TINLEY ROSE Sidings, a bucolic entry level layout, hopefully a precursor to bigger things

[PayntersDocks]

Here is my attempt at documenting the build process for my Model Railway. Have been trying out various versions IRL and browsing the forum on and off for a year. There have been a few half hearted attempts to build a layout. I realised that an L shaped baseboard would increase the running and scenic potential then found RailModeller today, so decided to have a go at "finalising" the track plan in the space I have avaliable. 

Have already purchased code 75 points and track, as I want to make something a bit more detailed than the oval trainset I would make on the living room floor. The layout will be DC as I already have a fair amount of DC rolling stock. The location being somewhere on the borders of the Western and Southern Region there is going to be a bit of a mix of some of my favourite locomotives and maybe the odd visitor... I have worked out an inexpensive version of 3 link couplings which seem to work ok on goods wagons, though some modification has been required (pictures to follow). The baseboard will be a standard 9MM ply and softwood frame. Any thoughts and / or advice are gratefully accepted. The updates may be somewhat sporadic but I'm hoping to have the baseboards built in the next month so we can go from there.

Edited February 27, 2021 by PayntersDocks
clarity

[The Johnster]

First thought is that there are no freight facilities, second is that any traffic in the bay platform will block the turntable toad, and third is that the 90degree curve is very sharp; laying code 75 to that extreme is likely to pull the rail out if the chairs. 
 

If you make this curve gentler, perhaps incorporating a curve in the main platform, you will have room for the turntable un the top right corner, releasing real estate for the dockside. 

[Harlequin]

Incoming traffic can’t crossover to stand at the platform.

 

[PayntersDocks]

Thanks both for the replies, as I'm learning it could well be that my track planning skills aren't up to scratch / open to interpretation. 

 

48 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

First thought is that there are no freight facilities, second is that any traffic in the bay platform will block the turntable toad, and third is that the 90degree curve is very sharp; laying code 75 to that extreme is likely to pull the rail out if the chairs. 
 

If you make this curve gentler, perhaps incorporating a curve in the main platform, you will have room for the turntable un the top right corner, releasing real estate for the dockside. 

1) Have removed the bay platform as I intend for the 3rd line to serve as a small goods yard siding. Servicing the green buildings. 2) Its a bit of a squeeze but you can put a 12" long loco in front of a couple of wagons so it can access the turntable. 3) I had initially planned for the turntable to be in the top corner but there isn't really room. I'm still learning how to use railmodeller so the radii are perhaps a bit wild, but compared to the templates sit somewhere between 2nd and 3rd radius?

46 minutes ago, Harlequin said:

Incoming traffic can’t crossover to stand at the platform.

 

Would that be a case of swapping round the RH and LH points? or would it be better to have an additional crossover?

 

Currently playing around with adding in an extra siding to the goods area / turntable area

[PayntersDocks]

Last one before bed, did fiddle around with adding of double slips and wye points but it got a touch complex for my liking. Swapped round the cross over points. There looks like there could be room for an extra siding on the goods side. I'm starting to realise the lack of space may limit my dreams of running heavy express trains without some very unusual shunts or having very short trains. 

[The Johnster]

Space is the enemy, and short trains in situations where short trains are normal is the usual way to deal with it.   You won’t be able to run around any but the shortest unless you move the facing (entrance) crossover much further out, beyond the curve, and even then really long expresses are not really practical.  10 coaches and a pacific is around 10’ long, and needs to clear inside points and loops; moreover it needs another 10’ clear somewhere off stage in a fiddle yard to disappear into!

 

I’d suggest curving or setting out at an angle in order to disguise the lack of realistic length, and make the platform longer than your longest train. 

 

You could have a very sharply curved branch from the straight on the right to serve the wharf area; docks often featured sharp curves in reality.  I’m assuming that this straight leads off into a fiddle yard; if not the trains have nowhere to go and the layout is impractical. If you are planning on exhibiting, you will make yourself more popular with exhibition organisers if the viewing side is on the outside of the ‘L’, and more viewers can access the layout. 

[jazzer]

Do you really need heavy express trains?  The basic design is more in keeping with a branch line terminus. If you got rid of the turntable it would free up some space and give a less cluttered effect , but you could still operate with Big tank locos and have operational interest. Possibly you could have an engine shed or loco yard in its place..

I think would be a good idea to look at some real life branch line termini and get inspiration from those. Alternately you might need to look at a few layout plan books.   Cyril Freezer did a layout plan based on Kingswear in Devon that I think would fit with your ideas pretty well. I think it was it I “60 Plans for small Railways” but not dead sure..

