Struggles with Langbury

[Edward]

 I hope that this blog will help in solving problems which I am sure to encounter as the layout develops further.   I've taken so much encouragement from reading  many blogs about  particular layouts and I hope also it may be of interest to other members. 

Quite a latecomer to railway modelling,  apart from teenage fun with Hornby Dublo on the floor on a sheet of hardboard,  joined my local club (Market Deeping MRC) about 8 years ago. Wonderful help and advice ,  tried out a couple of layouts including a go at Bourne station in 9ft which was abandoned when the room was reclaimed as a bedroom.  Managed to get half of a double garage about 15 months ago converted into a proper railway room! Bliss- lots of electric points, fully insulated and bright lighting!!

 

Wow where do you start?  My needs I felt should be:

1.  DCC - had got the Hornby starter system .

2.  BR late crest - (decided this quite early on so had only bought locos in this category.)

3.  Eastern Region with flavour of M & G N J  railway.  For no particular reason but it was/is local.

4.  Liked the idea of operating trains.

5   Something that would achievable by a beginner with v limited skills.  No hand built locos. 

6.  Track would be Code 75 Peco and DCC system the NCE powercab.

 

I felt at my stage of life,  I shouldn't be trying to reinvent or come up with new answers.  Why not use the experience of others so I purchased books and began reading. Hit upon the Peter Denny books and that was that.  So I've sort of followed his layout designs plus bits from other people. 

Next time I'll try to post a couple of diagrams to show where I've got to. (Once I've worked out how to do it) At the present trying to decide on signalling and wiring up control panels. 

 

 

 

[Edward]

Rereading the post above, things have moved on at last. Got track done for 2/3rds of the boards, have started platforms for the terminus (Langbury) and the 1st through station and this week finished making the 3 remaining boards plus the lift out section across the doorway. In fact managed to fit hinges today so no longer a "lift out "!

Spent a lot of time thinking about the problem of fiddle yards. Their only possible location is on some narrow boards 12" wide but quite long. So what I am doing is to have an UP and DOWN yard with a single track connecting both sides so one , me, can run roundy roundy if needed. It works out 3 sidings each yard with at least one taking 6 coaches I hope. It's just the problem of getting round the right angles without the curves being too tight. I think I've solved the turning the loco problem: going to use the Peco Loco Lift . Bought one at the weekend and it works a treat.

 

Thinking about the timetable now and have worked out first 4 moves by moving stock around & they seemed to make sense. The very first was 6.00 AM UP "workmans" train from Langbury to Uffton consisting of 2 Non Corridor Coaches. Haha what fun!

 

Main thing now is to complete the remaining track work which by the way is Peco code 75 but I feel that should be straight forward more or less. I think the real challenge will be the signalling. More thought required here. Not at all certain I can build signals that work .

 

My big moan at the moment is my locos. I've got a pack of 10 or so all quite new and haven't been run hardly at all, (but all properly run-in)but 2 or 3 will start consistently, the rest are just a headache. This is all on the same pieces of track! So not sure if this just me or do others get the same problems?

Don't want to end on a negative though so want to say what an engrossing hobby ours is! Never a dull moment.