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West Canal Sidings - University portable shelf layout.


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Whilst working on my main layout ( shropshire branchline )  I have  had in the back of my mind that come sept/oct i will be back down in Portsmouth far away from the layout, meaning i will not be able to get any modelling work done. I was thinking I could work on buildings etc. that could easily be taken home and put on the layuout however I would also like to be able to buy new stock and be able to run some operations. This is where this layout comes in i thought id start a thread so i can snowball ideas and designs and get peoples ideas and advice.

 

My room at university is only small so i have settled for a 6ft by 1ft layout that will sit easily on top of my bed. having looked at several other threads and articles on small layouts i have designed a frame out of 9mm ply that will hinge at the front to create a 2ftx 3 ft box that can slide under my bed.

 

 

 

679428365_portableboards.PNG.35c41e76b3d755b6af9b225af8f8e83d.PNG772178356_portavbleclosed.PNG.cffe7439e22ca88b168bcde8d0d59f47.PNG939624523_boxunderbed.PNG.349b8a6d392e850c05ce03b8c61ae13f.PNG

 

The layout will be dcc and i will simply plug my lenz controller into either my main layout or this portable one.

 

Track plan and stock wise i simply want to be able to run some of my current stock , and possibly have an excuse to buy some stock from different eras that may look out of place on my main layout.  I quite like the idea of a shunting puzzle as well as having a small statrion to allow me to run a small passenger shuttle. so far ive been playing around with variations on an inglenook shunting puzzle with 2 off scene sidings and a single line station. however none of them seem interesting enough or very prototypical.

 

I was wondering if anyone had seen any good layouts roughly 6ft by 1 ft with interesting track plans. i will keep doing reseach and sketching my own plans in the mean time.

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its good, but if you haven't yet sawn wood, can I suggest a modification?

 

Rather than fold as you've indicated, use an arrangement that can be stowed as an almost closed box. thereby allowing far less dust to get in. Beds are great dust/fluff generators, and I guess at uni you don’t do your own hoovering.

 

768D8D41-841A-4BC9-A062-A4496F293E09.jpeg.1c32bec4c7f1f7879a11a42aba7ffa86.jpeg

 

I've built exactly that at 2x2ftx1ft and 2x4ftx16", and both have been highly successful. The first was very much designed for under-bed storage in my first, very small and cramped, house.

 

Do check your under-bed clearance height though.

 

K

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I am assuming this is OO Gauge.    What sort of stock do you have?   You can have a lot more layout with 0-4-0s and 4 wheel wagons than with a class 66 and bogie stock.

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As to track-plans, have you looked here: https://www.carendt.com/  ?  There are hundreds!

 

Also, if you have July 2020 Railway Modeller to hand, there is a neat little 4ftx1ft layout in there, which illustrates just how enormous 6ftx1ft is in 00 if, as DCB says, you don't opt for great long bits of rolling stock.

 

You might also want to decide early-on whether everything has to fit in the 6ft (which suggests one very specific track plan that you ought to consider!) or whether you are going to use an offstage "fiddlestick".

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Just an aside, but reasonably relevant: 

 

In a Railway Modeller from the 1970s or thereabouts, C. J. Freezer included an article describing a portable layout for his son's university bedroom.  I apologise for not knowing the specific issue.

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1 hour ago, Nearholmer said:

its good, but if you haven't yet sawn wood, can I suggest a modification?

 

Rather than fold as you've indicated, use an arrangement that can be stowed as an almost closed box. thereby allowing far less dust to get in. Beds are great dust/fluff generators, and I guess at uni you don’t do your own hoovering.

 

As the layout is only in planning stages I have some time to play about with different board designs. I had avoided any vertical stacking due to height restriction under the bed but I'll certainly give that style a look. 

 

1 hour ago, DavidCBroad said:

I am assuming this is OO Gauge.    What sort of stock do you have?   You can have a lot more layout with 0-4-0s and 4 wheel wagons than with a class 66 and bogie stock.

 

At the moment I have only just begun re buying stock for my main layout, having been away from the hobby for a while. But I have several "4 wheel wagons" .

 

At the moment I have a 61xx prairie and a deltic but I am going to end up running alot of 64xx and 57xx as well as some industrial 0-4-0 s on my main layout as its a small ex gwr branch. So there will be plenty of small locos to take to uni with me

 

  I do intend on running a small passenger shuttle on this layout occasionally, whether its a dmu or a tank engine with one or two mk1s. But that be the only long stock that will appear on this layout. 

