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Micro layout loosely based on Bradford Interchange


jonhinds
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Hi

 

Having gotten out of my depth with the scale, complexity and cost of the larger layout I’d originally planned, I’ve decided to scale back for now.
 

My plan is to create a small city terminus in N loosely modelled on Bradford Interchange around 1990. Traffic would consist of DMUs (Pacers, 150/156 etc.), loco-hailed parcels trains, Intercity services, and occasional freight using the station’s run-round loop.

 

The overall space available is 5ft x 1ft (which will need to incorporate a traverser FY). The scenic break will be an overpass.


My initial idea is to have the short platform up top as a parcels bay, and the bottom platform for freight (part of the loop will be visible). Longer trains are implied to carry on beyond the scenic break.

 

I’m not too particular about the plan, so any thoughts would be welcome! I’d like to keep the layout as simple and low-cost as possible.

 

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Edited by jonhinds
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Why not consider turning the plan round and doing a half station. I did one like this with "Chestnut Lane"

 

I eventually looped it back on itself, but the original was also fun to operate.

 

 

I think with 5' to cater for both a traverser and full length platforms may prove tricky. 

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18 minutes ago, AndyB said:

Why not consider turning the plan round and doing a half station. I did one like this with "Chestnut Lane"

 

I eventually looped it back on itself, but the original was also fun to operate.

 

 

I think with 5' to cater for both a traverser and full length platforms may prove tricky. 


I really like Chestnut Lane! 
 

The platforms aren’t full length as they’re implied to carry on underneath the overpass (so only the loco and first few carriages / wagons of a longer train are actually visible).

 

I take your point about the tightness of the space though. Maybe just limiting myself to DMUs and a short parcels train might be better.

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It's also cheaper. If you only need to represent a couple of carriages rather than a full rake. That's also true for wagons.

 

You can set up any premise you like to justify some freight needing to visit the station and reverse straight back out.

 

For example there might be engineering work in the area meaning that freight is being diverted via the station to an industrial area, such as a port. 

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5 hours ago, jonhinds said:

My plan is to create a small city terminus in N loosely modelled on Bradford Interchange around 1990. Traffic would consist of DMUs (Pacers, 150/156 etc.), loco-hailed parcels trains, Intercity services, and occasional freight using the station’s run-round loop.

 

 

Sounds like a good plan and a good use of a real example of a common modelling trope (bridge over platform). 

 

However, I'd stick closer to the prototype with two island platforms, as below (with usual apologies for crude sketch).  There's no need for a dedicated parcels platform - just scatter some BRUTEs about - and you could leave the top road out if you need to save space (I've drawn it dashed), but it existed irl and is marked "stabling siding" in the 1988 Quail.  If you do include it though, just lead the track off under the bridge and imply that the point is some way offscene - otherwise you damage the fiction that the station is longer than the actual model.

 

As to trains, you appear to be doing the exactly same thing as AndyB since only the loco and the first few carriages of an arriving train are in view.  Thus an HST or 47-hauled InterCity are quite feasible without needing a lot of rolling stock.  Ditto freights with those pricey post-1980s wagons.

 

Do you have room to replicate the funny angle of the platform ends?  It would look more interesting than having everything square (same with the bridge).

 

Studio_20200711_235346.jpg.a7d66e1437acc821515f3daf6fed0fd4.jpg

 

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15 hours ago, Flying Pig said:

 

 

 

Sounds like a good plan and a good use of a real example of a common modelling trope (bridge over platform). 

 

However, I'd stick closer to the prototype with two island platforms, as below (with usual apologies for crude sketch).  There's no need for a dedicated parcels platform - just scatter some BRUTEs about - and you could leave the top road out if you need to save space (I've drawn it dashed), but it existed irl and is marked "stabling siding" in the 1988 Quail.  If you do include it though, just lead the track off under the bridge and imply that the point is some way offscene - otherwise you damage the fiction that the station is longer than the actual model.

