Small Budget Layout - DC Wiring help appreciated

[Campion]

Hi, 

 

First post so please go gentle on me!  I'm completely new to this and am building a small [5'5" x 2'] 00 model of a local and now non-existent railway station.  Just working from old photographs and maps.  

 

There's 2 mainline tracks running through the middle, and then a small goods operation on both sides. I'm looking to keep the costs minimal, so DC wiring, and no point motors [I'll throw the points across with my fingers].  My only power unit/controller is a handheld Hornby R912 I've been given.  So just one train at a time, which I'm happy with.

 

I've got a single car DMU for passenger duties, and will get a GWR Pannier Tank for shunting duties, with 3 or 4 wagons max at a time.

 

Anyway, I have a few questions..........

 

Where's best to feed the power into the rails - I'm thinking on the right hand side so I feed the toe of the points? 

 

Do I need to feed power to anywhere else on the track, or is it small enough?

 

Do I just use an isolating track connector and a switch to isolate the sections I've indicated? And does this go on the + or the - rail?  

 

All my points are insulfrog except one [marked] which is an electrofrog.  Does this present me with a problem or is it ok?

 

I'm going to put some 12v lights in the station and the goods shed.  How do I power these?  Would I be ok to use an old computer power pack to turn 240v into 12v and then wire from there?

 

Thank you!

 

Ian

 

 

 

 

[Aire Head]

Does the prototype only have a platform on only one line?

 

Also I feel like there should be headshunts off the goods yard sidings to provide protection from trepass onto the main line?

[down the sdjr]

I will start,

No problem with the electro frog as standard where it is.

For isolation sections i use a fishplate on the +side.

You could put a few power feed points on there to improve running,with only 2 locos and iso points you wont have a problem but if you add more isolation sections to the sidings you could add more trains in the future.

 

Looks good.

 

Paul.

[Campion]

1 hour ago, Aire Head said:

Does the prototype only have a platform on only one line?

 

Also I feel like there should be headshunts off the goods yard sidings to provide protection from trepass onto the main line?

 

Yes, the prototype did only have the one platform on that line.  Your second question make me realise why!!  Essentially, the upper main line was really the only main line.  It's a branch terminus, so the passenger service went up and down on that one track.  There was some extra track off to the right in real life so goods trains could go straight from the upper siding directly onto the lower main line.  I've just not got the space.....I guess I could if i got a three way turnout,  but they don't come cheap!! 

[Dungrange]

3 hours ago, Campion said:

Where's best to feed the power into the rails - I'm thinking on the right hand side so I feed the toe of the points? 

 

Do I need to feed power to anywhere else on the track, or is it small enough?

 

Do I just use an isolating track connector and a switch to isolate the sections I've indicated? And does this go on the + or the - rail?  

 

All my points are insulfrog except one [marked] which is an electrofrog.  Does this present me with a problem or is it ok?

 

I'm going to put some 12v lights in the station and the goods shed.  How do I power these?  Would I be ok to use an old computer power pack to turn 240v into 12v and then wire from there?

 

Power should always be fed to the toe end of the turnout, so you are correct that your primary feeds should be to the tracks at the right hand side of your track plan.  However, you have one point that forms part of your crossover at the platform that faces the opposite way.  You will need to feed power to this also from the toe end, which means you need another feed to the track that is parallel to the station platform to the left of that turnout.  This means that you will then also need to fit insulated rail joiner in both rails in the middle of your crossover to prevent a short when the points are thrown in opposite directions - eg if one is straight and the other curved.

 

To isolate a locomotive at the locations that you want to, you just need an on/off or Single Pole Single Throw (SPST) switch.  It doesn't matter whether you put the break in the positive or negative rail.  All it is doing is stopping current flowing to/from the end of the siding.  It is however worth highlighting that your turnouts will be self isolating, which means that if you throw the point blades to the other direction, any locomotive downstream of that point will automatically be isolated.  That therefore may mean that you don't need an isolating switch unless you want to isolate a locomotive near the buffers and then drive a second locomotive into the same siding.

 

With regards lights in buildings, any power supply with the correct voltage output should be okay.

 

Welcome to RMWeb and I hope your project goes well.

[Aire Head]

6 hours ago, Campion said:

 

Yes, the prototype did only have the one platform on that line.  Your second question make me realise why!!  Essentially, the upper main line was really the only main line.  It's a branch terminus, so the passenger service went up and down on that one track.  There was some extra track off to the right in real life so goods trains could go straight from the upper siding directly onto the lower main line.  I've just not got the space.....I guess I could if i got a three way turnout,  but they don't come cheap!! 

 

What I meant by the headshunt would be instead of the curved points at the entrances to the siding they would be instead double slips with a short spur parallel to the main line. 

 

The purpose being that it prevents runaway stock rolling onto and fouling the mainline

[Harlequin]

Hi Campion,

What was the prototype?

