OO Gauge 8x8

[DCB]

Hi Harlequin.

 

Posts #13 and #20 have provision for the branch passenger train to terminate and the loco run round at the terminus, quite an interesting operation as it requires using the main line.#

#22  does not, the branch train operates terminus to hidden sidings, there is no viable run round in the station even if the branch train continues round the layout to the station.

Fiddling below the terminus is challenging if you use tension lock couplings not so bad with Kadees or Peco H/D type but #13 and #20 give a much better ratio between visible operation and hidden fiddling.

To my mind none of the suggestions give a decent hidden siding /FY capacity considering the size of the layout.

[Harlequin]

Hi Harlequin.

 

Posts #13 and #20 have provision for the branch passenger train to terminate and the loco run round at the terminus, quite an interesting operation as it requires using the main line.#

#22  does not, the branch train operates terminus to hidden sidings, there is no viable run round in the station even if the branch train continues round the layout to the station.

Fiddling below the terminus is challenging if you use tension lock couplings not so bad with Kadees or Peco H/D type but #13 and #20 give a much better ratio between visible operation and hidden fiddling.

To my mind none of the suggestions give a decent hidden siding /FY capacity considering the size of the layout.

Hi David,

 

Any passenger trains terminating at the through station in either direction can use the goods loop to run round and set off in the reverse direction. One crossover and one loop is all you need and the simplicity of the layout creates interesting moves, as you point out.

 

So passenger traffic from the branch line can join the main line outer circuit, circulate as many times as desired to increase journey time and distance and terminate in the through station. From there the loco can run round using the goods loop, crossover to the inner circuit, circulate as many times as desired again, then climb back up to the branch line station. There's no requirement to fiddle off-scene in that sequence.

 

I recognise that the hidden fiddle yard is a potential problem but I went with Ben's own previous plans and without it it's difficult to see how he will fit some fiddle yard capacity and the through station and the branch line into his 8*8 space. Some thought needs to be given to making the hidden fiddle yard as reliable as possible and ideally to make at least part of it open for manual attention.

 

Edit: Here's the design fleshed out a bit, showing just the main level and using accurate point templates.

The two diagonal lines in the fiddle yard are just an idea to bring the track to the front of the baseboard where rolling stock can be setup and removed. You'd only use one at a time.

The through station goods yard is still a bit too tight, really.

 

Edit2: Agh! There's a point lying in a bad position in that drawing but that's probably not too difficult to fix.

Edited September 8, 2018 by Harlequin

[Ben C]

Harlequin, thanks thats looking really interesting. Still a bit of a stretch to the top right but I can always cut off the back foot or so with the back scene.

If I was being really picky I'd like a 3rd siding to make an inglenook and a road or 2 for engine storage/ a shed. Though I appreciate in the space I have I can't have it all. I'm just wondering if going twice around as suggested previously would be possible in order to gain a good length branch and also over 200mm in height without crazy inclines. Would make access to the storage roads much easier.

 

Did you do that plan in Anyrail? If so is there any chance you could send it to me. Would save a lot of time rather than me attempting to replicate that!

[Crewlisle]

Ben,

 

My 00 gauge DCC layout 'Crewlisle' is 8ft 6ins x 8ft.  In this forum, the question What can be done with 00 gauge in a 11' by 11' room? was asked in August this year.  Comment 9 dated 8th August shows my layout but was suggested as a solution to this problem by someone else.  Click on the link & after reading, carry on scrolling down to Comment 11 about the gradients  & reversing loop.  With reference to the track plan, the short bottom baseboard is hinged for access to the airing cupboard & the gap at the right hand side of the plan is not a mistake converting from imperial to metric.  It is so the bedroom door can open!

Since then my stock has been considerably enlarged.  I  now  run a total of 52 locos (steam, diesels, AC electrics, Blue Pullman, HST, APT & ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’), 65 coaches/parcel coaches & 120 wagons with no fiddle yard!  I have fourteen 4ft 6ins long cassettes which form part of the reversing loop on the inside of the central operating well.  Two six coach expresses can be stored on the reversing loop if required.   I have two longer cassettes for storing my Blue Pullman, HST or 6 coach expresses.  These can only be accessed from one end with the other end resting on top of the tracks under the right hand baseboard.  The shorter cassettes are replenished from the stock boxes as required.  Crewlisle is not super detailed or prototypical but over the years has been continually improved.  I run a minimum of two & sometimes as many as four trains simultaneously.   It was built to entertain & for that reason a regular comment at exhibitions is "It is nice to see something moving!".  There are photos & videos on Google & You Tube.

 

With reference to using Anyrail or SCARM for 'designing' your layout, I believe they only plan using manufacturers sectional track.  Forget these modern planning tools; I did it the old fashioned way using Peco point paper templates & aligning the curves by eye.  I placed the templates where I wanted them then carefully aligned the curves for using Peco Code 100 flexible track & adjusted the templates as required.  As they say in the ship repair/building industry, ‘If a curve looks right it is right!’  Before I started 40 years ago I decided what I wanted from my train spotting days in the fifties.  That was a terminus for six coach expresses, steam shed, diesel shed, turntable, goods yard, WCML with OLE, semaphores on high level, 4 aspect colour light signals on the WCML & a reversing loop.  I think I have achieved my ambition & I could never break it up & build a different one.

 

If you want to fit a cassette system in part of your track, see my Comment 13 in 'Anyone making Laser Cut Cassettes?' asked in the 'Modelling Questions, Help & Tips' forum in April this year.  It includes details of making the cassettes complete with drawings.