50 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

As to track-plans, have you looked here: https://www.carendt.com/  ?  There are hundreds!

 

Also, if you have July 2020 Railway Modeller to hand, there is a neat little 4ftx1ft layout in there, which illustrates just how enormous 6ftx1ft is in 00 if, as DCB says, you don't opt for great long bits of rolling stock.

 

You might also want to decide early-on whether everything has to fit in the 6ft (which suggests one very specific track plan that you ought to consider!) or whether you are going to use an offstage "fiddlestick".

Thank you for pointing me at some sources I'll be sure to have a look. I am somewhat stuck with 6ft as it has to sit between the frames at either end of my bed. I am looking to have the "fiddle yard" consist of atleast two tracks about 2ft long hidden behind an angled backscene or enbankment in one of the back corners. 

 

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Here is my 2x2ftx1ft, both open and boxed-up ......... as you will see, the "stacking height" added by this arrangement is small https://www.carendt.com/small-layout-scrapbook/page-57-january-2007/  The frame timber is all 2"x1", and I think the crated size was 12"x12"x 24.5", but I built it in 1983, so I can't remember with absolute certainty.

 

The track-plan I'm itching to recommend is discussed at length in a thread here called "Time to Tune the Piano".https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/24517-time-to-tune-the-piano/&tab=comments#comment-247642

 

 

 

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Having browsed many of the plans people have pointed me towards I have come up with a design of my own I am reasonably happy with. 

 

Many of the designs I like have a runaround loop in the centre with various sidings branching off so I have taken this idea. 

 

I also want a semi disguised "inglenook" so I can sit and shunt about wagons to complete the inglenook puzzle. 

 

Here is what I have come up with. ( sorry for the quality I have  temporarily sketched over a print out to save time on detailing a pc plan) 

20200618_220113.jpg.d7bec103207b18df30610f9d0900c04c.jpg

 

As you can see I have the main line come from two long hidden sidings out into a small station. In the bottom left of the layout there is the Inglenook shunting sidings which may have some sort of goods platform or shed and a cattle Dock. The centre of the layout is a run around loop. And then finally to the right hand side of the layout there are two short loco sidings, possibly for an engine shed. 

 

The layout will have grassy enbankments on either side with the hidden sidings possibly under a raised retaining wall section. The right hand side of the layout has a raised road bridge that should hide the dead end track, but may also alow another off scene " fiddle stick" to be added when there is room I.E. If I ever move the layout outside my uni bedroom. 

 

All suggestions welcome. Thanks

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Best of luck with this.

I had one at Birmingham Uni when I was an undergrad in the seventies but it was too cumbersome.

 

When I returned as a post grad I built a 1 by 6 N gauge layout.

This had a lot more operating potential.

Somewhere, knocking around, I still have the rebuilt version.

 

Ian T

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I do like it when people use a pen/pencil to draw plans on paper.  It does't necessarily make them better but usually indicate a deal more thought.

 

As a retired ICT teacher and examiner my experience is that computers allow you to make a more elegant mess faster....

 

Best of luck with it - looking forward to seeing this evolve.

 

Les

 

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I have just noticed this thread , best of look in your project . Small layouts have an interesting potential and provide hours of opportunity for modelling without being too obtrusive. In my younger days I built a small N gauge layout on two baseboards of 3ft by 11 inches . Working in the military at the time this layout went all around the world with my various postings. Just small enough to pack up in a military mfo box . On one occasion I forgot to pack it away on the Station Commanders inspection of the junior ranks accommodation. The trouble I dropped myself in with The SWO was unbelievable, I did manage to disrupt the Station Commanders Inspection amazing he loved to play trains. After that every inspection I had to leave it out and the Station Commander spent 10 mins playing trains , certainly help my cause for the remainder of my tour. The proof is that small is worthwhile.

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I have a feeling that you might be attempting to fit a little too much in.

 

What do you think of this, using A, B and C as the inglenook when engaging in shunting puzzles?

 

Im pretty certain that it will fit OK using Peco medium points, but this is a sketch, so you’d need to mock it up full size or use software to get things exact. The key is the width A-C, which dictates the position of the point close to the board-join. I’ve made in 6”, but you could close it down as far as 4” if necessary.

 

Kevin

 

 

81D332AE-74C0-4602-B4F0-BCA50AFE2843.jpeg

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3 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

I have a feeling that you might be attempting to fit a little too much in.

