So, what to do with a free layout?

[Del]

A little while ago, 'teaky' of this parish had a small layout that was surplus to requirements. He was very happy for me to collect it, and now I have, I'm thinking about what to do with it.

I'm going to add a bit to the front and back (probably 4" on each side) to give a bit more room for scenery.

I have the following that I'd like to use:

A Wills goods store

A Bachmann engine shed

A Ratio coal merchants

 

It's crying out to be a BLT or light railway terminus, which appeals greatly, but not sure how to arrange things logically. It would make sense to me for all the goods facilities to be located near each other, so the bay could be an end loading dock or cattle dock, the coal merchants on the 'angled' siding and the goods store at the front.

The loco shed with a coaling stage and water tower, and maybe a carriage siding could then be on the two roads at the front.

 

Another idea was to put the loco facilities on the bay road, with the coal merchants at the right-hand end on the front siding. The platform could move up, so that is right at the end on the angled road, which means engines would have to shunt back to the loop to run round, that's a little extra complication which might make operation a bit more interesting.

 

What would you do?

 

Any other possibilities?

[teaky]

About time too! 

 

Nice to see you started thinking things through already Del.

 

I don't have any bright ideas but I do have a some thoughts on what you've said.

 

"... all the goods facilities to be located near each other ..." - It's compact anyway and if the coal merchants is a private business it wouldn't necessarily be grouped with the railway company facilities.

 

"... coal merchants on the 'angled' siding ..." - If a wagon was being unloaded it would block the headshunt unless you extend it enough.

 

" ... loco shed with a coaling stage and water tower, and maybe a carriage siding could then be on the two roads at the front." - Not impossible but these are generous facilities for a small BLT.  Have you considered a simple coaling stage and water facilities on the single siding at the other end?

 

The two right hand sidings are far enough apart for a goods yard with space for vehicles in-between the sidings, so you don't necessarily need anything fancy.

 

I don't know if you are intending to use new brackets or legs but if you add too much at the back then the shelf won't fit as snugly onto the original metal frame and might compromise stability.

 

<<Hypocrit mode on>>  Don't spend too long thinking about the perfect solution.  Pick something that works and get yourself a layout to play with a.s.a.p.  <<Hypocrit mode off>>  There's no reason why you couldn't rejig it again at a later date.  (I'm thinking here about the comment you made to me about struggling to get anything started.)

 

 

[Nearholmer]

To me, it does have the look of the HQ of a very small light railway about it, which suggests that you should have ill-maintained corrugated iron sheds all over the place!

 

The two sidings at the RHS at the front look ideal for a loco-shed and "works" ...... either two single-road corrugated-iron sheds, or one two-road. The two singles would probably work best, with a shear-legs over one, outside the "works", to allow wheels to be got out from under locos, and boilers to be lifted.

 

The bay road could become a carriage shed, again corrugated iron, of course.

 

If the Ratio coal merchants building is still in kit form, it might be better used to create one of the various sheds, given that what the kit is actually designed to build is a very rare sort of structure; most coal merchants simply dealt with coal out in the open.

 

All you need to do then is decorate the place with dismantled Terriers and other bits and pieces (an Airfix/Dapol 'pug' kit is a mine of useful parts!).

 

The meagre goods traffic could be dealt with on the siding at the LH front, or via the 'passenger' platform.

 

Rolvenden (K&ESR) or Shepherdswell (EKLR) might give some inspiration, provided you can find 1930s photos, showing the period of maximum decrepitude!

 

Kevin

 

 

Edited March 17, 2019 by Nearholmer

[tomparryharry]

I inherited Streetley Sidings  from an old friend, to do as I pleased. It was very well made, and compact. A couple of the teenage members took great delight in operating 'my' layout, to the point where I would just set it up, and leave it to them.

The wheel has come full circle, as now the 'young adult' members have fully taken over the layout, and operate the layout as their own concern. The layout came to me on a Gratis basis, so it seems about right to let it go to another team of interested modellers.

 

Happy modelling,

 

Ian.

[Nearholmer]

I couldn’t resist.

[Del]

To paraphrase Dave Lister, 'That's run right up my flagpole, that has. I'm saluting that one.' 

That looks almost exactly what I was thinking of. 

Edited March 18, 2019 by Del

[Titanius Anglesmith]

I like the way the water tower is leaking all over the track 

 

On a serious note, I really like that sketch. Not just for the “technical” aspects, but for the atmosphere it conveys. Very good!

Edited March 18, 2019 by Titanius Anglesmith