As yet unnamed layout - 00 Wagon Works and Inglenook

[johnsmithuk]

Hello everyone, I have been interested in this hobby for a long time, and decided after a few false starts to make a serious go of a layout of my own.

 

The plan is to use ready made baseboard sections from Scale Model Scenery, 2x ends, and 2x centre pieces. This will give a working area approx 1600mm x 400mm, 5 feet x 1 1/3 feet roughly.

 

Control will be DCC, and a fiddle stuck will be added to one or both sides, depending on final layout.

 

The first idea for the track layout is below. The baseboard sections are on order, as space is a premium, and is as large as I realistically can go.

 

The intended theme is intended to be industrial, and close to modern day, somewhere between 90's and now, possibly a mix up throughout the range. I am using Rule 1 liberally.

 

Comments and hint welcome.

Edited October 9, 2020 by johnsmithuk
update title

[AireValley1962]

The baseboards by SMS sound like a grand idea. I would make three notes, if you don't mind!

 

1. What industry(s) and how did it/they grow? As you say 90's, it would be more than likely that some older industry would be winding down operations. 

2. That being the case, the track network would probably not be so nicely laid out, if it had been built years ago,  and added onto, and relaid and taken up over time.

3. Therefore, for operating reasons, I would try to have a couple kickback sidings, keeping in mind that 90's stock and locomotives are longer than stuff 40 years prior.

 

Enjoy!

 

Will

[johnsmithuk]

On 16/09/2020 at 00:50, AireValley1962 said:

The baseboards by SMS sound like a grand idea. I would make three notes, if you don't mind!

 

1. What industry(s) and how did it/they grow? As you say 90's, it would be more than likely that some older industry would be winding down operations. 

2. That being the case, the track network would probably not be so nicely laid out, if it had been built years ago,  and added onto, and relaid and taken up over time.

3. Therefore, for operating reasons, I would try to have a couple kickback sidings, keeping in mind that 90's stock and locomotives are longer than stuff 40 years prior.

 

Enjoy!

 

Will

Thanks for the comments.

 

1. My thoughts are an old factory, repurposed to a more modern usage, so allows a mix of old and new hardware to go be used as I feel fit. The part backing on to the rails to be a loading dock, but much disused.

 

2. That makes sense, and I am trying a few more variations to see if something looks more organic/disorganised.

 

3. Rolling stock is a pair of beaten up 08's. If I can convert an 06 I was given to DCC that will be used as well.

 

 

The inglenook is pretty much a deal breaker, as I want some operational interest as well as something to model.

 

Thanks again for showing an interest.

Edited September 17, 2020 by johnsmithuk
Updated track plan

[CameronL]

Hi.

 

If you want a variety of wagons both old and new in a very small space, how about modelling a wagon repair facility? What better reason could there be to have a large variety of wagons coming and going, and all the shunting you could ask for? 

 

It would also require deliveries of materials such as wood, paint and metal, and could be a delightfully cluttered scene.

 

Feel free to ignore.

 

Best wishes

 

Cam

Edited September 17, 2020 by CameronL
Added a bit

[johnsmithuk]

1 hour ago, CameronL said:

Hi.

 

If you want a variety of wagons both old and new in a very small space, how about modelling a wagon repair facility? What better reason could there be to have a large variety of wagons coming and going, and all the shunting you could ask for? 

 

It would also require deliveries of materials such as wood, paint and metal, and could be a delightfully cluttered scene.

 

Feel free to ignore.

 

Best wishes

 

Cam

Wow. My mind is blown. So obvious I never even thought if it.

 

Time to get thinking again.

 

Thank you for more inspiration. 

[johnsmithuk]

Ok, the as yet unnamed wagon works may be inching forward.

 

I now have the wagon works building in the top left corner, with a storage siding running down the side of it. This is currently a twin road building, it may turn into a three road building to cover the siding, turning it into more works space.

