Peter Lord

As my layout is inspired by features of the Isle of Wight and Hayling Island, I felt that a long-bunker terrier was thoroughly justified. My understanding of the history of Hayling locomotives is that the long-bunker terriers that came over from the island did so in BR days. I will therefore use some modellers licence in one of two ways: 1) Imagine that one of the terriers that really ran in long-bunker form to Hayling Island was repatriated earlier in its career so can run in Olive Green. 2) Imagine that one of the terriers that ran in Olive Green to Hayling Island did so in long-bunker form. On the other hand, if anybody has pictoral evidence of a long-bunker terrier, in Southern Green, numbered in the mainland system, I would be delighted to purloin its identity.

A delivery has arrived, courtesy of the splendid people at Gaugemaster: a long-bunker terrier. This will retain its identity for the time being but will eventually be renumbered to the mainland numbering system to represent one of the terriers that was repatriated. I am aware that some re-writing of history may be necessary here but it is, after all, a fictional layout.

SECR and LSWR visitors will make an appearance under rule 1. Although tender locomotive-hauled trains will be incredibly rare, I will allow enough room for a T9 to around the platform loop.

My main passenger trains will be handled by terriers which I intend to run around trains as well as bringing pull-push trains into the bay platform.

The rolling stock: Due to the geographical location I seek to invoke, terriers are de rigueur. LBSCR locomotives will be be the principle motive power but my era is Southern so I have a certain amount of leeway. Longer trains of short bogie coaches can be pulled by one of these...

The premise: My first documented layout build, the object of the exercise is to build a portable terminus layout on a door! I am slightly outside of my comfort zone here which should add to the fun although the standard of modelling will not reach the exalted heights that many of this parish achieve. The specifications: The dimensions of this project are determined by my self-imposed challenge of fitting the entire scenic area onto a door. The layout is to be the terminus of a rural branch line with one main and one bay platform. There must be scope for at least two parallel movements but the whole layout must not appear cluttered. If remotely possible, the station will serve as a junction between the branchline and a secondary branch. The setting: This layout will be strictly freelance but aims to create the "feel" of a very particular part of the country. I grew up in the village of Titchfield on the Solent and, although the village was never served by a railway, some of the features of the area may be incorporated. Inspiration will be taken from the Lee-on-Solent branch, the Hayling Island branch and the Isle of Wight railways. The idea is that a viewer would immediately know that the layout was set in the south of Hampshire without it being a model of a real station. This part of the country was immortalised by Howard's Way and I did consider calling the station Tarrant. In the end, that seemed a little confusing as there is a real Tarrant in Dorset! Similarly, I did consider Meon as the mouth of the Meon joins the sea at Titchfield; this name was also ruled out due to the real villages with Meon in the name which were once served by the line from Wickham to Alton. In the end, I settled for Brownwich, the name of an area of farmland by the sea.

Further thoughts on the justification for the two branches: Trains could use this station to reverse (plenty of prototypes for that) and due to geographical constraints the junction is within the station limits. Due to asymmetrical demand, trains from one branch also terminate at the station before returning on their original route. This could be the push/pull train. As it is a seaside terminus, the busier summer holiday traffic justifies the two platform faces. This would require a re-drawing of my sketch so that the connection between the two branches is flipped; the secondary line having access to the primary platforms rather than the other way around. Any thoughts?

I am planning to use code 100 Peco because I already have a bit in the cupboard and because older models with deeper flanges can cope with it. I would have to buy the three-way points however as I have never owned any. The drawing is not to scale but the locations of points left to right are in their scale positions. You are correct however and I will do a proper scale drawing later. The tracks will not end up completely parallel; I was just testing the ideas. A likely outcome is probably the primary branch diverging towards the top right of my sketch and the secondary branch diverging bottom right.

Duplicated post

Thank you all for your continued ideas. I have added Nearholmer's suggestion of a second three-way point to create a short siding. Does anybody have experience of how well terriers - with their tiny wheelbases cope over three-way points. Here is the amended sketch. Not to scale. I should re-draw it so the s-bends aren't quite so sharp...

I hesitate to ask this question of a group of proficient kit builders, but... Given the lack of RTR bogie coaches short enough to use on an island layout, has anyone considered cutting a couple of compartments out of the middle of a Bachmann SECR Birdcage? With modifications to the underframe and a couple of pieces of plastic for strengthening, I believe the two halves could be put back together quite convincingly. I ask this heretical question because I do not trust my ability to apply the livery to a kit! Has anybody tried something similar?

Yes, and it is tempting! I am just struggling to shake this image of a terrier and some three-wheelers sitting in the bay while an 02 comes and goes with its own short train... You have put your finger on the key problem with my whole project: I want to model somewhere that is clearly very quiet and has limited services but I also want more than one train on the layout at the same time. I admit my hypocrisy.

Nearholmer, I was wondering about my justification for the two branches. The primary one comes from a suburban centre where it itself is a branch off the main line. The secondary branch potters along the coast. Maybe one side of my baseboard could be a beach...

Here is a sketch that I started, showing the features I have (more or less) decided on. Blank area in the middle is where I need to fathom out how to join up the dots! Key: 1) more than ample room for a large tank engine to release itself via the crossover. 2) Locomotive spur 3) room (plus clearance) for five six-wheelers between the crossovers 4) room for a terrier and three four-wheelers in the bay platform 5 &6) primary and secondary lines disappear off scene. What I have drawn so far measures up and fits. If I go with this configuration, a three-way point at the right crossover might suffice to join the dots in conjunction with a Y-point. If I am wildly mistaken then please let me know!

