Northcote TMD - N Gauge

[bill badger]

After some room shuffling at home to give our son a bigger bedroom, my cave has moved to the smallest of our spare rooms. Whilst plans for a house extension, that includes a new workshop, have been approved, it’ll be next year at the earliest before we make a start and my grand scheme for Hellifield in N gauge will have to wait until then. In the meantime, I want something to do…

I can accommodate a smallish board, up to 1.5m long, without having to faff about unpacking and setting up for the odd 30 minute session.

My era is mid-80s to early-90s and I probably have far too many locos compared to rolling stock, so you can probably guess where this is going.

The plan is to show a limited section of a much larger TMD and include a ‘through’ line: some sort of loop or ‘avoiding’ line that a variety of traffic might use. I did look at making this a double track, but it didn't feel quite right and made things too cramped. I know this layout subject is has probably being done to death in some people’s view, but it suits my current situation; Rule 1 and all that!

To get things moving, I have ordered a  baseboard from Tim Horn Baseboards. Here is the current track plan:

I will be using Finetrax turnouts (all A5 for this one) and flexi with wood sleepers in the depot and concrete on the avoiding line

I have taken some inspiration from Tinsley for the look & feel. Locos and supplies from the wider world coming on-depot will come from the top left (some may pass, right to left, on the through line beforehand). Simple refuelling (upper right) / stabling (lower left sidings in front of red office block) will take place on scene. Locos may also enter the partially modelled servicing sheds (with cassettes to the rear) or head to the larger heavy workshops imagined off scene, via the lower right line. Buildings, tanks and other structures will be used as view blockers for the side access points.

All off site lines will lead to a cassette-based fiddle yard arrangement; there may ultimately be scope for an occasional use ‘tail chaser’ fiddle loop for the avoiding line.

Whilst I wait for the board and track supplies I’ll make a start with buildings, tanks and pouring over the local OS map to find a good name!

Edited October 29, 2022 by bill badger
Fix broken image link

[porkie]

Really do like your depot plan, and great choice of era too.

 

As I am building a N gauge depot layout in the same time frame. I will be following this thread too

 

Keep the updates coming Bill

[bill badger]

Thanks Porkie. Just had a quick look at your thread - your build looks great; I'll have a longer read tonight. My choice of era reflects happy memories of spotting trips with my Dad and my school's railway society. The whole thing is an exercise in pure nostalgia!

 

Just about to place my order with Finetrax so will be able to crack on with the main track complex. I want to look into whether you can compress adjacent turnout arrangement when using the Finetrax system and the milled plastic bases.

 

I've also snaffled a couple of Dapol 56s (one coal sector and one construction sector) and some TTAs in the Model Railways Direct sale. Have toyed with getting a 56 or two for ages, but given the size / shape / detail issues, I have always shied away at full price; daft really given that another version is never going to be produced in the foreseeable.

Edited September 8, 2018 by bill badger

[porkie]

Thanks bill.

Dapol have a special sales page at the start of each month. Where 56's have been put up at really good prices.but do sell out fast.

[bill badger]

With my background as a geologist, I do like a good map and after nosing over the local OS sheet this morning looking for inspiration, I've settled on a name for the layout: Northcote TMD.

[bill badger]

Spent some time today doing a bit of design work for the maintenance shed buildings. I used a couple of shots of the eastern(?) end of the main depot at Tinsley for inspiration and eyeballed elements into AutoCAD. This is the result:

 

 

 

 

A few things to tweak I think. The shorter shed at the rear needs to be wider and have shallower roof angle; the main shed in my design has only two roads, hence its roof apex isn’t high enough relative to the ancillary shed which doesn’t look quite right. Incidentally does anyone know what this building was used for (in latter days the road leading to it seemed to house withdrawn locos).

 

 

In addition, the distance between the outer main doors and the building wall isn’t wide enough to allow access doors and accommodate plastic sections representing the building frame.

Edited September 7, 2021 by bill badger
Formatting around photos

[bill badger]

A couple of hours today tweaking the mock up for the maintenance shed. The side shed is now wider than it is taller and is more in keeping with the prototype. Have widened the main shed by a few mm and I think it looks better too.

 

 

[porkie]

Looking good fella.

 

Really like the low relief section with the 56.

[bill badger]

With the arrival of my order from finetrax this morning, I thought it would be good to get the whole plan printed so I could trial the position of the card structures I bashed up so far (I was playing with diesel tanks yesterday) and get a feel for sight lines.

I have tweaked the track plan slightly, to allow positioning of the tanks and pumphouse; the second line leading off scene to the left has now become a siding.

Now trying to come up with ideas for the building at the left-hand side; it’s intended to add to the view blocker for the running line’s exit off stage. I think I might model the rear of an older brick shed building, now being used as a workshop, perhaps with a single through line (albeit immediately truncated beyond the door, in the style of Knottingley).

Edited September 13, 2018 by bill badger

[porkie]

Coming on really good so far Bill.

Really like the atmosphere with everything layed out in the plan

I still haven't decided how I am going to hide my off scene section either.

And I started building my layout 8yrs ago.

Edited September 15, 2018 by porkie

[Duncan.]