[PayntersDocks]

Thanks both for the advice, have ordered a few books on the subject, have a bit of a thing for larger tender locomotives, hence the desire for heavy expresses / boat trains hauled by a Bulleid Pacific or a Standard 5. (Partially influenced by my time at Bluebell) which also would need a turntable for their return run to London. Given that the space I have isn’t going to change, I’m thinking I will build the baseboards and work on the layout plan with set track for a bit to see if I can make something I’m happy with and won’t leave me scuppered operationally... (a previous scrapped lay out had a too short head on the run around, even an 0-6-0 was a squeeze)

[PayntersDocks]

Having spent nearly a year renumbering and weathering rolling stock whilst getting frustrated with wobbling baseboards and my own lack of foresight... I came to the conclusion that my first attempt at a model railway (Paynters Docks) would need a  4th complete rebuild of the baseboards before I would be happy with it...

To save myself stress and frustration with complex trackplans I went back to basics and decided that using one of the layout plans from the Peco Set track book would be the best way to go!

[PayntersDocks]

TINLEY ROSE SIDINGS

Having browsed the 2nd Edition Set Track book a version of Plan 33 was selected.

The baseboard was built in the usual stripwood and ply way, then the track laid and clearances checked.

Horace the hippo made sure tornado departed on time!

Then cork underlay was glued down to the the baseboard and all was was painted in a suitably drab grey

Once the grey paint was dry, again I checked everything ran smoothly, before fixing down the track, followed by ballasting with a fine lime ballast, which was heavily weathered once dry.

Edited February 26, 2021 by PayntersDocks
more detail

[PayntersDocks]

GRIME AND LANDSCAPING

I had decided that the sidings would be accessible by a road shared with a farmers field, so built up a bank around the field and at the back of the baseboard with DAS.

I ran a selection of vehicles through the clay and paint to create tyre impressions.

Edited February 26, 2021 by PayntersDocks
grammar

[PayntersDocks]

MORE GRIME AND LANDSCAPING

I used ash from emptying out the wood burner as ground cover for the yard, scattering it with a tea spoon before fixing with a good soaking of 50:50 PVA:Water

Static grass was then applied to the field and bank before being flattened with the tractor to create tyre tracks. 

Fence posts were added around the field by cutting down match sticks to a suitable height and drilling a small shallow hole into the baseboard or DAS clay then fitting each post with a dab of PVA.

The fence posts have been toned down with several coats of dark brown paint, and the tyre tracks were highlighted with the same.

Cows from the bay are in the process of being painted up but I think they add something!

Was given this Harveys Wagon for my Birthday. Need to source some suitable casks for a wagon load! A cask of the real thing for myself wouldn't go amiss either... all this modelling is thirsty work!

Edited February 27, 2021 by PayntersDocks
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[PayntersDocks]

WHAT'S IN A NAME / Background info

 

This layout is going to be called Tinley Rose Sidings and is an amalgamation of the names of 3 of my younger cousins. The layout is helping me work on getting the basics right in a small space before going on to work on the larger layout I had originally intended to build.

 

Tinley Rose is roughly located in the Western Region of BR between 1958-1961 a few miles UP the line from Paynters Docks (a hopeful future layout based around a Terminus similar to Kingswear). Tinley Rose is a little used station on the branch, but it's sidings are of importance to the smooth running of the line. They originally were built as a small rural goods yard, but since nationalisation and with increased competition from road haulage. Instead it is increasingly used as storage sidings for engineering trains and condemed or damaged stock. Stopping local passenger services often use the sidings to hold clear of the mainline to allow fast services to pass.

Edited February 27, 2021 by PayntersDocks
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[PayntersDocks]

Some progress today got the barrow crossing in place (coffee stirrers cut into strips). Might score them with a scalpel to make it look like more planks, but so far so good!

I’ve made a start on the island platform using some balsa wood to create piers which I will probably paint grey to represent concrete, then use coffee stirrers or card to create the platform surface.

The fence around the field is now complete, I used cotton thread to represent wire, assuming that the bank around the field will be deterrent enough to keep the cows penned in.

Edited March 1, 2021 by PayntersDocks
More detail

[PayntersDocks]

HELP WITH FOOTBRIDGE

 

Beyond the forward edge of the baseboard is the main UP line, I would like to add a representation of a footbridge to allow passengers to cross over the main line as a barrow crossing  would obviously not be suitable!

 

Have done a very rough sketch of a footbridge which ends inline with the edge of the baseboard, can anyone think of a more elegant solution?