 

What do you think of this, using A, B and C as the inglenook when engaging in shunting puzzles?

 

Im pretty certain that it will fit OK using Peco medium points, but this is a sketch, so you’d need to mock it up full size or use software to get things exact. The key is the width A-C, which dictates the position of the point close to the board-join. I’ve made in 6”, but you could close it down as far as 4” if necessary.

 

Kevin

 

 

81D332AE-74C0-4602-B4F0-BCA50AFE2843.jpeg

 

Hi there,

I layed this plan out on the pc with peco small points before printing it out and sketching over it. its a little tight but it all fits well with decent clearences, particularly for short stock.

251389617_trackplan.PNG.742e41a3725a0d2468ee8f4da3e75e2c.PNG

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I have spent the Morning drawing new plans for the boards, as well as looking at different sllignment options. I think I have now settled on a 9mm ply construction with a few square battons in the corners for extra rigidity. all joints will be glued and screwed and the framework will be screwed with plastic corner blocks (like those used in kitchen assembly)board2.PNG.b016e14da54d68832691beda49b3ef5a.PNG

 

for allingment i will use 8mm steel cabinet maker's dowels. as well as small toggle catches.board3.PNG.6def203ee73ecaa0cdea22b1ff8793ee.PNG

boards1.PNG.e00738e64a428bd29a62a36ed1264e5f.PNG

as you can see two catches on the back and one recessed under the front of the join. this is because if it were on the front of the layout it would not allow me to stack the baseboards as i will show in my next post.

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for storage i have taken a recomendation to stack them vertically as a closed box. to do this the right hand board is rotated and flipped onto the first board. each board will have one female dowel section in its backscene which alligns with the male dowel from the board join.870691672_board4.PNG.edc225b3082325be98cf4f0ad78050da.PNG

This means when the board is flipped it has one alligning dowel at either end. finally the latch that is recessed in the bottom of the layout is now fliped to be in the top corner where i hope to have the corresponding clip so the "box" can be latched closed.board5.PNG.4c47b744845e1fee2eb12c46fd2e5c87.PNG

 

clearence is tight inside the box so i will have to plan ahead carefully to make sure buildings and scenery dont intefere when they are flipped onto eachother, but with careful planning it should work. if worse comes to worse i will remove any items that are too tall prior to flipping the second board. i cant stack the boards any higher as the backscenes are already at the maximum height to fit under the bed.board6.PNG.320b683f45054f3c59f1b9aea867f652.PNG

 

Edited by Horsehay Railway Modeller
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14 minutes ago, Horsehay Railway Modeller said:

its a little tight but it all fits well with decent clearences


I honestly think you’d be better with more “breathing space”.

 

Can I ask how you would run-round a goods train arriving from the FY, and how you would use the loop on your plan?

 

Is it that you are deliberately creating what amounts to two layouts, a goods one at the front and a passenger one at the rear?

 

K

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32 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:


I honestly think you’d be better with more “breathing space”.

 

Can I ask how you would run-round a goods train arriving from the FY, and how you would use the loop on your plan?

 

Is it that you are deliberately creating what amounts to two layouts, a goods one at the front and a passenger one at the rear?

 

K

 

I appreciate more breathing space may be nice, however i am trying to get as much functionality into the layout as possible so it should be fun to opperate.

 

In a way the rear line is a mainline / passenger line that i can shuttle passenger stock in and out of, and then the foreground is a goods yard. The main aim of the goods yard is to shuffle around wagons into different orders and make up different rakes. hence the inglenook. the runnaround adds possibilities when not running it strictly as an inglenook allowing more flexibility when moving wagons around the yard. it also allows me to change the direction the train is pushed/ pulled from. Bellow is a basic runnaround operation, shown with some paper cutouts on my track plan. 

i hope it makes sense

 

Thanks, 

David

 

402742644_runnaround1.PNG.9722f357401009e6dfcf520e05e49207.PNG

1409870350_runnaround2.PNG.a0c4fb64facf8dce26ddace58398d63d.PNG740892161_runnaround3.PNG.41ab07477f4a3a6e04fff95469118c6d.PNG

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I'm not sure this will be of any interest to you but I have a layout which I built several years ago for my son using stuff I had knocking around.

 

Here is a poor quality photo.

55760904_Slayout.JPG.ca8317b3314fc7c8f0444d5398032e70.JPG

 

It uses code 100 Hornby track with four Peco points (LH, RH & two double slips).  Wired for DC with finger-operated points.  The base is an IKEA 1.9m Lack shelf topped with insulation board.

