Crantock Tor- Feeding the rails!

[Siphon208]

Afternoon all!

 

Just wondered whether anyone could help with this project?

Its planned to be a fictional junction on a branch of BR (W) a few years after the Beeching Cuts- I have called it Crantock Tor, and it provided a junction between Penzance, Redruth and Helston. The period is 68-75. I intend to have one main running line, plus one truncated, a small factory siding next to the main platform, and a small coal siding on the other side of the abandoned island platform. I wish to run the locos DCC if possible, but I'm not confident about doing it with the track. I would like help with siting the feeds, if possible. It is an end- to end layout, with a simple run-round at one end (just past the signal bow, for 16T coal hoppers from the yard), and traffic from the  factory siding. I'll probably run 24's and 25's on it, maybe some "guest" locos, depending on factory needs!

 

Many Thanks, 

 

Dene

 

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

'The way' is not to think about 'siting' feeds as was the common practise with DC wiring where there had to also be planning for switched isolating sections: instead you run a pair of bus wires from the DCC system the length of the layout, and connect every single track piece with short soldered on connections or 'droppers' so the track is all live at all times, and there is no dependence on railjoiners for conduction.

 

Suggestion for your track plan: could it be fitted within the space you have available on a very slight curve? Visually that is typically more  interesting, and Streamline points can be slightly curved to conform to a slight curve for a nicely flowing look.

Edited April 24, 2020 by 34theletterbetweenB&D
to clarify and add missing punctuation, it's the G&T...

[Siphon208]

yes thanks for that- the layout is expected to be around 12 feet long, and around 14" deep from front to backscene

Dean

[DCB]

DCC wiring involves wiring every bit of track so its live all the time.    DC needs isolated sections if you want to run more than one loco on the layout.   DCC with set track can involve just one feed,  DCC with scale track, handmade with cosmetic fishplates can involve a feed to every single piece of rail.  DCC with normal track, Peco streamline doesn't need a feed to every single piece of rail but fishplates are the weak point so I would not recommend any single feed feeds any more than three pieces of track in each direction, that can be 9ft or 9" if you mosaic up track from silly fiddly bits of rail.    I would not use a single bus bar but use three or four to create sections of power districts so you can hunt faults.  Without section switches snipping wires is the only way to fault find and there is no obvious place to start...

 

The layout is not going to work if you try to add the red bits.

Some of your points look too sharp, too sharp a radius even for set track, so the run round and platforms might end up shorter than you need.    There is absolutely no reason why part of the crossovers, ideally clear of the point blades, can't be across the level crossing as long as you don't mind cutting tiny bits of plastic card to size.

 Your layout looks more 1930s than 1970s

Most of Cornwall's branches were closed or stripped out by 1968, I don't think the 25's came before 1970,  and I don't think the WR ever got 24's or 26's or 27's it was class 22 diesel hydraulics and diesel shunters between the end of steam and 1970, you could probably get away with class 14  0-6-0s and class 42 /43 Warships and when they had gone class 52 Westerns.

Edited April 24, 2020 by DavidCBroad

[Siphon208]

Thanks David- what is shown is the scribble sheet, the drawing was added to, at intervals to envisage what may have been there. As with a lot of "period" layouts, I do intend to use some leeway with what locos are run-  The layout is sated 1968-75. It is not intended as an exhibition layout, but I will keep it well within scope. Someone has suggested a slightly curved approach to the layout, and I am going to visit this idea, to see what the result is. The red bits I added to indicate what had been stripped out- they wont be going back in. I don't intend using Setrack points, as I don't like them, and for sidings, I won't be going smaller than medium radius. This is intended as a garage layout, and I have a running length of  around 14 feet available, if needed.

 

Thanks for your help, I'll get back to the drawing board!

 

Dene

[Siphon208]

On 24/04/2020 at 15:43, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

'The way' is not to think about 'siting' feeds as was the common practise with DC wiring where there had to also be planning for switched isolating sections: instead you run a pair of bus wires from the DCC system the length of the layout, and connect every single track piece with short soldered on connections or 'droppers' so the track is all live at all times, and there is no dependence on railjoiners for conduction.

 

Suggestion for your track plan: could it be fitted within the space you have available on a very slight curve? Visually that is typically more  interesting, and Streamline points can be slightly curved to conform to a slight curve for a nicely flowing look.

 

[Siphon208]

Hi, 

I have been working on a more flowing plan, which I think will look better- will post it tomorrow.

Thanks for your suggestion!

[Harlequin]

Hi Dene,

Please draw your new plan to scale using accurate symbols for the turnouts so you can see what will, and will not, fit.

My feeling is you’re going to have to drastically simplify the track plan and change the balance of scenic to fiddle yard length.

You also have a really fundamental problem because your double track through station has, apparently, a single track connection to a single fiddle yard at one end.

 

[Siphon208]

On 24/04/2020 at 15:43, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

'The way' is not to think about 'siting' feeds as was the common practise with DC wiring where there had to also be planning for switched isolating sections: instead you run a pair of bus wires from the DCC system the length of the layout, and connect every single track piece with short soldered on connections or 'droppers' so the track is all live at all times, and there is no dependence on railjoiners for conduction.

 

Suggestion for your track plan: could it be fitted within the space you have available on a very slight curve? Visually that is typically more  interesting, and Streamline points can be slightly curved to conform to a slight curve for a nicely flowing look.

[Siphon208]

Above is the first "aerial shot" of a plan on a curved version, with all other redundant tracks taken out- the layout flows much better than the previous draft, I plan to have a 3, or 4-road fiddle  at the Redruth end. I estimate that the layout will fit in the 14' space  available in the garage.

[Siphon208]

A more detailed version- the trackwork at the Redruth end is not that clear, but would involve curved points, to give access to the yard. There is also a bit of disused trackbed at each end, plus an old goods yard just before the entrance from the Penzance direction.

[Siphon208]

[Siphon208]

On 24/04/2020 at 15:43, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

'The way' is not to think about 'siting' feeds as was the common practise with DC wiring where there had to also be planning for switched isolating sections: instead you run a pair of bus wires from the DCC system the length of the layout, and connect every single track piece with short soldered on connections or 'droppers' so the track is all live at all times, and there is no dependence on railjoiners for conduction.

 

Suggestion for your track plan: could it be fitted within the space you have available on a very slight curve? Visually that is typically more  interesting, and Streamline points can be slightly curved to conform to a slight curve for a nicely flowing look.

Done!

 

[Siphon208]

On 27/04/2020 at 01:40, Harlequin said:

Hi Dene,

Please draw your new plan to scale using accurate symbols for the turnouts so you can see what will, and will not, fit.

My feeling is you’re going to have to drastically simplify the track plan and change the balance of scenic to fiddle yard length.

You also have a really fundamental problem because your double track through station has, apparently, a single track connection to a single fiddle yard at one end.

 

Have posted a revised plan below