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Eberbach layout planning


Memphis32
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Following a year of pursuing other interests, I'm back on the case of planning how to use half a double garage to fit both already-built baseboards for a British late steam layout and a continental layout. The Rhine-inspired attempts from last year are doing nothing for me so I went on a hunt through Google Earth to find something more suitable. Heidelberg was somewhere I visited a few times (I had my first Pizza Hut there), so I went up the Neckar valley and found something almost ideal - Eberbach - it fits in a double track mainline and a single track branch in less than 600m, including approach pointwork. It also happens to lie on the route taken by the Rheingold (admittedly decades later than what I plan to model!)

 

Link to Google Maps

 

and here's my interpretation:

 

1192258597_Firstdraft.PNG.fc9473d48241d0b8ec852d943568ecd5.PNG

 

The width has been compressed slightly, but still allows for regulation width platforms! A couple of extra features that were still there in photos from the 80s are included too, such as the mainline crossovers, the extra siding at the top (part of a once much bigger exchange yard for the branch I think) and the one at the lower right, which I think is for an end-loading ramp. There was once a small turntable in the Y between the branch and mainline, but I think it would be a bit cramped in there.

The big pink rectangle is the space I wanted for operating (3' across), and the yellow is a hinged lift-up section. The branch fiddle would be out of sight (mirror on the ceiling for operating) but would need a crawl-under to fix issues, and the main fiddle yard needs thought (if needed at all - I'm more of a watch things go round and round or shunting type, not exact train formations and timetables. So far...), but I ran out of track pieces in the free version of the software!

Edited by Memphis32
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Hi Mike,

That certainly looks 'do-able' to me!

Would you have a slight gradient on the curve to the branch terminus so there is some elevation difference between the terminus and the main-line? It looks as though you could manage a 'pop up' section within that curve so you could access at least part of the terminus.

Are you still having UK stuff, presumably, in the white section?

Cheers,

John.

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12 hours ago, Allegheny1600 said:

Hi Mike,

That certainly looks 'do-able' to me!

Would you have a slight gradient on the curve to the branch terminus so there is some elevation difference between the terminus and the main-line? It looks as though you could manage a 'pop up' section within that curve so you could access at least part of the terminus.

Are you still having UK stuff, presumably, in the white section?

Cheers,

John.

 

Indeed - there’s a link to the other layout in my signature, but it’s got no further than baseboards and track plan due to house moves/kids/storing parents’ stuff for their house move etc.

 

The branch is actually just going off-scene, with enough “fiddle” yard for a vs98 pair (is the other bit a vt98?), a loco-hauled passenger train and a freight to shuttle back and forth, though I had also been considering a longer-term American-style branch around the walls at a higher level, but I’m not sure how that would work with what I want so far.

 

My top concern at the mo is how to get enough fiddle yard for the main line that I won’t feel limited later. The Brit layout is mainly an oversized shunting plank so doesn’t really need much, so I’d been working out whether there was a way to swap a fiddle yard for that without it being too big a job - having them on opposite sides of the baseboard and flipping it over, or lifting them both up and down on pulleys etc. My conclusion was that it was more effort than it’s worth, but am willing to be shown otherwise!!

Edited by Memphis32
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  • 2 weeks later...

Further additions, having found many more photos showing a pre-rationalisation layout at https://eisenbahnstiftung.de/bildergalerie (put Eberbach in the search box). It's getting pretty busy, but I think in a good way! There are a few places where points will need bending a little to improve flow - especially the double slip at the RH end.

 

I am leaning towards a very long-term plan of having the branch develop as an American-shortline-style round-the-room layout at a lower level, including a representation of the viaduct at Himbachel. I'm still pondering the carpentry implications of this.

 

Any more suggestions would be welcome!

 

1101636_Garagev2.png.4a859742c21d8ba1597e4ff8758aff06.png

 

Edit to link to two particular pics (from the previously mentionned site) showing best views of each end:

 

42315.jpg

 

46765.jpg

Edited by Memphis32
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4 hours ago, Ian Morgan said:

That double slip is a curious looking beast. Not seen one like that before.

 

By 1970 it had been replaced by something more conventional (and Peco-like!):

 

https://www.rnz.de/nachrichten/eberbach_artikel,-Eberbach-Nach-Unwettern-in-der-Region-Sehnsucht-nach-der-alten-Badischen-Gebaeudeversicherung-_arid,214015.html

 

You may need to click through a few pics to find the one I’m referring to...

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16 hours ago, Ian Morgan said:

That double slip is a curious looking beast. Not seen one like that before.

 

These double slips were common in Germany. Tillig Elite has them both availbable.  This  one is the "strange" one, That one is the more common one. In German, they are distinguished as "Innenliegende Zungen" or "aussenliegende Zungen". Someting alomg the line of "inside switch blades" or "outside switch blades". German modellers are always jealous about the creative UK track plans. This double slip is the only strange component used in Germany.

 

Michael

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  • 2 months later...

Further fiddling has resulted in a slightly more compact version, with one fewer goods loops/sidings (and the layout on the opposite side of the available space for accessibility reasons). As the little feedback so far has been along the lines of "it seems fine", could I challenge you to say if this is an improvement or not, and why (both prototypical and playability-wise). I will add that the extra loop going astray will probably not limit the stock on view, as budget will be the limiting factor for that! The green rectangle is lifting/lift-out access

 

v5.png.e3c1d162ec91ead7d934dea4ef947e79.png

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Realised that in the plans so far, the branch has no access to the island platform which I believe is probably its most likely arrival and departure point. Revised here to fit more closely with what I think I'm seeing in prototype photos, with platforms very roughly shown in brown. It doesn't have quite so smooth a flow, but progress is slow enough without the complication of handbuilt track! Please do feed back if possible!!

 

v5.png.0927906aa698ada444af7ad8f6c3e08f.png

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Looking forward to seeing this develop. Went to Eberbach in 1969, class 050 from Erbach, the branch, and 065 001 on the return. Most trains from Darmstadt terminated at Erbach.

From memories it was a V200 from Eberbach to Heilbronn. There were steam workings from Heilbronn on the line including 064. 

There was a yard in the area between the main line and the branch which contained what looked like old narrow gauge stock. No other info, it’s 50 years ago.

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On 06/12/2019 at 22:35, bbishop said:

Mike, you might want to reverse the crossovers between Gleis 1 and Gleis 2.  At the moment there is only one access and egress to Gleis 1.

 

Bill

 

From what I can make out from the photos, that's how it is... If I'm missing something, please do tell me! The RH end crossover is in the image further up this page with the double slip on it, the LH end is shown in the distance in another photo from the the same site (https://eisenbahnstiftung.de/bildergalerie):

 

46771.jpg

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