 

It is probably not up to the standards you are modelling to but it might provide an instant start and you could gradually replace the Superquick buildings.

 

Let me know if you are interested.  (I won't be offended if you aren't.)  It isn't free, I am looking for a decent donation to charity.

 

I am guessing from your username that you are somewhere near Telford so that isn't too far from me and I'm sure that once the weather improves a socially-distanced collection could be arranged.

 

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I sort of both agree and disagree with Nearholmer's advice.  On the one hand the 'setup' is that the site for this yard is restricted, and a crowded look is ok, but operation many be unrealistically complex.  My advice would be to ditch the passenger traffic altogether, and the 2 road loco shed.  This will free up space for more freight handling sidings and improve operation; loco sheds tend to be places to display locos and not much action takes place on them unless they are very large sheds.  Small sheds tend to be empty during the day as the stud is all out at work.  You won't in any case be able to deal with much more than an auto or railcar, which are not exciting to operate.

 

Principle is as follows; BR loco arrives from fy with incoming traffic, runs around, and shunts van ready for outgoing traffic.  Small industrial 0-4-0 then spots the traffic where it is required, and picks up outgoing traffic, complicated by the fact that some previous traffic is not unloaded yet or an empty needs to be retained for loading, or is part loaded and loading needs to be completed.  A lot of this takes place in your head; can a part loaded wagon or van be dispatched to fulfil part of an urgent order, meaning that another empty must be supplied to dispatch the rest of the order.  This is part of the fun of this sort of layout; part empty wagons might have to be moved aside for more important traffic, and replaced later on in the day.  

 

The 0-4-0 is not allowed off site on the BR track to the fy, and needs a small shed with water and a coaling platform, or, if it's a diesel, just a fuelling pump.  The industrial yard staff need a mess hut and toilet facilities, and a store hut.  The stock can double as your ironworks loco and stock on the Coalbrookvale layout.  The BR loco needs to be as small as practical, and also useable on Coalbrookvale; a Pannier, 08, or 03 is perfect.  In fact an 03 is arguably more likely on a trip working as it can run faster than an 08 if part of the working is along a main line.  There may even be a requirement for internal use stock that simply conveys something from one siding to another.  

 

There is no need for a signal box or signals if the BR branch is operated 'one engine in steam', but the turnout leading from the industrial private yard to it must be lockable and might be worked by a ground frame.  Keep to small locos and 10' wheelbase maximum for vehicles, including brake vans, and I would suggest that such a small operation can be easily managed with god's finger operated points, saving money and space beneath the boards.  Setrack is fine for this sort of layout unless you want a seriously fine scale appearance, in which case you'll need a bigger layout, defeating the object. 

 

The sidings can lead to factories, workshops, warehouses, small foundries, engineering workshops, builders' yards, oil depots, wharves, scrapyards (bit hackneyed, but viable), even an abattoir if you want to bring in live(but not for long)stock in cattle wagons.  This in turn might suggest a glue factory, or a cold store for meat and thus insulated vans.  One siding might feed a small industrial estate with several businesses commonly using it for a variety of traffic.  Oil store; tank wagons loaded in, vans or sheeted opens with drums loaded out.  

 

You may even decide it's so much fun you give up the main layout...

Edited by The Johnster
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17 minutes ago, teaky said:

I'm not sure this will be of any interest to you but I have a layout which I built several years ago for my son using stuff I had knocking around.

 

Here is a poor quality photo.

55760904_Slayout.JPG.ca8317b3314fc7c8f0444d5398032e70.JPG

 

It uses code 100 Hornby track with four Peco points (LH, RH & two double slips).  Wired for DC with finger-operated points.  The base is an IKEA 1.9m Lack shelf topped with insulation board.

 

It is probably not up to the standards you are modelling to but it might provide an instant start and you could gradually replace the Superquick buildings.

 

Let me know if you are interested.  (I won't be offended if you aren't.)  It isn't free, I am looking for a decent donation to charity.

 

I am guessing from your username that you are somewhere near Telford so that isn't too far from me and I'm sure that once the weather improves a socially-distanced collection could be arranged.

 

Thank you so much for the offer but i think id rather start from scratch particularly as its has to fold up neatly under my bed.

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22 minutes ago, teaky said:

I'm not sure this will be of any interest to you but I have a layout which I built several years ago for my son using stuff I had knocking around.

 

Here is a poor quality photo.