 

As to trains, you appear to be doing the exactly same thing as AndyB since only the loco and the first few carriages of an arriving train are in view.  Thus an HST or 47-hauled InterCity are quite feasible without needing a lot of rolling stock.  Ditto freights with those pricey post-1980s wagons.

 

Do you have room to replicate the funny angle of the platform ends?  It would look more interesting than having everything square (same with the bridge).

 

Studio_20200711_235346.jpg.a7d66e1437acc821515f3daf6fed0fd4.jpg

 


I like this; much more prototypical than my initial idea and still a manageable little project.
 

I’ll have a play around to see if I can fit the angle of the platform ends and overpass in the limited space.

 

Found some 1990-era footage featuring a 47-hauled parcels train at Bradford Interchange. Are the coaches Mk 1 BG’s?
 

 

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2 minutes ago, jonhinds said:

I’ll have a play around to see if I can fit the angle of the platform ends and overpass in the limited space.

 

Just had a look on Google maps and the distance from platform ends to overpass appears to be about 94m in real life or just about 2 feet in N scale; add a 2 foot traverser which I think is enough to hold a couple of the longer Sprinters (or HST power car plus 3 Mk3) and you still have a bit of leeway. It sounds a very doable project.

 

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Sounds like your plan is progressing nicely.

Can I suggest that you may want to consider a view blocker on the bottom RHS so that you don't see the traverser? The overpass will do part of the job but it is going to be quite narrow and you'll still be able to see what goes on on the traverser. 

Could something like a factory or multi-storey car park be put in the foreground?

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19 minutes ago, AndyB said:

The overpass will do part of the job but it is going to be quite narrow

 

It's quite wide in real life - a dual carriageway runs over it - and there's a substantial pier on the main platform - see the pictures here for example.  It would need an additional fictional pier to hide the front pair of tracks but that might be enough.  There's little enough viewing length so probably better not to hide it if it can be avoided.

 

BTW Andy, I've just seen Chestnut Lane for the first time - what an atmospheric layout! Can't think how I missed it when you first posted it.  The configuration with reversing loop is very interesting and I can't remember seeing it anywhere else. 

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1 hour ago, Flying Pig said:

 

It's quite wide in real life - a dual carriageway runs over it - and there's a substantial pier on the main platform - see the pictures here for example.  It would need an additional fictional pier to hide the front pair of tracks but that might be enough.  There's little enough viewing length so probably better not to hide it if it can be avoided.


Great idea about the second fictional pier to hide the front tracks.

 

Having done a bit of cursory research, it seems the parcel train was typically a 47 hauling Mk. 1 BG and GUV stock.

I haven’t found any period photos of main line passenger services so I’m hazarding a guess that they would have consisted of Mk. 3 coaches. Not sure if InterCity 125s ran through the Interchange? I could invoke Rule 1 here of course.

 

Still a bit of research to do on the freight side.

 

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59 minutes ago, jonhinds said:

I haven’t found any period photos of main line passenger services so I’m hazarding a guess that they would have consisted of Mk. 3 coaches.

 

Except in HST sets, almost certainly one of the late Mk 2 types.  There's a detailed discussion of air conditioned Mk 2s on the Eastern Region somewhere on RMweb, possibly connected with the Bachmann Mk2f models.

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Here’s the final(ish) design to scale, scenic section only. As @Flying Pig pointed out, the prototype fits fairly neatly into the available space so I’ve decided to model it as closely as possible. 
 

Track will be code 55 with large radius points. I should be able to increase the depth of the layout a bit beyond 1 foot if needed to incorporate the traverser and / or more scenic detail.
 

(The red line at right represents the right-hand edge of the unit it’ll be sitting on.)


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Looks good.  I was interested to see the variety of trains in the video as I'd forgotten that 1st gen DMUs were still around in numbers and also in use for parcels.  Quite a few of the classes shown are or have recently been available rtr. 