Is there a fiddle yard to the right and does it allow easy movement of goods trains between the two main lines (to simulate the missing pointwork)?
Have you thought about using LEDs for lighting instead of 12v?

[DCB]

Looks like a very unsatisfactory layout to operate,    No on scene route from upper to lower sidings.   5ft 5 is very short of 00, mine is 7ft from first point to buffer stop with 20 odd feet of line for shunting and that is pretty small, 4 short coaches or 12 wagons.   It could operate with a 3ft FY or traverser but that's still 10ft.

There are  Unnecessarily sharp reverse curves after the curved points which are always good opportunities for derailments. 

Don't use 12 volt computer power, its usually 5 AMP and enough to start a fire.  Get something with a 1 amp max. I use 3 volt wall warts for my LEDs

The only separate parallel goods and passenger lines I can think of is Stourbridge Town to Stourbridge Junction very unusual.

As I said operation is limited and awkward so I would think again but if you have got beyond the point of no return then see my wiring doodle  Both green and both red wires can go to the controller or to a a pair of section switches.

[Campion]

Thanks for all your help.  Yes, I know, it is short.  This is really as much about seeing if I enjoy model trains, creating scenery and buildings etc, seeing if i'm any good at it.  Ideally it'd be 30ft long and 10 ft wide!   If I enjoy this, I'll look at doing another layout.  The loft is empty!!!  I'm not past the point of no return

I'm doing it in the early 60's era, just before it was closed.  By that time, the multi carriage steam trains had gone, and a single car DMU was serving the station.  Goods wise, I reckon i might have 5 or 6 wagons each side, and just move them about a bit, with a GWR Pannier Tank.  So all my trains are nice and short.

 

So here it is, roughly laid out [upside down to my original sketch]- the curves look ok, but i'll test run them before pinning them down.  You can see the original track plan on which I'm basing it [loosely].

 

Thanks for the advice on the power supply for accessories - will scout around for something with a lower amp output.

 

 

[Campion]

21 hours ago, Harlequin said:

Hi Campion,

What was the prototype?

Is there a fiddle yard to the right and does it allow easy movement of goods trains between the two main lines (to simulate the missing pointwork)?
Have you thought about using LEDs for lighting instead of 12v?

 

No fiddleyard - it really is just a small layout.  But only 2 trains. One moving at a time.  I'm happy with that.  Will look into LED lighting.

[Campion]

21 hours ago, Harlequin said:

What was the prototype?

 

The prototype is Clevedon in North Somerset

[Campion]

23 hours ago, Aire Head said:

What I meant by the headshunt would be instead of the curved points at the entrances to the siding they would be instead double slips with a short spur parallel to the main line. 

 

Got it.  From the track plan above, you can see what I'm missing out.  I'll isolate the DMU in the station, the run the goods train down that line, over the points into the other 'main line' and then back out, and then into the lower sidings.  Convoluted, yes, realistic, no, but hey. Compromise. 

 

Free baseboard, 30' of track including points was £30. free controller, £25 DMU, looking for a second hand Pannier Tank.  If I can get the whole thing done for £150, I'll be delighted.  

[Harlequin]

Hi Campion,

 

Hmmm... Without a fiddle yard your plan will be difficult to operate in any sensible way. You might say that doesn’t matter to you but it means that you can’t find out whether operating a layout is an important part of the hobby for you. It is for a lot of people - not everyone admittedly.

 

What you have is more a diorama - which might satisfy your goals.

 

You could add a very simple fiddle yard if you wanted in the form of some simple cassettes that you can slide around and butt up against the main line and the headshunt.

 

Then it would be worth fixing the track plan. Such as changing the loco release crossover to be the right way round (or maybe ignoring it and saying it’s offscene since you’re relying on DMUs). And straightening the sidings a bit - the points you’ve picked up don’t help implement Clevedon properly.

Edited December 2, 2019 by Harlequin

[Campion]

13 hours ago, Harlequin said:

Hi Campion,

 

Hmmm... Without a fiddle yard your plan will be difficult to operate in any sensible way. You might say that doesn’t matter to you but it means that you can’t find out whether operating a layout is an important part of the hobby for you. It is for a lot of people - not everyone admittedly.

 

What you have is more a diorama - which might satisfy your goals.

 

You could add a very simple fiddle yard if you wanted in the form of some simple cassettes that you can slide around and butt up against the main line and the headshunt.

 

Then it would be worth fixing the track plan. Such as changing the loco release crossover to be the right way round (or maybe ignoring it and saying it’s offscene since you’re relying on DMUs). And straightening the sidings a bit - the points you’ve picked up don’t help implement Clevedon properly.

Thanks so much for the suggestions - I'll definitely take them on board - it's really useful getting this advice now!

 

I'm going to see what I've got to do a fiddle yard with - and will swap over that crossover and straighten the sidings as much as I can given the space.  I found another photo online late last night which will make that change easier!