle yard. I intend to run full length trains, HST, Class 90's, Caledonian sleeper etc, so I need the long fiddle yard track length. I also have included a Small industry ( ideas please) in place of the contractors yard which I have moved adjacent to the station. TMD remains largely unchanged but I have a refuelling spur. I assume the TMD, Yard, and industry don't require Signalling? Feedback is always welcomed. Thanks Stevie

Great advice there. I have thought of one or two of the things you have suggested... was hoping to leave scale drawing for the fiddle yard to the end but I can see now it should be part of the design process. Ill work on that tonight and take onboard all your suggestions. Thanks again for your help.

Thanks a lot for your suggestions. I had wondered about that entry point. Ill take on board what you have said and revise accordingly! Thanks again Stevie Edit: I had a quick play with the layout and have come up with this....Hope its what your suggesting. Stevie