55760904_Slayout.JPG.ca8317b3314fc7c8f0444d5398032e70.JPG

 

It uses code 100 Hornby track with four Peco points (LH, RH & two double slips).  Wired for DC with finger-operated points.  The base is an IKEA 1.9m Lack shelf topped with insulation board.

 

It is probably not up to the standards you are modelling to but it might provide an instant start and you could gradually replace the Superquick buildings.

 

Let me know if you are interested.  (I won't be offended if you aren't.)  It isn't free, I am looking for a decent donation to charity.

 

I am guessing from your username that you are somewhere near Telford so that isn't too far from me and I'm sure that once the weather improves a socially-distanced collection could be arranged.

 

That reminds a lot of a trial layout I built many years ago back in the early 80s.  It was on a 5'x9" wooden plank and I called it Plankton.  My current layout uses Lacks, 3 of them, skip raided, so the price was right...

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23 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

I sort of both agree and disagree with Nearholmer's advice.  On the one hand the 'setup' is that the site for this yard is restricted, and a crowded look is ok, but operation many be unrealistically complex.  My advice would be to ditch the passenger traffic altogether, and the 2 road loco shed.  This will free up space for more freight handling sidings and improve operation; loco sheds tend to be places to display locos and not much action takes place on them unless they are very large sheds.  Small sheds tend to be empty during the day as the stud is all out at work.  You won't in any case be able to deal with much more than an auto or railcar, which are not exciting to operate.

 

Principle is as follows; BR loco arrives from fy with incoming traffic, runs around, and shunts van ready for outgoing traffic.  Small industrial 0-4-0 then spots the traffic where it is required, and picks up outgoing traffic, complicated by the fact that some previous traffic is not unloaded yet or an empty needs to be retained for loading, or is part loaded and loading needs to be completed.  A lot of this takes place in your head; can a part loaded wagon or van be dispatched to fulfil part of an urgent order, meaning that another empty must be supplied to dispatch the rest of the order.  This is part of the fun of this sort of layout; part empty wagons might have to be moved aside for more important traffic, and replaced later on in the day.  

 

The 0-4-0 is not allowed off site on the BR track to the fy, and needs a small shed with water and a coaling platform, or, if it's a diesel, just a fuelling pump.  The industrial yard staff need a mess hut and toilet facilities, and a store hut.  The stock can double as your ironworks loco and stock on the Coalbrookvale layout.  The BR loco needs to be as small as practical, and also useable on Coalbrookvale; a Pannier, 08, or 03 is perfect.  In fact an 03 is arguably more likely on a trip working as it can run faster than an 08 if part of the working is along a main line.  There may even be a requirement for internal use stock that simply conveys something from one siding to another.  

 

There is no need for a signal box or signals if the BR branch is operated 'one engine in steam', but the turnout leading from the industrial private yard to it must be lockable and might be worked by a ground frame.  Keep to small locos and 10' wheelbase maximum for vehicles, including brake vans, and I would suggest that such a small operation can be easily managed with god's finger operated points, saving money and space beneath the boards.  Setrack is fine for this sort of layout unless you want a seriously fine scale appearance, in which case you'll need a bigger layout, defeating the object. 

 

The sidings can lead to factories, workshops, warehouses, small foundries, engineering workshops, builders' yards, oil depots, wharves, scrapyards (bit hackneyed, but viable), even an abattoir if you want to bring in live(but not for long)stock in cattle wagons.  This in turn might suggest a glue factory, or a cold store for meat and thus insulated vans.  One siding might feed a small industrial estate with several businesses commonly using it for a variety of traffic.  Oil store; tank wagons loaded in, vans or sheeted opens with drums loaded out.  

 

You may even decide it's so much fun you give up the main layout...

 

Thank you for your advice.

I  think ill keep a small br halt on the mainline so i have somewhere to atleast photograph any new passenger stock i aquire whilst away from the main layout.

I like the idea of it being a private yard and will omit the signal box and i think i may end up putting a lot iof rail served industry allong every siding that makes sense

As for the industry sidings, would it make sense to replace the double shed with a smaller shed for the industrial loco and then have an extra siding for goods operations? something like this:1089358594_noshed.PNG.8b316c7f37ea22c9dcc27e7cce852452.PNG

the shed could be at the end of the siding with the red arrow.

 

As far as track is concerned i was going to go with electrofrog points just so i can get really smooth slow running, also overcomplicated point control is one of my favourite hobbies :) so i will probably have a small panel or even dcc point decoders. 

 

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