Simple OO Gauge Test Layout

[The Johnster]

Been thinking about your traffic for a passing station on a Pembrokeshire BLT; actually, there aren't that many examples to draw from!  Pembroke Dock, Milford Haven, Neyland and Fishguard are pretty main line places, with gangwayed coaches and big engines.  Cardigan (the station was in Pembrokeshire) counts, but I think that's it!  

 

If you were going for something based on the Cardi branch the locos are 45xx and possibly 54xx (conversion from Bachmann 64xx).  A fictional branch, say to St David's as a kickback from Goodwick, or Newquay, might include 57xx and auto trains with 64xx or 48/14xx, as well as 4575s.  The obvious passenger stock is B set and autos, but as you are limited for space it might be worth you looking at shorter coaches, like the Hornby shorty clerestories, which can be worked up with better bogies, buffers, and interiors.  Ratio 4 wheelers are asking for trouble on your curves, though.  

 

Freight is deliveries of coal and general merchandise inwards, so minerals, and opens and vans which will contain lime or fertiliser in bags or sacks, general goods in boxes and crates, liquid goods in drums, some under tarpaulin.  There is no end loading dock or cattle facility, but such vehicles could appear on through traffic, as could fish and milk traffic as well.  

[petejones]

4 hours ago, The Johnster said:

If you were going for something based on the Cardi branch the locos are 45xx and possibly 54xx (conversion from Bachmann 64xx).  A fictional branch, say to St David's as a kickback from Goodwick, or Newquay, might include 57xx and auto trains with 64xx or 48/14xx, as well as 4575s.  The obvious passenger stock is B set and autos, but as you are limited for space it might be worth you looking at shorter coaches, like the Hornby shorty clerestories, which can be worked up with better bogies, buffers, and interiors.  Ratio 4 wheelers are asking for trouble on your curves, though.

 

I have a 64xx (will look at converting it at some point) and a 4575 (was going to renumber it), with a pre-order in for one of the Kernow 16xx, whenever that is released. I did grab three BR Mk1s (BCK, CK and BSK) in chocolate and cream, then found a colour pic of a train at Cardigan station with maroon coaches, so bought three of the same type in maroon as well...

 

I did try building one of the Ratio 4-wheelers but didn't get on well with it, so sold the other two (I bought one of each). Perhaps Bachmann will release models of these in the future? I did ask them and they added the request to their database.

 

Being interested in diesels as well, I have a Class 101 2-coach DMU, a Hymek and a Class 37, but won't be getting any more diesels (I promise!).

 

Wagons: I went with the unpainted ones from Dapol, mostly 5- and 7-plank opens, plus a variety of other types, and a (pre-painted) Siphon D for the milk. I need to look more into the wagons used at that time. And one Toad!

 

I do have a cattle dock, but not sure if I should add that to the layout.

[petejones]

I've been thinking about signal boxes and don't really like the idea of having two on such a small station, so how about I move the main box to the end of the lower platform and drop the other box? The signalman can now see the crossing and the points into the goods yard. The stations at Llanglydwen and Boncath on the Cardi Bach had the signal boxes at the other end of the platform to the level crossing.

Edited August 4, 2019 by petejones

[petejones]

Added lever numbers to the plan and some other text.

1. Spare (White)
2. Signal, Up, Home (Red)
3. Signal, Up, Starter (Red)
4. Facing Point Lock, Up, Loop (Blue)
5. Points, Up, Loop (Black)
6. Signal, Shunt, Private Siding (Red)
7. Points, Up, Private Siding (Black)
8. Signal, Goods Siding (Red)
9. Signal, Shunt, Goods Siding (Red)
10. Facing Point Lock, Up, Goods Siding  (Blue)
11. Points, Goods Siding (Black)
12. Signal, Shunt, Goods Road (Red)
13. Points, Goods Road (Black)
14. Electric Release to 2 Lever Ground Frame, Station Halt (Blue)
15. Gate Bolt (Blue)
16. Points, Down, Loop (Black)
17. Facing Point Lock, Down, Loop (Blue)
18. Signal, Down, Starter (Red)
19. Signal, Down, Home (Red)
20. Spare (White)

 

[Harlequin]

Hi Pete,

If you're thinking of somewhere with the sort of character of Llanglydwen, one of my favourites (see here), then in my opinion you've got a bit too much going on for an authentic model:

• The goods shed is too big and fancy
• The coal merchant is too big and fancy (and might be better moved to give access to the siding)
• The private siding looks grafted on to use up a corner.
• The signal box is too big.

