My layout is about 2.25m by 4.5m and sits in the garage (gathering dust most of the time). I started it in late 2005. Trackwork and wiring are about 75% complete, scenery about 5%. I intend to build the layout up as a series of dioramas representing a fictitious route leading north or east out of Manchester. Timescale is the present day, and I can run scale length passenger trains and freights up to 2 metres long.
The first diorama is the main station, a fictitious mill town called Stanshaw on an ex-LNWR secondary route. I have built the platforms from Plastikard on a stripwood core with Peco edging, and along with the retaining wall behind these are the sum total of scenic features so far! They change from brick to concrete half way down, part of my back story that the platforms were extended over the site of a junction with a Midland route. The next portion of the ex-Midland route surviving as a branch up into the hills to reach a large limestone quarry and cement works, and a small town which is the setting for a Sunday evening TV series and therefore attracts a lot of rail excursions including the odd steam special!
The layout uses Peco code 55 track laid on Noch/Gaugemaster stone/foam underlay. Hidden areas are code 80, mostly glued down with bathroom sealant in an attempt to keep the noise down. On the track plans I will hopefully be able to attach here, I have only laid about half the hidden sidings to math the amount of rolling stock I have. The branch (round the outside of the plan, intermediate station at right and terminus near the middle) is not yet designed let alone built, and I have built only about half the storage sidings as I don't have enough stock to fill them. The final part of the layout is Worthenden station, next to the branch terminus in the middle but at a lower level, representing a Manchester suburb at the foot of the fearsome Worthenden bank. The loop has facilities for attaching a loco to assist in rear.
Control is via a Lenz set 100 and signalling uses Traincontroller software from Railroad and Co, customised to look and work something like a small modern VDU signalbox. It would be extremely difficult to work the hidden sidings any other way.
I am currently debugging the signalling and have started planning a station building. I may also have a shot at some colour light signals soon.
The (future) scenic part of the layout.
Hidden storage sidings. The complicated arrangement of access tracks is designed to feed a train to and from the main lines in either direction. I intend eventually to have the computer driving the trains on these tracks so it can supply the train I want to the departure road and dispose of trains into the correct storage tracks.
This will eventually be clad in sandstone!
Apologies for the depth of field here, but this shows how the station area hinges up to get to the storage sidings beneath.
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