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Genesis of an Inglenook?


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I re-discovered some of my OO scale collection the other day and started to wonder if I should just sell them off to fund other projects, or if I should go ahead and build a small layout for them. I am pretty sure that I had an old Airfix/Dapol 14xx somewhere, and I also found my Hornby Terrier which was part-way through a conversion/bash to an IWR example. The new-tooling Hornby Terrier has made me decide to abandon that particular project though.

 

Some_OO_stuff.jpg.f0db5a5867754cb4cb3ea7fad0b5268a.jpg

 

 

So, what to do about a layout. I put down a bid on what I thought was a lot of 3x Peco points but then turned out to be 3x LH AND 3x RH large radius points in the new Code 75 Bullhead rail from Peco. The eBay listing said that they had been laid but removed from the layout, but they've been returned to their original packaging and from the photos it does not look like there was any ballasting applied. A couple of other impulse eBay purchases later, I have 4 yards of matching bullhead plain flex-track and the appropriate rail-joiners coming, as well as a few more wagons to make up the required 8 wagons for an Inglenook puzzle. Large radius points require a bit more length and the layout would be difficult to fit on a 4' x 1' (120x30cm) board, so I drafted up a slightly larger layout at 140x40cm (about 4'3"x1'6" in the old money.)

OO_Inglenook.png.0abea026f0632b849ad744be4b80e7bc.png

 

 

This all presents me with something of a problem as I am primarily an O gauge modeller and I prefer building kits and scratch-bashes of various sorts. I think I'll try a foam-board baseboard for this particular project and will probably sell off the whole lot including locos and rolling stock to whoever makes me a good offer.

 

 

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It is just the classic inglenook layout with a kick-back off the long siding. I arranged the points this way to avoid any S-bends, though with large radius points this might not be much of an issue. I would have preferred to use medium or small radius points, but the job lot of large radius Code 75 bullhead points came in at a price that was too good to refuse (the three additional wagons cost more than the 6 points!)

My thoughts are to put some sort of shed or loco servicing area on the kick-back, but I have also seen a couple of interesting variations on the inglenook as a set of exchange sidings. One had an extra siding for a loco and brake-van, and then had a Wye point leading into the fiddle-yard, implying that one was the "branch-line" and the other was the "industrial line."

 

One question I have for those with inglenook layouts is about the arrangement of the uncouplers. I am using Kadee couplers and I'd like to know if people think I should just have the one uncoupler magnet at the throat of the yard, or if I should have uncouplers in every siding. I am using rare earth magnets 20mm long x 10mm wide and 2mm thick under the track instead of the Kadee ones.

Edited by hartleymartin
minor comment clarification
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I basically managed to buy six points for about a bit less than the cost of two points. It was a good buy even when I thought I was only getting three points. I now also have four yards of matching flex track on the way, which should be more than enough for an extended Inglenook layout.

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The sidings appear to be the same length. The long side at the bottom-right is long enough for 5 wagons. The right-hand point leading to the kick-back is the section which makes the clearances. I am not sure how much plain track beyond the point is needed to make the clearances for the two shorter sidings, so I have left them long for the time being. I'll only know for certain once I get the track and points down on the board and test them with my wagons. I would use the paper templates, but since my old faithful printer packed up a few weeks ago, this isn't really an option at the moment. My initial estimates are about 4.5" or 115mm of plain track beyond the end of the points is needed to get the clearances.

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One thing I didn't consider was longer wagons. For example 5 cattle trucks are much longer than 5 opens. I can only use short wheelbase wagons. I also select the 8 wagons from a pool of about 12, so as to make the puzzle a little more varied when exhibiting.

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2 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

One thing I didn't consider was longer wagons. For example 5 cattle trucks are much longer than 5 opens. I can only use short wheelbase wagons. I also select the 8 wagons from a pool of about 12, so as to make the puzzle a little more varied when exhibiting.

 

Good point on the extra wagons. I imagine this also allows for equipment failures when inevitably something decides to cease working at an awkward moment during exhibition - usually when someone is filming! I have not settled the final length of the sidings yet. I do want to allow a little extra length since not all 4-wheelers are the same size.

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Hi,

 

With regard to your question on magnet location....

 

I would place one in every siding - otherwise you will need to reverse a long way back and return if you want to pickup one wagon and leave an attached second wagon in the siding (hope I've explained that well enough).