 

Near centre-right houses storage sidings that also encompass an inglenook shunting puzzle area.

 

Far right has space to build a scenic break, a bridge or other building to hide the exit away from the main board to a fiddle cassette/stick.

 

Back centre has space, along with behind the wagon works and near right to build the surrounding area up to the boundary I set for the works.

 

I am assuming that the works was a lot bigger in the past, and has sold off land that other local industry has taken over.

[CameronL]

Love it. As far a other structures go there could be a wood store, paint store and forge / foundry which would all generate movement around the site, probably on a flat wagon (with your 06). Any of these could form the scenic break. 

[johnsmithuk]

Firstly, I put my hand up to misreading some measurements. My baseboard is a little thinner than I read, and was my error.

 

The theme will be unchanged, but the track plan has changed a bit to compensate.

 

I wanted to put everything on a slant, but it was a stretch too far, so have stayed parallel to the board. I have gone to town with the points to try and make it look like there was a lot more trackwork there in the past. In doing so, I appear to have made a double inglenook. That makes shunting puzzles to a whole new level.

 

The yellow wall is the exterior fence of the works, a dirt road joins the building, and loading dock area (orange block) to the outside world through the red gate. A similar gate separates the private works to the main Network Rail owned line.

 

The orange block has potential for a loading bay to unload trucks, a crane, other scrap left everywhere etc.

 

Pictures below. As always comments/suggestions/flaming/improvements are welcome.

[Moxy]

32 minutes ago, johnsmithuk said:

 

I like that idea.  I have a suggestion for the 3 tracks at the right hand side.  On the centre one, the headshunt (1 x R600) is too short to be of practical use.  If I were building this, I would lose the 2 x R8072 points that link the bottom & centre roads.  This would make the centre siding a decent length, and you still have the loop on the left hand side to run round the wagons.

 

[stivesnick]

The round round tracks are very short and not really suitable for modern wagons. The plan on your 18 September post looks the most realistic and would provide a good amount of shunting. I woudl suggest that you try adopting this to suit the reduced width, by shorterning the diagonal tracks or turn it into a flatter design by having the loop parallel to the board edge. 

 

It would be worth looking at the lengths of typcial wagons that you might use against the standard lengths of track to see what will work. I suspect you may be limited to 4 wheel wagons rather than say modern bogie tank cars or container wagons.

 

Hope this helps

 

Nick 

[johnsmithuk]

All of my wagons are 4 wheel small ones.

[johnsmithuk]

Slight amendments made.

 

 

[johnsmithuk]

Pulled the trigger on ordering the track pieces I don't have for the above track plan. It is a little bit real now.

[DCB]

I missed this thread earlier. You may find 14th Sept works better than the others.

Modern Modern image is a bit difficult, a class 66 shunting?   Maybe Heritage Modern image, modern by the standards of 1950s era modellers say 1980s is more practical, 25s 08s etc. Blue / Large Logo blue, Engineers Grey, Inter city liveries etc.

It will be a lot easier to finalise when you have the new (set?) track.   The run round looks too short to run anything round anything else.  I would lay it,  get a few wagons and maybe a loco with no motor or a brake van masquerading as Toby the Tram engine and push them round to make sure your planned shunting moves actually work.    I use a battery loco myself.   I shift the tracks till it looks right, maybe carve a few bits off the points with a Dremel or pliers and a fie like I do to close the siding spacing up before you drill tens of dropper wire holes and cover it all with bird grit masquerading as ballast.  Most of these industrial sites have a sea of tarmac or mud with rails, hardly a sleeper or rail chair to be seen.   

If it's Set track and DCC expect a lot of stalling.   Set track points need live frogging for reliable low speed operation with short locos in my experience,    I would use small locos and have the loco depot centre where the orange blob is myself, have a few sentinels or Pecketts on shed, all burbling or hissing on DCC sound...

[Schooner]

For inspiration  

[johnsmithuk]

Thank you for the input.

