1980s Norfolk Terminus - Loft Layout - New station

[SHerr]

47 minutes ago, russ p said:

Coming on a treat,  looking at your buildings seems we have a few common ones on our layouts 

 

Thanks, although I don't think I will ever make your speed of progress!

 

I suppose its a good thing that there are common buildings as we are modelling a similar area! I do like some of the Walthers stuff, as long as you research your building architecture there's quite a bit that needs little or no work to Anglicise it.

 

The bigger stuff really makes it look like the railway is in and surrounded by the scenery, something that annoys me about a lot of British OO buildings - too many quaint little 'chocolate box' buildings and not enough bigger things available - I'm waiting for the large Grain to come available again.

 

I've wondered a few times looking through your photos about the goods shed? is it scratchbuilt or based on something specific? I'm looking to model a disused shed and can't find anything particularily suitable.

 

 

[russ p]

9 hours ago, SHerr said:

 

Thanks, although I don't think I will ever make your speed of progress!

 

I suppose its a good thing that there are common buildings as we are modelling a similar area! I do like some of the Walthers stuff, as long as you research your building architecture there's quite a bit that needs little or no work to Anglicise it.

 

The bigger stuff really makes it look like the railway is in and surrounded by the scenery, something that annoys me about a lot of British OO buildings - too many quaint little 'chocolate box' buildings and not enough bigger things available - I'm waiting for the large Grain to come available again.

 

I've wondered a few times looking through your photos about the goods shed? is it scratchbuilt or based on something specific? I'm looking to model a disused shed and can't find anything particularily suitable.

 

 

 

I agree,  in reall life there also a lot of stuff poking skywards too which is why I'm putting a lot of streetlights and lighting towers in when it's a bit more complete. 

The goods shed is also walthers it's called a freight house or something. 

I'm currently working on bridges and a housing estate in the far left of the room , once this has been completed it will be the port area including the reedham type swing bridge 

[SHerr]

I have finally got my act together and finished the main body of the station overall roof. All 3 sections have been glued together and after some initial challenges of the furthest bay sitting with a slight twist I have with a bit of effort managed to rectify this.

 

There will need to be a small infill between the main building and the roof and I still need to attach cladding material to roof and gable ends but a shortage of glue will prevent this for a while.

 

I can now start to install the rest of the columns (Langleys models castings) and fix the main walls - all of which had to wait until now to ensure fit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SHerr]

I've not posted on this topic for quite a while although I have been meaning to give an update and prompted by a question on another thread I though it was time i did.

 

The layout is going through a major (full) change, initially due to running issues with the curved section causing too many derailments and the sidings that were difficult to couple anything up in, plus electrical issues/shorts etc through the station approaches (my incompetence in electrics mainly) I started to think about a simplified layout.

 

At the same time I started planning a smaller layout to get something done. After a bit of playing round with plans for both I decided to split the loft in 2 and have 2 layouts, the longer side being the Norfolk terminus which would be straight and smaller although still a scenic area of approx 15 feet by 3 feet. 

 

I am sticking with a similar theme in terms of both location and feel but slightly more compact. The basic numbers of sidings, platforms etc will be fairly similar and the layout has a bit more of a Kings Lynn inspiration to the plan (yard areas, dock branch etc) although is very much freelance and the station layout will be similar.

 

After sorting out the baseboards I have loose laid a fair portion of tracks to get a feel for lengths of sidings, space etc. The yard areas will feature a number of separate facilities with Reception lines, Engineers sidings, Speedlink facility and a Grain handling facility. At the fiddle yard end through the bridge is access to a dock branch and branch to a stone terminal which are both accessed by running round in the reception lines.

 

A few initial photos although there won't be much initial progress as I'm trying to make a decent start on the smaller layout first.

 

Bottom 3 lines are reception sidings, above that Engineers sidings

 

 

Furthest left is dock branch, Large Logo 56 is on the stone terminal branch (Redland) and main single line in front of Signal box

 

 

 

Grain sidings (Walthers Cornerstone kits) with Speedlink sidings/Goods yard behind

 

 

The line behind the grain bin I am assuming is a curtailed branch that's now used to shunt the Grain loading facility.

 

 

[russ p]

This is looking very good, we obviously think along very similar lines 

[rob D2]

Still got plenty of play value, even in reduced  complexity .

 

was the grain flow poly bulk a kit ?

[SHerr]

6 hours ago, rob D2 said:

Still got plenty of play value, even in reduced  complexity .