 

 

[380John]

20 minutes ago, PayntersDocks said:

HELP WITH FOOTBRIDGE

 

Beyond the forward edge of the baseboard is the main UP line, I would like to add a representation of a footbridge to allow passengers to cross over the main line as a barrow crossing  would obviously not be suitable!

 

Have done a very rough sketch of a footbridge which ends inline with the edge of the baseboard, can anyone think of a more elegant solution?

 

 

Could you build it so its like the llangollen railway station Bridge perhaps? Have a Google. It's quite a unique structure as it is elevated over the river Dee. That could simulate your baseboard edge perhaps? 

 

John 

[PayntersDocks]

Thanks John, certainly an interesting looking prototype, perhaps a bit grand for what a small halt! I have a couple of the Hornby bridges, but again think they are a bit fancy looking? I want to avoid things hanging over the edge of the baseboard for fear of them being damaged. 

[PayntersDocks]

Midweek Update

 

I am currently waiting on a set of sleeper built buffer stops and the frame work for a footbridge to arrive from the internet.

A backscene made out of thick card is in the works, nothing fancy, probably a gradiented sky which I will break up with a few trees and add in the suggestion of some far off hills. This will be mounted on a softwood frame which I need to add to the baseboard structure.

I have had a rethink with the platform and rather than the 'open' type, I am going to use brickpaper for the platform faces, with a painted balsa wood / "concrete" top and paving slab edging, as I think this would be more appealing to look at and more prototypical to have a footbridge on rather than a timber platform.

I also need to start modelling the usual detritus found in and around sidings / goods yards and the associated buildings.

 

Space is obviously at a premium but so far I'm thinking:

• Goods office with weighbridge
• Grounded van body lock up
• crane and goods shed if space
• Staithe area for ballast
• Pway hut / tea room
• Various spares from the parts box, sleeper stack etc anon.

A few sketches may well be incoming to allow me to work out ideas, and any suggestions are welcomed

[PayntersDocks]

Barrels and Buffers

A wagon load of 3D printed barrels, painted and weathered.

First coat of paint.

All 3 buffer stops painted up, will probably add some scatter and maybe ash to the tops of them for a different texture.

Edited March 6, 2021 by PayntersDocks
more detail

[PayntersDocks]

Cows

 

Took the layout outside to give it a clean and add the backscene frame. I probably need to add more scatter and ground cover, but it's getting there!

 

The herd of cows are now fully painted up, ready for placing in the field.

Edited March 6, 2021 by PayntersDocks
more detail

[PayntersDocks]

BACKSCENE AND BUFFERS

 

Painted up a backscene in sky blue, more detailing, clouds and hills to add! Will work out a better way to fix it onto the lay out, probably push pins or brass tacks with painted heads.

The buffer stops have been planted in a bed of DAS, which will be blended in when dry.

A new loco has arrived, will be detailed and weathered soon!

About to do some work on the platform sides with a cup of tea!

[PayntersDocks]

More work on the backscene, may well add a light grey wash to suggest haze or depth?

The platform sides have been glued and pinned onto the platform piers, and I have started to blend in the buffer stops. I have also added scatter on the field to make it less uniform and am thinking some trees and telegraph poles on the bank at the back will help too.

Need to decide on what couplings to get, the tension locks just really are off putting! I’m thinking Kadees for the remote uncoupling etc. I also need to order a nameplate for the new engine but it’s getting there!

[PayntersDocks]

Some slow progress pictures...

The BR standard 5 with a short rake of Mk1s including a GUV, all need weathering and detailing.

A few drunk trees have sprouted on the bank at the back of the layout, need to add some more. The platform is also slowly coming together. It’s short length is highlighted here, however, as it is a halt and only used by short stopping local services such as the Autotrain and ex GWR railcars it’s large enough.

Edited March 16, 2021 by PayntersDocks
More details

[PayntersDocks]

FIDDLEYARD THOUGHTS
 

Now that the scenery is coming together, thoughts now move to a fiddle yard so I can actually run some trains through the scenery!

 

Will be a separate board for ease of storage and transport but I'm torn between:

• A single line fiddle stick c 2ft long
• A full fiddle yard basically mirroring the layout
• Other (answers on a postcard)

I'm thinking a full fiddle yard would be the most useful for exhibitions or multi engine running if I want to represent a full days running. 

[PayntersDocks]

Brief update:

 

I was unhappy with the platform, the card structure was too flimsy so instead I created an infill with strips of softwood and have begun covering them with layers of DAS clay. I will use the paving stone edging as I think it looks ok but am in two minds about either painting the das or using the brick paper.

I also need to work on the half footbridge once the platform is finished