Some other thoughts:

• Glad you got rid of the footbridge. The barrow crossing, for use by the passengers, would probably be near the public entrance to the station, so probably near the road.
• Since this is a compressed model you have to imagine that the "real" station wouldn't be so tightly curved and so the signal box would have good views of all it needs to see if placed at the other end of the platform.
• Points in the goods yard would not be controlled from the box.
• Entry and exit from the goods yard could be signalled by ground discs (the exit one just in rear of the imagined trap point). (see Llanglydwen.)
• You could still splay the sidings as @The Johnster suggested to open up the goods yard and make more use of the middle of the layout.
• Could you possibly extend the loop round to where points 11 are? And then take the goods yard off the inner track of the loop??? I don't know if that's possible (using curved points) but it would be more authentic and would allow you to make both platforms longer, following the curve if you removed the private siding. Clearance might be an issue, though.
• Don't worry about not using buildings that you've already bought. It's better to get the character of the place right. Spare buildings will always come in useful in years to come.

Sorry to drop all that on you. You said the magic word, Llanglydwen, that got me going ... ;-)

 

Edited August 4, 2019 by Harlequin

[petejones]

1 hour ago, Harlequin said:

If you're thinking of somewhere with the sort of character of Llanglydwen, one of my favourites

 

Ah thanks Phil. I remember reading that thread recently but completely forgot about it. I'm looking for a bit more in the way of Newcastle Emlyn and Cardigan to be honest - not necessarily a terminus though. I will take a look through your suggestions now.

[petejones]

How's this?

1. I changed the signal to the goods siding to a shunt signal (I've used Hornby colour light signals rotated 90° as shunt signals on the plan).
2. The coal merchant siding is now at a better angle and makes more of the goods yard - thanks both.
3. Moved the barrow crossing.

The curvature is too tight to move the loop entrance to the goods entrance.

 

 

Edited August 4, 2019 by petejones
Missing image

[petejones]

Ah, I need a facing point lock on the points to the private siding (will number this 7+8 on the plan).

[petejones]

Moved the goods shed to the other siding, added a cattle dock, removed the large coal merchant building. Moved the signal box to the end of the other platform (just so the steps line up with the platform ramp):

 

 

Edited August 4, 2019 by petejones

[johnd]

Nice layout.  Regarding the signal box I feel that should be on the other side of the tracks and at the other end of the station( ie near point leading to private siding). The reason being sighting of tracks etc ( train movements). from it, 4 points nearby  for lever operation requiring shorter point rodding. signal 2 needs to be further from the level crossing to provide a safety space for potential SPADS.

 

Just my thought really

Edited August 5, 2019 by johnd

[petejones]

Thanks John, how's this?

 

[The Johnster]

I prefer this goods yard arrangement, the 'back' road being used for coal, cattle, and 'mileage' traffic and the rest going to the goods shed.  Two minor observations; the down home signal, no.19, needs to be out past the goods yard turnout no.10 to protect it.  This means that it is too close to the distant, and you need a scenic break to disguise this.  The level crossing is now a long way from the signal box and cannot be controlled by it, but I agree that the box is now in the best possible position for sighting purposes.  

[petejones]

How's this? I also added a yard crane - the stations with goods sheds along the Cardi Bach had cranes.

 

So I need to look out for a suitable crossing keepers house.

 

[petejones]

40 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

This means that it is too close to the distant

 

I was looking at a signalling diagram of Boncath and the distants were just over 800 yards from the box in each direction, which is around 10m in 1/76 scale. I will stick them in the garden

[johnd]

That's a lot better just what I had in mind !

[petejones]

The mileage siding will hold 11 wagons (I assumed 9cm per wagon), so that's not far off the capacity of some of the other stations on the Cardi Bach. Rhydowen had a capacity of 13, Crymmych Arms 12 and 14 (two sidings), but Cardigan had 26 and 27.

 

Edited August 5, 2019 by petejones

[The Johnster]

Liking the yard crane, Pete; you can now handle BD containers and larger loads. 

[37Oban]

Hi,

here's my thoughts on your track plan.

