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Fictitious N Gauge Preserved Railway Layout - No Name Yet


Normski7
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Hi All,

 

I got into N Gauge over 20 years ago at the age of 14 as space was a restriction in our household. Since then i have amassed a large collection of Loco's and rolling stock and i have had a couple of basic layouts which I lost in the Floods of 2014.

 

I have not really had anywhere to run my trains until now.

 

I am now a home owner with a very generous loft space to work with.

 

I have always loved going to Preserved Railways and it has always been my ambition to build a Fictitious Preserved Railway Layout somewhere, possibly with a mainline connection for specials, with as much creative license as i like.

 

I have recently begun my adventure and I would like to share it with you.

 

I am an engineer by trade with an understanding for most things but i am a novice when it comes to wiring and layout building.

 

Fingers crossed i can produce something that i can be proud of.

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The Current Plan is to have a twin track Mainline, running the full perimeter of the loft, at an upper level at the back of the layout with some parts hidden so that the Preserved line remains the focal point.

 

The Preserved line will be an end-to-end layout along 3 sides with a 3rd station in the middle with passing loop.

 

There will be a mainline connection somewhere to allow specials to travel onto the Preserved line.

 

I am using Peco Code 55 Finescale track for realism, all points will be electrofrog and i will use Cobalt IP Analog point motors.

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In order to try and teach myself the wiring required for Electrofrog Points, Point Motors, Signals and Track Droppers, all in DC, i decided to build myself a test bed.

 

The test bed is a simple passing loop with starting signals

 

I used the following items :

1. DCC Concepts Cobalt IP Analog Point Motors

2. DCC Concepts Cobalt IP Analog Switch Pack

3. DCC Concepts 12v DC Split Power Supply

4. Peco Code 55 Long Electrofrog Points & Code 55 Rail

5. Dapol Motorised Signals

6. Expo Toggle & Push-to-Make Switches

7. An old model shed roof for the Control Panel

8. Gaugemster Cork Underlay

 

All the points and track work have droppers which are manifolded where necessary under the test bed

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Control Panel :

1. Switch 1 - Point Motor Left

2. Top LED - Point Set to Top Loop (Red No, Green Yes)

3. Bottom LED - Point Set to Bottom Loop (Red No, Green Yes)

4. Switch 2 - Operate Start Signal Left

5. Switch 3 - Isolation Switch Upper / Lower Loop

6. Switch 4 - Operate Start Signal Right

7. Top LED - Point Set to Top Loop (Red No, Green Yes)

8. Bottom LED - Point Set to Bottom Loop (Red No, Green Yes)

9. Switch 5 - Point Motor Right

 

The other photos are of the Switch Packs i used for Switch 1 & 5 and 2 photos of the signal in use

 

I would really appreciate peoples thoughts

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So here is my first attempt at the plan for the Station Area 1.

 

Station Area 1 - Preserved Railway HQ, Sheds & Station

 

Background - This area of the Layout used to be a steam shed in the 1930's with a goods / marshalling yard around it. Most of it was flattened in the late 1970's after being abandoned following the Beeching Cuts. The preserved railway group (as yet un-named) took over the site in the 1980's and restored the 1930's shed and some of the sidings as well as building a brand new station building, platform and diesel depot.

 

The Mainline, that is still in use today, will be at an upper level at the back of the layout perhaps on a set of bricked up arches. This will travel the entire perimeter of the layout at the upper level, hidden from view where necessary. This will give me license to run trains continuously. The preserved line will be end-to-end with a middle station.

 

The bridged area will likely take a road that crosses the mainline at upper level with a level crossing.

 

The single track preserved line will enter this scene as 2 lines split by a point just before the bridge.

As you see it in the picture facing the bridge, the diesel depot will be on the right (terminating in the sceninc break of the bridge) and the yard turntable to the right of that. The 2 lines then split and either enter the station or the shed area.

