43078shildoncountydurham Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 Hi all, Do think I’ll be able to do out with the above dimensions, thinking of a fictional north eastern branch that is set in the 80’s/early 90’s? Regards Craig Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCB Posted May 6, 2020 Share Posted May 6, 2020 (edited) Plenty of space if you can use 3ft Radius curves, over 10 feet of straight or gentle curve between the return curves. Do you mean the 1880/90s or the sectorisation era? 1890s sounds like fun if you have two spare lifetimes to scratch build almost everything. [Added Comment] Its quite amazing I believe 3ft is the minimum most folk recommend for EM where trains are pulled ,some say a metre or 4ft where they are pushed, and I just saw a video of a bloke running an OO 0-6-0 round 9" radius curves. Funny old world Edited May 6, 2020 by DavidCBroad 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Harlequin Posted May 6, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 6, 2020 Yes, the minimum recommended radius will fit but it's a slightly oddly proportioned space. Is it part of a room, a whole room or would the layout be freestanding? You would need an operating well in the middle, which might be 3ft wide, giving 2ft6in width boards either side. Or 3ft scenic, 3ft well, 2ft fiddle yard, or all manner of other permutations. If you choose to hide the relatively tight radii end curves but ease them to wider curves as they enter the scene then you could achieve around 15ft of scenic track length. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mark Forrest Posted May 6, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 6, 2020 I'd agree with what others have said, 3' radius curves shouldn't present any particular problems, although for realism, I'd have them off scene. I'd start off with the practical limitations, like positions of doors, windows, etc in the room, then move on to consider what you want to include on the layout or what location it might be based on. It's then just a case of working out what fits. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JohnR Posted May 6, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 6, 2020 A few versions of Ashdon & Midport were circular layouts in EM, so it should be perfectly possibly to do in your space. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
43078shildoncountydurham Posted May 7, 2020 Author Share Posted May 7, 2020 (edited) Thinking of this chaps Edited May 7, 2020 by 43078shildoncountydurham Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mark Forrest Posted May 7, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 7, 2020 At a very quick glance, I'd suggest avoiding the facing point between the up main and the loop; I'd assume trains would set back into the loop from the right hand end. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Harlequin Posted May 7, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 7, 2020 It's hard to see (not enough pixels) but it looks like one end of a steam-era double track through station. Something like that would work very well. If you biased the station to one end or the other then you could have a reasonable length of purely scenic run at the other end. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Flying Pig Posted May 7, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 7, 2020 2 hours ago, 43078shildoncountydurham said: Thinking of this chaps The plan says Brinklow LNWR which was a station on the WCML (signal diagram on the Signalling Record site here). 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
43078shildoncountydurham Posted May 7, 2020 Author Share Posted May 7, 2020 Thanks gang, Going to have a think about it, think I’ll have to have a look at some north eastern track diagrams... Craig Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCB Posted May 7, 2020 Share Posted May 7, 2020 A bit over ambitious for 18 X 8. West Coast main line, Duchesses, 14 coach anglo scottish expresses, endless procession of freights, 4 running lines at the right hand end, three at the left hand end, may be something double track would be more practical? And somewhere a bit less busy? Road overbridge one end with station building above is a good ploy, if short of space. Ideally a station with goods yard beside the platforms not beyond. NE. Goathland? station, goods yard beside, river bridge with points and then road bridge over as a scenic break.. Lots of elevation changes and you can even go and photograph it when lock down eases. No real need for the 1 in 49 gradient. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold kipford Posted May 7, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 7, 2020 Personally I would not drop below a 42 inch radius. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Harlequin Posted May 8, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 8, 2020 Hi Craig, Can you clarify what era your are aiming for, please? (Bearing in mind that small through stations generally get less interesting the closer they get to the present day... ) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted May 8, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 8, 2020 9 hours ago, DavidCBroad said: A bit over ambitious for 18 X 8. West Coast main line, Duchesses, 14 coach anglo scottish expresses, endless procession of freights, 4 running lines at the right hand end, three at the left hand end, may be something double track would be more practical? And somewhere a bit less busy? Road overbridge one end with station building above is a good ploy, if short of space. Ideally a station with goods yard beside the platforms not beyond. NE. Goathland? station, goods yard beside, river bridge with points and then road bridge over as a scenic break.. Lots of elevation changes and you can even go and photograph it when lock down eases. No real need for the 1 in 49 gradient. Layouts such as Wibdenshaw and Hornsey Broadway, amongst others, are IMHO, the minimum size to properly showcase such trains. Given that the straight viewable part of these is 24 feet, plus the curves, I reckon you're about 50% light. Mike. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCB Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 12 hours ago, kipford said: Personally I would not drop below a 42 inch radius. Hi Is that based on appearance or running issues? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Flying Pig Posted May 8, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 8, 2020 14 hours ago, 43078shildoncountydurham said: Thanks gang, Going to have a think about it, think I’ll have to have a look at some north eastern track diagrams... Craig Assuming you are aiming for the 1980s-90s, I suggest you look at the Bishop Auckland branch. This is still open to passenger trains and the extension to Wearhead was open for freight in your period. My 1980 Baker shows several freight terminals along the Wearhead line but I suspect most closed within a few years, apart from the cement works at Eastgate. Shildon Works was open until the mid 80s. I'd suggest a station between Darlington and Bishop Auckland, perhaps with a a fictitious freight customer for interest. Passenger would be mostly DMUs, with the travails of Sprinterisation providing a reason for loco-hauled substitution from time to time. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
43078shildoncountydurham Posted May 8, 2020 Author Share Posted May 8, 2020 7 hours ago, Harlequin said: Hi Craig, Can you clarify what era your are aiming for, please? (Bearing in mind that small through stations generally get less interesting the closer they get to the present day... ) Hi yes sorry 1980’s till very early 1990’s.. Regards Craig Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
43078shildoncountydurham Posted May 8, 2020 Author Share Posted May 8, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, Flying Pig said: Assuming you are aiming for the 1980s-90s, I suggest you look at the Bishop Auckland branch. This is still open to passenger trains and the extension to Wearhead was open for freight in your period. My 1980 Baker shows several freight terminals along the Wearhead line but I suspect most closed within a few years, apart from the cement works at Eastgate. Shildon Works was open until the mid 80s. I'd suggest a station between Darlington and Bishop Auckland, perhaps with a a fictitious freight customer for interest. Passenger would be mostly DMUs, with the travails of Sprinterisation providing a reason for loco-hauled substitution from time to time. Hi Simon, The above is a very good shout indeed, with a bit of modellers license the old diversion line to Durham could be still be open, for the odd Hst or loco hauled train... Regards Craig Edited May 8, 2020 by 43078shildoncountydurham 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold kipford Posted May 8, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 8, 2020 Quote Is that based on appearance or running issues? Appearance on visible line, running issues everywhere, particulary with steam stock. On Diesel/EMU probably ok at 3'. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Harlequin Posted May 8, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 8, 2020 4 minutes ago, kipford said: Appearance on visible line, running issues everywhere, particulary with steam stock. On Diesel/EMU probably ok at 3'. The problem with 42in radius is that it gives very little room for manoeuvre within the OP's stated space (inner blue dotted lines). But 36in radius allows the tracks to be moved away from the edges of the baseboards (inner red dotted lines). If transition curves are used in the scenic area, as sketched above, then the relatively tight 36in constant radius curves could be hidden/disguised. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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