 

Peter

Edited September 9, 2018 by Crewlisle

[Harlequin]

Harlequin, thanks thats looking really interesting. Still a bit of a stretch to the top right but I can always cut off the back foot or so with the back scene.

If I was being really picky I'd like a 3rd siding to make an inglenook and a road or 2 for engine storage/ a shed. Though I appreciate in the space I have I can't have it all. I'm just wondering if going twice around as suggested previously would be possible in order to gain a good length branch and also over 200mm in height without crazy inclines. Would make access to the storage roads much easier.

 

Did you do that plan in Anyrail? If so is there any chance you could send it to me. Would save a lot of time rather than me attempting to replicate that!

Hi Ben,

 

Thanks, it feels like a good plan to me but that's not to say that there isn't a better idea waiting to be discovered. I like small simple quiet country stations and so they appear naturally in my designs but maybe that's not your cup of tea.

 

I agree the depth of baseboards top right is an issue but on the plus side it allows the branch line to run through a little countryside scene. (That's just the way I imagine it.) I'm sort of thinking about a lift out hatch in that corner which would include a section of the branchline track. Not sure of the practicality of that, though.

 

In fact the branchline running so close to the back wall behind the station is a worry - you'd have to use some clever tricks to make that look realistic.

 

Yes, I'd like to have three sidings in the goods yard as well! I'll try to fit something in and make the goods yard a bit more "usable" if possible. But note that you can perform inglenook shunting using the goods loop, and the two goods sidings. (May need to tweak the sidings lengths a bit to allow shunting without fouling the main line.)

 

I suggest you have your engine shed at the branch terminus. That would be more realistic and hopefully easier to fit in.

 

I'm not sure about the twice-around branchline idea. It would be difficult to make any of it look realistic and I think construction would be a bit of a nightmare - especially where it crosses the lifting section!

 

Sorry, I'm not using AnyRail, just a normal desktop drawing program because I think it gives me more flexibility. That relates to what Crewlisle is saying about making a design that looks right but using paper templates is a bit old fashioned!

 

I can send you a PDF if that's any use?

Edited September 9, 2018 by Harlequin

[Ben C]

Harlequin, a pdf would be great. You're right about the twice around idea. Too much complexity/ not enough space. Getting towards the ppint of finishing off my boards and starting to throw some track down!

I'll be using code 100 streamline. Are they medium points shown on your plan?

[Harlequin]

Harlequin, a pdf would be great. You're right about the twice around idea. Too much complexity/ not enough space. Getting towards the ppint of finishing off my boards and starting to throw some track down!

I'll be using code 100 streamline. Are they medium points shown on your plan?

Hi Ben, I'll send you a PM.

[Ben C]

After a bit of a break for a couple of months I'm getting back to the layout planning! Had to take some time to finish off decorating the nursery for the imminent arrival and sprog number 2 is now 4 weeks old. Time to crack on!

I've had a bit of a play with one of my earlier plans and come up with the following. I've taken the decision to get rid of the lifting section and have a fixed duck under. I know a lot of people would disagree with this but I'm still young and mobile (unless I put my back out one day doing the layout limbo). The advantage of doing this is that I can start the branch line much earlier, I currently have it leaving the main lines at the top left. This now gives a much more palatable 1 in 40 to give me about 200mm height difference between the storage roads and the branch station above. I've also added a couple of extra sidings to the storage roads.

 

If anyone has any thoughts please let me know.

 

[TonyMay]

Trying to stick something atop the FY isn't a good idea if you need to fiddle.  

[Zomboid]

Trains heading up the branch have to run on the right hand line from the station. Ok for a model set in the 2000s with MAS, but unlikely in the steam era/ mechanical signalling areas.

[Ben C]

TonyMay, they're just storage roads rather than fiddle yard so shouldn't need to be in there. At worst the front sidings will be used for some of the shorter branch line trains but with 200mm height difference as mentioned and only using the front siding it shouldnt be a problem.

 

Zombiod, good point on the running wrong line. Need to perhaps see if I can squeeze in a crossover nearer where the branch joins.

 

Didn't mention in my last post but the idea is that the line to the inside of the station would be both the goods loop and a 3rd platform face. My thinking being that the branch trains could run down to there keeping the main lines clear, then either run around and back up the branch, or do some loops and then into the storage sidings.

[Jsiony RN]

On 09/09/2018 at 15:35, Harlequin said:

Hi Ben, I'll send you a PM.

Good afternoon

just been looking at this thread and returning to model railway after sometime. How things have changed. Do you by any chance Design layouts?  As mentioned don’t really have a clue at the moment but the little research I have done it does seem dcc is the way forward. I have a spare room size 10ftx8ft and would like a design to fit. I am happy to build the layout but have no clue about baseboard sizes etc. It would be nice to have a split level design (if possible) so my question is would you be able to design something .

 

kind regards Roger best contact is through my email

Edited November 21, 2020 by AY Mod
Email address removed

[Harlequin]

8 hours ago, Jsiony RN said:

Good afternoon

just been looking at this thread and returning to model railway after sometime. How things have changed. Do you by any chance Design layouts?  As mentioned don’t really have a clue at the moment but the little research I have done it does seem dcc is the way forward. I have a spare room size 10ftx8ft and would like a design to fit. I am happy to build the layout but have no clue about baseboard sizes etc. It would be nice to have a split level design (if possible) so my question is would you be able to design something .

 

kind regards Roger best contact is through my email *****@btinternet.com 

 

Hi Roger, I'll send you an email.

 

In the meantime, I suggest you edit your post above to remove the email address so that spammers and fraudsters can't see it.

 

Edited November 21, 2020 by Harlequin