 

Spent some time today doing a bit of design work for the maintenance shed buildings. I used a couple of shots of the eastern(?) end of the main depot at Tinsley for inspiration and eyeballed elements into AutoCAD. This is the result:

 

 

 

 

A few things to tweak I think. The shorter shed at the rear needs to be wider and have shallower roof angle; the main shed in my design has only two roads, hence its roof apex isn’t high enough relative to the ancillary shed which doesn’t look quite right. Incidentally does anyone know what this building was used for (https://flic.kr/p/7NHn9E); in latter days the road leading to it seemed to house withdrawn locos.

 

In addition, the distance between the outer main doors and the building wall isn’t wide enough to allow access doors and accommodate plastic sections representing the building frame.

 

It was used for lifting locos off the bogies in order to change bogies or make repairs, when I worked there. I too have an interest in geology  and my first go to reference when planning a possible model is a geology may. The geology has a massive impact on the model design, for example if the local geology is clay any cuttins have a very shallow angle such as those out of King Cross, but if it the ground geology is limestone such as on parts of the Settle -Carlisle the cuttings can be vertical. I am often disappointed to see a layout set in an area of soft ground or an area covered with glacial clays with steep vertical cuttings... it's just wrong!

[bill badger]

Thanks for the info - that would explain some of the photos I've seen.

 

One of the things that can help to mark out excellent layouts, from otherwise very good ones, if the way they fit into their surroundings and how cuttings, embankments, natural slopes and outcrop are represented is crucial in this. Sadly there's not much space for deep cuttings, sweeping slopes or crags on this layout...

Edited September 15, 2018 by bill badger

[bill badger]

Coming on really good so far Bill.

Really like the atmosphere with everything layed out in the plan

I still haven't decided how I am going to hide my off scene section either.

And I started building my layout 8yrs ago.

 

I think the right hand side will be quite well covered but the left hand side will need some more work. The 'hiding in plain sight' approach might be the first port of call and we'll go from there. There is, after all, no rush...

[bill badger]

Baseboard

 

My flat-pack baseboard from Tim Horn was delivered last week and I took advantage of being confined to barracks with man-flu to build it up over the weekend. I am very impressed by the quality. I’ll be leaving the front and top pieces off for now for ease of access. I also need some legs!

 

 

 

I am mulling over what to do at the front right corner; I wanted a through line here, leading to the implied larger maintenance shed area beyond, but will need to be clever about hiding the hole.

 

[bill badger]

Managed to get some time over the last couple of weeks to finish preparing the baseboard (varnish 'out' and grey primer / undercoat 'in') and get the first track laid. Finished gluing last night and wired up today. Tested tonight and all seems fine.

 

 

 

 

The track is the new(ish) concrete sleeper / flat bottom rail flexi from Finetrax, forming the 'backdrop' through line (i.e. the Down Slow where it runs away from the fast lines to link to Northcote Junction, depot and goods yard - in my mind anyway). I'm very impressed with the track. Given that its Code 40 with flexible sleeper base units, it took a lot of tweaking with a metal rule to get it down smooth and straight(ish). There are a couple of small wobbles, but they aren't visible from side on and from the end they look no worse than you would see in a photo of prototype BR track. I've posted a comparison shot with a length of Peco Streamline (granted with wooden sleepers); let's just say I'd never consider using the Peco track again.

Edited October 17, 2018 by bill badger

[rob D2]

None of those photo links are clickable bill

[bill badger]

Pasted too much of the code from Flickr - that should have it now?

[bill badger]

Slow progress as I've been away a lot with work; did manage to spend a couple of evenings in my hotel room, sitting with a pint and putting chairs into the sleeper bases in the Finetrax kits. Back at home, I've got some cork down, transferred the track plan with carbon paper and, this last week, got some track down.

 

 

This front point and the track is the reference for getting all the rest in the right place. I'm not using fishplates and am using scale 60ft panels, if only because this is the length that is easily produced using the Finetrax jig; I tried making a longer length but with the code 40, the already slotted sleepers move as the track is pushed and it all ends up too wonky. The Finetrax point kits are excellent; fiddly as you might expect, given their size, but excellent.

 

 

This point and the approach track are now glued and have gone down nice and straight using Tracksettas. I have also been able to fix a Cobalt under the board (the two obvious dropper wires are like that so they clear the casing) and that works really well with the Finetrax tiebar. A pushed wagon runs through nice and smoothly; there may be a couple of tweaks needed but all seems good. Next target is the rest of the 'front line' so I can wire up and test with a loco.

Edited November 20, 2018 by bill badger

[bill badger]

Nearly four years later...

Work and family are always top of the list and modelling time has been incredibly limited, but it’s still crazy where the time has gone.

 

Have had the odd evening, now and again, building up the Finetrax point kits and doing other bits and pieces. Had quite a bit of spare time in the last week, combined with an urge to do some modelling. All the point kits were done and ready to lay, so I've now got them all down & have also done the wiring. The Cobalt motors proved too big for the spacing, so I removed the one I had fitted and have gone with the MERG servo kits instead; these appear to work well.

 

Have done some initial testing; there are a few little tweaks to make here and there but I'm really happy with the results. It’s great to have all the points down and working.

 

I don't know how people manage to create neat wiring arrangements - despite all best intentions I have made a lovely rat's nest. Still, it seems to work...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 29, 2022 by bill badger
Changed photos from flickr links to upload