 

was the grain flow poly bulk a kit ?

Thanks, the Grainflow is 2 Joueff hoppers cut and shut together. I’d had them for years, you used to be able to buy them as spares without ends and detail - that said getting the ends to fit is a bit of a pig. 

It’s the first thing I had ever done like that and was a little easier than I feared as long as you use a cutting jig and sanding block and go slowly! Transfers are Fox. Still needs a lot more work but gets you something that is not readily available. 

[SHerr]

11 hours ago, russ p said:

This is looking very good, we obviously think along very similar lines 

Yes, only difference is you have gone from a big layout to a huge one and I have shrunk a large one to medium sized! If I could have worked at the rate you get through projects I may have stayed bigger, but I probably need to focus more on actually getting things done!

[russ p]

I've still got a massive amount of work to do, but I'm hoping to have the layout more or less finished by the spring.  I want to try and have the scenery done and track painted and ballasted so I can get the stock on the layout and tidy the room then I can get on with things like signalling at a leisurely pace 

[cornish trains jez]

Not sure how I missed this one. Nice layout and look forward to seeing more progress.

Now following!

 

Best regards,

 

Jeremy

 

[Allegheny1600]

Hi there,

Sorry about the rash of “likes” but I’m finding this a fascinating layout and area with some really great modelling going on. Brilliant!

A good friend of mine has a couple of those Bonn station buildings, I wonder if I could persuade him to part with one!?

Cheers,

John

[SHerr]

5 hours ago, Allegheny1600 said:

Hi there,

Sorry about the rash of “likes” but I’m finding this a fascinating layout and area with some really great modelling going on. Brilliant!

A good friend of mine has a couple of those Bonn station buildings, I wonder if I could persuade him to part with one!?

Cheers,

John

Thanks for the comments, I did wonder what was going on when I saw all the likes but much appreciated.

 

Not much has happened of late but more evolution is coming! The last posts were after I changed everything around to create room for a second layout and that has taken on some bigger changes. Basically the side of the loft that is in the last photos has been taken on by ‘Foyers’ a 60s might have been on the shores of Loch Ness which I’ve been focusing on.

 

I have been spending a bit of time lately working through potential track plans for the 80s layout which as it happens I’ve got to a point over the last few days where I had a track plan that I like.

 

The layout is still very much mid 80’s Norfolk/East Anglia but will become a through layout as a sort of mash up of the Ely to Norwich and Ely to Ipswich lines. The main inspiration for the plan came from Diss but very much has that Anglian feel with a small yard, good sized grain facility as well as a Feriliser warehouse and the station building now right at the front.

 

I was going to post something shortly but as you’ve rekindled the topic here’s the working basis of the track plan. As it happens whilst you’ve been tagging ‘likes’ I’ve actually been laying out some track loosely to see how it looks.

 

[SHerr]

A few quick photos of the work undertaken- everything is very rough/loose to get a feeling of size and fit of stock.

 

The main baseboards will be extended about 6inches in width to give a better feeling of space.

 

I’ve also just ordered 3 Trains4u Warflats as MoD services ran around the Dereham branch - any advice on what’s best to go on them for circa 1985/6 would be appreciated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[61656]

Do you get issues with dust and debris on the layout? My layout years ago had exposed rafters and I was forever regretting not sorting it before I built the layout. Not least so that it was warmer in winter and cooler in summer!

 

Nice to see you making progress again - is the station building still in your plans? (I think I see it at the end in the first photo.)

 

Also, what’s the source of the purple(ish) portakabin?

[SHerr]

1 hour ago, 61656 said:

Do you get issues with dust and debris on the layout? My layout years ago had exposed rafters and I was forever regretting not sorting it before I built the layout. Not least so that it was warmer in winter and cooler in summer!

 

Nice to see you making progress again - is the station building still in your plans? (I think I see it at the end in the first photo.)

 

Also, what’s the source of the purple(ish) portakabin?

I have some foil insulation that needs to be installed, I’ve got it up on one side of the loft but not completed the other side yet.

 

The Cabin is a Bachmann Scenecraft item of I think a fairly typical BR office/prefab. I think it needs repainted but looks pretty good for the ones I’ve seen over the years.

 

Yes the station building is definitely still in the plans and will be facing the main viewing side so more visible. Bury St Edmunds is not far off in size so still viable as a bigger town. I still may think about re-working the roof to look more British but that will be some time away.

 

I did take a photo of the station but didn’t post it, so as you ask…