Train Ferry Layouts?

[kevinlms]

On 03/02/2020 at 00:37, pete_mcfarlane said:

'Wardlesworth lines', a huge N gauge layout in the Railway Modeller in the early 1970s had one. There was a fairly detailed article on the construction of the ferry. 

It was Railway of the Month for 1972 December and continued into the following month.

 

I suspect that it is the same layout that DavidB-AU refers to, but it is in N gauge.

[Andy Reichert]

Walnut Creek Model Railway - Diablo Lines:

 

 

Model of historic real OHLE fitted ferry "Ramon".

 

Andy

[jwealleans]

There was a chap on one of the other model railway forums a few years ago who had done just this- built a large representation of a train ferry and effectively used it as a fiddle yard for the layout.  It was an excellent representation of the ship, but my recollection is that he used any old stock on it which rather spoiled the effect.

[sjp23480]

You will need to be quick: https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/martel-maides-auctions/catalogue-id-srmart10060/lot-fee18a77-d435-45c4-8204-ab50009c9de2. 

Edited February 4, 2020 by sjp23480
Added image

[SteveyDee68]

On 04/02/2020 at 21:12, sjp23480 said:

You will need to be quick: https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/martel-maides-auctions/catalogue-id-srmart10060/lot-fee18a77-d435-45c4-8204-ab50009c9de2. 

 

And someone grabbed a bargain at £65 hammer price! Mind you, how much is postage from the Channel Islands for something like this?!

[Neils WRX]

Just came across this thread by accident (it came up in a search) hopefully my next but one layout will be a Danish Train Ferry one, set in the mid to late 1990's. Have lots of suitable rolling stock already.

 

Planning to use the actual ship as part of a fiddle yard, with a traditional fiddle yard at the other end. Main issue will be keeping the size manageable to be portable.

 

Have a Belgian Depot to build first !!!

 

Stay safe everyone,

 

Neil

[doctor quinn]

Neil, Spodsbjerg Havn earlier in the thread looks like it does just that in a fairly small space and it appears to be continuous run. As you can imagine, I found it inspirational.

[Neils WRX]

5 hours ago, doctor quinn said:

Neil, Spodsbjerg Havn earlier in the thread looks like it does just that in a fairly small space and it appears to be continuous run. As you can imagine, I found it inspirational.

 

Indeed I'd seen that before, as I follow DLOC who also makes excellent sound files for Belgain locomotives (its a small world)....

 

I'm looking at a simple fiddle yard to station with a train ferry behind. Train arrives in station some of it detached and shunted on to ferry at the rear of the layout and the stock then disappears, and another train is shunted out.

 

Stay safe,

 

Thanks,

 

Neil

 

 

[Geep7]

I had an HO exhibition layout, called Bad Aston, a few years ago that featured a train barge. It was operated prototypically, with runner wagons used to switch the freight cars on and off the barge, with locos not allowed on it. It appeared as Railway of the Month in the May 2011 Continental Modeller (apologies for the self-promotion).

 

Here are a couple of photos:

 

Car float / barge and tug to the right hand end.

 

 

This remind me, I must put a thread up on here for this layout.

 

[pH]

37 minutes ago, Geep7 said:

It was operated prototypically, with runner wagons used to switch the freight cars on and off the barge, with locos not allowed on it.

 

Some barges did carry locos:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/railphotoart/29377030956

A Canadian Pacific steam locomotive was lost off a barge on this lake in 1946.

 

 

[Geep7]

24 minutes ago, pH said:

 

Some barges did carry locos:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/railphotoart/29377030956

A Canadian Pacific steam locomotive was lost off a barge on this lake in 1946.

 

 

Would have been interesting to see how they balanced that while switching the freight cars and itself on there....

[jasp]

Have a look at www.burntisland.net

The layout has a ferry for coal wagons - most impressive!
Jim P

[jwealleans]

That is Bouch's original train ferry, the one which started the whole thing.   It's a shame he's only remembered for his bridge failure as he devised the whole train ferry/linkspan idea in more or less complete form right from the off. 

 

If I remember correctly, the Burntisland model is in the original form, that is to say open right through.  I'm fairly sure I read that they had to add buffer stops after losing a few wagons over the end.

 

I've also read that wagons were loaded by gravity - effectively flyshunted - onto it initially.  I find that hard to believe for two reasons - apart from the obvious danger to any staff involved, the weight of the wagons would cause one end of the ferry to settle and the cut of wagons to stop then roll back, ending up partly on the linkspan and partly on the ferry.  I can't see any way it would work without exceptional control of speed and braking.

[pH]

A couple of pictures of the CP ferry service on Slocan Lake. 

 

http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=39066

 

http://www.railpictures.ca/upload/gp9-8808-adjusts-the-barge-slip-by-poling-prior-to-loading-its-train-onto-the-berry-ferry-for-the-ride-to-rosebery-and-the-isolated-nakusp-branch

[Paul Robertson]

I'm currently constructing a hybrid layout on this theme in n gauge. It takes bits of Dover Western Docks, Folkstone Harbour, and a small amount of Harwich as prototypes. The boat is based on the rear end of Nord-pas-de-Calais although scaled down to fit on the base board. Roughly set in an imagined present day if the trainferry service had continued to provide a less expensive alternative to overpriced channel tunnel freight and also the dangerous chemical goods that the channel can't take. I've named the layout Seahaven and spent 4 days of my 'staycation' last week working on it. Have got to track laying although need to finish the 'sea' and linkspan structure before I can do too much more.

 

[Paul Robertson]

And a view from the other direction

[Neils WRX]

Have you made anymore progress? looks an excellent idea.

 

Stay safe,

 

Neil

[SteveyDee68]

On 03/02/2020 at 04:02, DavidB-AU said:

IIRC there was a British layout set at a fictional Channel port where ferry vans and sleeping cars were loading onto a rather impressive ship. I think it was done in HO as it mainly used Continental stock.

 

Cheers

David

 

Oh, wow! I'd love a look at that if anyone can remember what it is called and if it still exists!

 

Steve S

[JZ]

Surprised it's not been mentioned, but Andy Yorke built a layout with a train ferry on it for the first RMWeb Challenge.

[fulton]

Have always been interested in the relationship between ships and railways, here is my Fulton Terminal, scale size but some track work moved to make a practical exhibition layout. Carfloats are slid by hand on felt pads, no hidden sidings, Fulton terminal was isolated and connected only by the river, operated by the New York Dock Railway, who operated two other isolated terminals. Not my photos.

[jwealleans]

3 hours ago, JZ said:

Surprised it's not been mentioned, but Andy Yorke built a layout with a train ferry on it for the first RMWeb Challenge.

 

He did.  he was kind enough to let me photograph one of my ferry vans on it at the Hull Show in 2009.

 

[Paul Robertson]

On 28/05/2021 at 17:31, Neils WRX said:

Have you made anymore progress? looks an excellent idea.

 

Stay safe,

 

Neil

Hi Neil - Much progress has been made since September although since February I haven't managed to complete the layout as family commitments have intervened. My Blog (See below) has all the latest updates. It has certainly been a very pleasurable learning experience for my first model railway in 30 years!