 

The signal box would be near the level crossing so the signal man can see road traffic when closing the gates, and not just the trains.  This was a safety feature and there are still numerous examples of this, even if the crossing has been updated to barriers.  If the signal box is moved then a crossing keepers hut needs to be provided, unless a member of station staff is used to operate the crossing, as the run of the rodding to operate the gates and locks would be too far for manual operation from the box, as well as the safety aspect mentioned.  

 

The private siding would, most likely, be gated and padlocked, with a hand lever to operate the point and the facing point lock.  The levers would need to be unlocked before use with a key obtained from the signalman.  This key would only be returned once the shunt had been completed and the point returned to normal running.

 

The maximum length for a run of point rodding was 350 yards, which is over 4 metres in OO so your signal box is fine near the level crossing.  

 

Roja

[Harlequin]

Suggestion: To open up the yard (which is a bit cramped) how about moving the siding points further around the curve and re-arranging like this:

 

 

Room to turn lorries and back up to goods loading bay.

No coal staithes - just unload directly into carts or lorries.

Two possible positions for yard crane shown (not two cranes!).

Goods shed backs onto platform like Moretonhamsptead.

Edit: Keep the cattle mess away from the passengers.

Edited August 5, 2019 by Harlequin

[37Oban]

Hi,

 

just had another thought re: level crossing.  If the road only leads to the goods yard the gates would be opened by the people, carriers etc using the crossing, and the gates would then open back across the road and not the tracks.  They would have one of those "penalty for improper use" signs affixed.  There used to be a pair of gates at Pasture Road crossing here in Barton like that on a road leading to fishing ponds, tile yard and yachting lake.  Nobody took any notice of the penalty fine, I believe it was 40 shillings, and the gates were always left open and had weeds growing through them in the summer!  

 

Roja

[petejones]

16 minutes ago, 37Oban said:

If the road only leads to the goods yard the gates would be opened by the people, carriers etc using the crossing, and the gates would then open back across the road and not the tracks.  They would have one of those "penalty for improper use" signs affixed.  There used to be a pair of gates at Pasture Road crossing here in Barton like that on a road leading to fishing ponds, tile yard and yachting lake.  Nobody took any notice of the penalty fine, I believe it was 40 shillings, and the gates were always left open and had weeds growing through them in the summer! 

 

Thanks, I did wonder if that would be a possibility. I like the idea

[petejones]

1 hour ago, Harlequin said:

Suggestion: To open up the yard (which is a bit cramped) how about moving the siding points further around the curve and re-arranging like this:

 

Room to turn lorries and back up to goods loading bay.

No coal staithes - just unload directly into carts or lorries.

Two possible positions for yard crane shown (not two cranes!).

Goods shed backs onto platform like Moretonhamsptead.

Edit: Keep the cattle mess away from the passengers.

 

That's good, Phil, thanks. I didn't want to encroach too far into the middle of the board, but like the idea of the goods shed being near the station. However, I added a mileage siding directly behind the platform, then the goods siding behind that. Not too bothered about a cattle dock, so have removed that for now. Getting some reasonable wagon capacity on the layout now, although I only have 26 wagons (at the moment).

 

Edited August 5, 2019 by petejones

[petejones]

Reduced the length of the coal siding a bit and removed the shunt signal from the private siding.

 

Edited August 5, 2019 by petejones

[The Johnster]

But the mileage siding cannot be accessed by road, as it is blocked by the goods shed road.  Mileage customers need to back their lorries and vans up to the railway vehicles and load/unload directly between them.  You could of course make the goods shed road inset so that road vehicles can park across it, but that has an impact on accessibility as well.  Your mileage road can actually only function as a storage road in this position, and a storage road seems a bit of a luxury in a small yard like this. 

 

I like Harlequin's yard best, but I'd move the crane to the loading/cattle dock.  

 

Another possible improvement would be to scrap the halt and it's siding and replace it with storage roads; I reckon you could get 3 in and this means that you can have up to 4 trains and always have somewhere for them to go, an up and a down passenger, a pickup, and perhaps a fish or milk working in the late afternoon to connect with the up London workings from Whitland or Milford Haven.  If you are committed to the halt, a possible extension behind it might be worked in.  

Edited August 5, 2019 by The Johnster

[JDW]

I like Phil's suggestion of moving the cattle dock away from the platforms. In your latest one, how would wagons be unloaded in the siding between the goods shed road and the platform?