 

You may want to check the platform widths in you plan as they do look a wee bit narrow to me, particularly the lower one which was quite wide in real life.  I tend to think in terms of tracks spaced at multiples of normal spacing to accommodate platforms if there is a traverser involved, as it makes it easier to have multiple roads aligned simultaneously.

Edited by Flying Pig
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1 hour ago, Flying Pig said:

Looks good.  I was interested to see the variety of trains in the video as I'd forgotten that 1st gen DMUs were still around in numbers and also in use for parcels.  Quite a few of the classes shown are or have recently been available rtr. 

 

You may want to check the platform widths in you plan as they do look a wee bit narrow to me, particularly the lower one which was quite wide in real life.  I tend to think in terms of tracks spaced at multiples of normal spacing to accommodate platforms if there is a traverser involved, as it makes it easier to have multiple roads aligned simultaneously.


There’s definitely a decent RTR selection; 150/156 in Sprinter livery from Farish and the Dapol 142 is hopefully being rereleased next year in provincial blue. Might be able to cobble together a 155 on a Sprinter chassis (I recall seeing a body kit somewhere). Obviously the C47 + short rake of Mk 1 brake vans will be straightforward to track down too. Interestingly I haven’t seen any photo evidence of HSTs at this time, so perhaps they were only running through Forster Square.

 

Interesting to see  a Class 128 DPU attached to the DMU, apparently in its last year of service prior to being scrapped! I was only 6 at the time so it’s fascinating to see the diversity of old BR stock in retrospect.

 

I take your point about the track spacing and I’ll stagger it accordingly. Ditto the platform dimensions. Bradford Interchange is only a few stops away so I’m planning a trip to get some site pics and do a spot of fact finding. Fortunately the station side hasn’t changed much since 1990.

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2 hours ago, jonhinds said:

150/156 in Sprinter livery from Farish 

 

The 150 is from Farish; the 156 is Dapol - note both appear coupled together in the first video on what looks like a Calder Valley service. The 155 would need the long 156 'Super Sprinter' chassis.  The first gen DMU heading for Leeds in the second video is a 101+108 hybrid - both classes available from Farish.

 

The 128 is working with a 114 Derby Heavyweight, almost certainly also in parcels use.  Neither available atm but the RevolutioN 128 project still seems to be alive. Don't hold your breath for a 114, but Farish have made the 101 in parcels livery.

 

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19 minutes ago, Flying Pig said:

 

The 150 is from Farish; the 156 is Dapol - note both appear coupled together in the first video on what looks like a Calder Valley service. The 155 would need the long 156 'Super Sprinter' chassis.  The first gen DMU heading for Leeds in the second video is a 101+108 hybrid - both classes available from Farish.

 

The 128 is working with a 114 Derby Heavyweight, almost certainly also in parcels use.  Neither available atm but the RevolutioN 128 project still seems to be alive. Don't hold your breath for a 114, but Farish have made the 101 in parcels livery.

 


Many thanks for the info/clarification. I didn’t know about the RevolutioN 128 but the last update was in April so looks promising. I’ll certainly put in a preorder once the option’s available.

 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Flying Pig said:

This photo on Ebay shows a trap on the loop at the bottom of your plan.  Note the vans being shunted in @simon b's first video were standing in the loop,so the trap would be needed to protect trains in the platform.

 

Here's a vid of the loop in action.

 

 

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1 hour ago, jonhinds said:

Doesn’t look like there’s a trap point available for code 55 (Peco does a code 80 one). Could I just trim off part of a regular turnout?

That's what I'd do.  Get a duff one of eBay.

Incidentally why the fascination with parcels bays?  few stations have dedicated parcels platforms, more often peak passenger services also use the "parcels platforms" and off peak spare passenger train sets get stored in them, Or parcels are loaded at passenger platforms.  The Parcels operations only seem to come alive at certain periods of the day.

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