 

The 2nd picture shows it looking towards the station. The platform will be loosely based on Kidderminster (Severn Valley Railway) and will feature 1 platform with 2 passing loops either side of it with a station building at the end.

To the left of that, as you look at it, will be 2 uncovered carriage sidings for stock (2 carriages are inthose sidings), then the 2 roads for the 1930's shed (again 2 more carriages shown on those lines), then 2 more sidings which will probably house either locos for overhaul or perhaps a coaling area.

 

Access to the diesel depot and turntable will be from the coaling area siding.

 

Bare in mind that this area of the layout has prety much been allowed to be built from scratch since acquiring the land.

 

All thoughts and comments welcomed

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Baseboard Update

 

Hi All, I have been taking advantage of the good weather and the fact that i have been furloughed for the next 3 weeks by making good progress with more of the baseboards.

 

I have so far created 3 more of them, 2 of them have been quite complex as they have had to change level to accommodate the Viaduct.

 

The 3rd one is for Station 3 at the end of the preserved line.

 

The final pic gives a rough idea of where the viaduct will go, very crude though but it is just an idea at the moment.

 

Take a look at let me know what you think.

 

Rich

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Edited by Normski7
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The next step is to bridge the gap between the End of the Viaduct Board and the Station 3 Board through the Rafter space.

 

Then i will work on the corner piece off the end of Station 1's Baseboard.

 

Both are going to be quite challenging.

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  • 1 year later...

Hi all,

 

Things have progressed on my layout an aweful lot since i last posted in here in April 2020 and i am keen to update you all

 

I am aiming to drop some construction photos and a full update here soon

 

1. The baseboards are complete

2. Some of the backscene boards are in place

3. The upper section main line track bed is finished

4. The preserved Station 1 (no name yet) is operational including the 2 run around loops, goods siding, carriage sidings, 2 road steam shed, coaling & water area, diesel depot and sidings. The turntable is not done yet and i need to fit the signals platforms and buffers

5. The preserved Station 2 (Westcombe Junction) is operational and i can run trains between Station 1 & 2. I need to fit signals and build some platforms

6. The control panels for Station 1 & 2 are working

the mainline connection into Westcombe Junction is fitted but no mainline to connect to at the moment

 

stay tuned for photos

 

Rich

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This Layout allows me operate the preserved railway with a variety of loco’s and stock whilst running trains on the mainline around the twin track loop. That also means i can run mainline steam specials on there and bring them off the mainline into Westcombe Junction then on to Station 1, just like the real thing.

 

I have many preserved steam loco’s to use on the line with creative licence, some of which are mercig studio weathered. I have several coach sets to use as well just like the Severn Valley Railway has.

 

Some of my loco’s are scrapped examples so i will be using them as restored home fleet loco’s

 

The stations on the preserved line are built for 6 carriages plus loco but if i do some gala style running i can use 7 coaches at a squeeze

 

The coach sets i have are :

1. GWR Colletts

2. BR Choc & Cream Mk1’s

3. BR Maroon Mk1’s

4. LMS Staniers

5. LNER Teaks

6. Pullmans

7. BR blood & custard Mk1’s

 

The diesel depot is small and i dont own many diesels but id like to add to it

 

Station 1 is loosely based on Kidderminster on the SVR and Station 2 Westcombe Junction is loosely based on Bewdley also on the SVR

 

Please feel free to comment or give feedback or ask questions

 

When i start the scenery i will be using the techniques on Richard from Everard Junction as i think his scenic work is fabulous

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  • RMweb Gold

You don’t seem to have enjoyed much comment or feedback on your evolving plans, and indeed layout building. Some of your work strays solidly into areas beyond my expertise, as I am in OO, not N. Also, it’s not clear (to me) if you are in DC or DCC. I run the latter.

 

I wonder if the lack of response is because your entire thread is in Layout Topics, which often contains news of almost or fully completed layouts. You may have more luck with subject-specific topics in appropriate threads, as opposed to the wider context of the overall layout?

good luck anyway.

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