 

My inglenook (Bratton Lane in the link in my sig) employed three magnets and it was worth the effort with regard to operation.

 

All the best,

James

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I placed magnets at the end of each siding on my 5-3-3 inglenook, Brewery sidings, if you look at the photo you can see small white dots on the side of the track, my two short sidings are a little longer than needed, this allowed me to have a extra wagon at each end which is glued in place, make's it look bigger than it is!14.JPG.7190d8e31f59302baec5de9a81696742.JPG

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It looks like a very nice plan so far! However, I have a couple of suggestions for you:

1. Angle the trackwork slightly, so it's not parallel with the baseboard edge; or just flip the whole layout and view it from the curved side. I know it's personal preference, but one long straight track along the entire front of the layout isn't that appealing to me.

2. Pay attention to the headshunt length. It's something I've learnt the hard way, that locos are longer than you think! Again, I think by slightly tilting and shifting the trackwork you've got enough space to get a slightly longer one in.

However you progress, I'm looking forward to watching this layout develop!

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There is an interesting variation on the Inglenook Sidings theme where the three sidings form the basis of an exchange yard. There are two exits to the fiddle-yard (branch-line and industrial line) and an extra loco servicing siding. Five points in the design, and I think it makes operation more realistic in that the wagons are being shunted for a particular purpose linked to the outside world.

 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/uoBftb890sI

 

(I tried doing an embedded video, but it doesn't seem to work for me.)

 

Edited by hartleymartin
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Found the errant Airfix 14xx. No couplings (never figured out a kadee conversion) and a Hornby NE vent van still waiting on couplings. A GWR MOGO van was also in the same box. The Airfix 14xx has the plug-in tension-lock couplers. I think Dapol/Hornby ones were fitted with screws which would have made a kadee conversion much easier. Maybe I'll fabrication some sort of semi-permanent coupling with an Autocoach and wire in additional pick-ups.

 

20190318_225815.jpg.ab27b0baeeb4b32b46df0d798f107602.jpg

Edited by hartleymartin
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Points and rail-joiners arrived in the post today. Some preliminary clearance testing suggests that you want to keep about 7 to 8cm of plain track past the point for minimum clearance. It has also become quite clear that you cannot get a functional Inglenook with large radius points under 4 feet in length. I may decide to make the baseboard a five-foot long item, but will need to check if I can get it to fit into the back of my little car.

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44 minutes ago, hartleymartin said:

Points and rail-joiners arrived in the post today. Some preliminary clearance testing suggests that you want to keep about 7 to 8cm of plain track past the point for minimum clearance. It has also become quite clear that you cannot get a functional Inglenook with large radius points under 4 feet in length. I may decide to make the baseboard a five-foot long item, but will need to check if I can get it to fit into the back of my little car.

Hi Martin,  You might like to try a medium length point. It'll cover most of the stock you've photographed, and be a bit shorter to boot.

 

Best wishes,

 

Ian.

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The most basic rendition of an inglenook would fit using Large radius points and with the clearances you describe. (It only needs two points, of course).

 

[Edit: Finally managed to upload the drawing!]

1660407868_hminglenook.png.0a8a2192e09e66dbb8f06bbdc9de94ea.png

Edited by Harlequin
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2 hours ago, hartleymartin said:

The only way I can get an Inglenook to fit a 4'x1' baseboard is to angle the track thus. I won't really know for sure until I start laying track onto some foam-core board.OO_Inglenook_LR.png.030baeb2b76a406abc709193b5d99448.png

It's ever so slightly too short. for 4 foot, you'll need 1,220 mm long, and 330mm wide. I'm sorry to pedantic, but I wouldn't want to see you not getting in all of that you're trying to achieve. My old inglenook puzzle is (was) very strictly 4x 1x1feet. Just right to be unobtrusive when packed up.

 

Ian.

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If you want to get pedantic, it should be 121.92cm x 30.48 cm, but I'm not going to go that far. I may also account for the fact that beyond the switch-blades of each point there is about 20mm of track at the toe-end. I have also considered the possibility of trimming the points slightly to get a bit of extra room. I'll see what happens when I get some foam-board and lay out all the track to test how functional it is all going to be. It would have been a wee bit easier if Peco already had the medium-radius points in the Bullhead range.

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