 

As I said above, I measured my boards wrong, hence the change of track plan.

 

The track has arrived, so will be experimenting over the next few days in-between nightshifts.

 

I have a preliminary design for the control panel for the points and lighting, and have been researching stay-alive modules that are small in size, but pack enough punch to get a class 06 and/or 08 across the points if problems persist.

[johnsmithuk]

This morning using a suitable flat surface I laid out the track on the baseboards and had a few simulated runs with an 08 with no motor and a wagon. All my wagons are this size so it is a fair representation. 

 

The scenic will be tight, but that was expected, and it will take a small slant if I want to. The cardboard on the right hand edge is to simulate cutting those sidings a little shorter,  and the left hand cardboard is for the shed/works building.

 

All seems well. Imagination will be required to get the place to operate as a wagon works, however the inglenook side if this is spot on.

 

Pictures below, comments welcome.

[johnsmithuk]

Progress, the first two of the four baseboard sections are glued and drying.

[johnsmithuk]

Too soon?

[johnsmithuk]

Slight updates, no pictures today.

 

The second two SMS baseboard units are glued and drying. I am very impressed with them. Very easy to get square, and stay that way.

 

I have moved on the Eurostar from a Hornby set I was given a while back. From the funds raised, two Class 06's are on their way to me and a pair of 4 pin decoders to hardwire in.

 

I still have a lot of 2nd radius curves, and the controller, which may be repurposed for powering lights on the layout. The track will be sold on in time.

 

I have ordered a sample of Kadee couplings to see if I can convert the wagons I already own. If the trial is successful, a lot more will be ordered and a plentiful supply of neodymium magnets will be implanted into the track beds. The aim is full hands free operation.

 

I am leaning towards the works being the leftovers of an old yard that has mostly been taken over and redeveloped, with the layout being all that is left, and a restoration works for older stock, just about surviving in the modern age. This will allow the use of four wheel wagons and a mish mash of liveries and eras.

 

Taking that a small step further I am thinking of an old two road engine shed, with more modern fittings showing the passage of time, for the main works building itself.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

John.

[johnsmithuk]

The pictures will return today. 

 

I've finished my latest work cycle, so back to modelling. 

 

A further baseboard support has been purchased and constructed. This may or may not look like a kitchen cabinet base with another piece of MDF joining it to the existing one.

 

There is a reason for this. It is a kitchen cabinet base unit with MDF on top.

 

A trial laying out of track reveals it will lay ok, avoiding baseboard section joints.

 

The card covering the two roads at the left hand edge again represent the footprint of a Metcalfe two road engine shed.

 

The card on the two roads at the right hand edge represent cut off ends/buffer locations.

 

A roll of cork is on order to smooth out the joins.

 

The 06's mentioned in the previous post have arrived, along with a Hornby 4 pin decoder. The sample set of Kadee couplings and height guide have also arrived, so a test track will be put on some scrap to start conversion testing of some wagons.

 

More freewheel testing of operations will continue before calling the trackplan as set in stone.

 

Next purchases will be point motors (x7 at the moment) then getting power wiring layed out then soldered.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

John

[johnsmithuk]

Everything fits nice for the Inglenook side of things. A surprising delivery has also arrived at the works.

[johnsmithuk]

Another quick update.

 

Exoskeleton for the SMS baseboard units is coming along nicely. Only problem is I need more wood for noggins as I got the sums wrong on what I would have leftover.

 

I know it is overkill, but if this goes well, and the world starts behaving again, it MIGHT be interesting to exhibit what a rank amateur can do.

 

 

Edited October 15, 2020 by johnsmithuk
Spelling

[johnsmithuk]

Base sub-frame is screwed together. Slight pause as the drill battery charges back up.

 

Supplementary holes are being put in the noggins in case more wire access is needed.

 

Progress is pictured below.

 

 

[johnsmithuk]

Kadee conversion has started. Waiting on some suitable screws to be delivered, but checking for height, it looks good.