Do I spy a sector plate? Does anyone produce one in 00 gauge? Yes, I have been mulling over the connection between the primary and secondary lines. My instinct is to keep the branch separate with a connecting cord rather than requiring the branch trains to use the primary line to exit the station.

Thank you very much for putting the time and thought into doing that. I have sketched something quite similar myself (pencil and paper method!) The differences to your design were a) no goods siding or loco shed b) the crossover slightly closer to the buffers c) the loop completes on scene with just enough room for the loco to complete the run around on the baseboard d) because of c I am struggling to work out how to fit the connection to the smaller branch! A double slip or a three-way point (depending on whether the crossover is facing or trailing) should just allow it all to fit...

I have already thought of this! In fact I did a few sketches before realising that the temptation to have trains running through the station would be too great and I would end up with a railway empire by accident. I do see the appeal: tender locos and mainline bogie coaches could make a static appearance. In the end, I want to deliberately restrict myself to parochial operations.

Thank you Nearholmer. Yes, I had thought of that, I think my layout will take inspiration from all of the places mentioned. Hopefully an observer will take a look at the stock and small simple station and realise that they are looking at a Solent area layout! The secondary branch (no mainline here) is not absolutely essential but I would really like to fit it in; a push/pull train could come and go without interfering with the main station business. I don't necessarily want coal traffic; it is more that coal would be the limit of any goods traffic.

Thank you John. That is certainly interesting. Still a slightly more developed area than I was envisaging but definitely food for thought. I definitely want the "destination" end terminus rather than the suburban one. Think Lee-on-Solent or a smaller version of Ventnor or one of the other island terminii. No fiddle yard on the main board Harlequin; the idea is that a second module can be attached (not to be constructed in a hurry) which will provide somewhere for trains to go. Does anybody know of any examples of stations shared between two lines with no connection? Even Bodmin and Smallbrook have a physical connection if memory serves.

These really cannot come soon enough! Has anyone heard any updates on how the project is progressing or how it may have been affected by the pandemic?

Thank you both. I have never heard of Mutton layouts but will do some research. I will upload a picture later but I have already attached the door to a timber wallpaper table, thus providing folding legs! This also provides a little protection for wiring protruding below the board. It is potentially a lot of trackwork which is slightly contrary to the feel I was aiming for. I have toyed with the idea of the secondary branch being completely stand-alone with no direct connection; this could produce a lovely visual effect (wedge-shaped platform perhaps) but would (I fear) be completely unbelievable to the observer. This is supposed to be a rural operation, antiquated even in its heyday (such was true of the railways of South Hampshire) so I am not looking to fill the space with track, have any industrial scene or mainline features like station pilots or similar. Why the door? I decided in a fit of lockdown frustration to get on and remove the nasty flat white doors which some tasteless previous owner had fitted and replace them with proper solid panelled ones. The upshot was a pile of flat doors and the tip is still closed...

I am working on a project for a small layout based on the Southern Railway in the 1920s and 1930s and set somewhere (fictional) in South Hampshire. I am a first-time poster and would be very grateful for any feedback! Background. Having grown up on the Solent, there were three railways in the vicinity: the Isle of Wight Railway, the Lee-on-Solent branch and the Hayling Island branch. All vanished decades before I was born! These three railways have their individual features but also share some common features and a "feel" which resonates with me. My layout will emulate the "feel" of these three railways without being in any way a model of any of them. Specification. 1) The layout must fit within a 6'6"×2'6" area (no prizes for guessing where those dimensions came from!) although track(s) will extend off one end to allow attachment to a second module. 2) The layout should be a small terminus because I like them, because they allow some interesting movements and because they only require one station throat! 3) It should use RTR 00 gauge stock and Peco trackwork. Stock to be mainly LBSC in Southern Railway (olive) livery with some SECR and LSWR items. The railways which inspire me ran small trains of short carriages hauled by tank engines. Terriers will appear as will the E4, the H class (yes, a bit out of its comfort zone but I like it) the 02 (if I can get hold of one in green) and the E1 (when it is produced). 4) Parallel working must be possible. 3 engine movements at a time would be good. 5) If at all possible it should be a junction where two lines converge to meet in the station. I am still scratching my head about this as it is a lot of pointwork to fit in and the platform roads can't be too short. At this point, I can hear several of you shouting "Minories!" at your computer. This does not quite meet my specifications as it does not allow the locomotive to run round. I think I might be able to adapt that basic idea by a) adding a crossover for running around b) having the main line as a single track with a locomotive spur where the second main line would have been and c) turning the headshunt into a second branchline diverging bottom right. Space is tight! My platforms don't need to be long but they have to be acceptable: enough room for four (or even five) four/six wheelers plus the crossover pointwork for the loco to run around. If my primary/main branch has run around platforms, my secondary branch could represent an even smaller line where push/pull is used and locos don't need to be run around. This could have a shorter bay platform with the station building sat at the end. No footbridge needed! Locos so far are Hornby's lovely new terrier -mainland version, H class and E4. I am eagerly awaiting the E1 which will have to be the island version (the only green one!) and I would love an 02 but the green ones seem to be rarer than rocking horse droppings! In the future I will probably acquire an island terrier (long bunker) but that is getting slightly profligate so I will resist the temptation as long as I can. Coaching stock is a real problem; there is currently nothing RTR that fits the bill. I have Hattons' four/six wheelers on order but won't hold my breath. I also need some short bogie coaches. The courage to buy a couple of those lovely SECR birdcages and chop a third out of the middle eludes me!! I would happily build a kit but I know I could not do the paintwork justice. True to the three lines which provide inspiration, the only freight necessary would be coal. So, what do people think? I know I have a lot of ideas but I would really appreciate input. I am already playing around with track but still have no exact plan.