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Small loop and a shelf layout ideas


Reg81
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2 hours ago, Zomboid said:

If you can stretch it to 8' long and a little bit wider then the end result will be better.

I'm quoting myself and contributing 3 posts in a row, but I'm on hold to the bank so had a bit of time to think about it... So to illustate the point I added about 3" width and 1' length to the pan handle (so it's now a total of 12' long including the 4x4' loop) and came up with this:

reg1-3.jpg.f9b025bfcb2874259870740ed30978f4.jpg

 

The terminus can handle 3 coach trains, but the passing loop on the left would be a squeeze. I'd still stick to 2, with possibly a CCT type van on some trains.

I used medium points for the top platform LH crossover, but there looks like there's space to use long ones, which would look better.

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Extra width on the shelf isn't that much of a problem, but I think 12ft might be a bit tight - this would be so much easier if the doors to the loft eaves were in a better place, the length is actually there, but the space isn't all usable due to the access need. I'll need to do a more precise measure up TBH...

 

 

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54 minutes ago, Zomboid said:

I'm quoting myself and contributing 3 posts in a row, but I'm on hold to the bank so had a bit of time to think about it... So to illustate the point I added about 3" width and 1' length to the pan handle (so it's now a total of 12' long including the 4x4' loop) and came up with this:

reg1-3.jpg.f9b025bfcb2874259870740ed30978f4.jpg

 

The terminus can handle 3 coach trains, but the passing loop on the left would be a squeeze. I'd still stick to 2, with possibly a CCT type van on some trains.

I used medium points for the top platform LH crossover, but there looks like there's space to use long ones, which would look better.

 

So, if I’m following this correctly, while on hold to the Bank you had time to think, and added a large black hole in the middle of the layout :rolleyes:.  I find being on hold can do that to me too.

 

Seriously though, I’m impressed with the ideas that have been generated for Reg here - this certainly looks like it could be good to build and fun to operate.  There is a reversing loop to wire correctly, but the operating benefit is worth it.

 

If I might add just one observation, as someone who has both Setrack points and Streamline Long points in my collection: I wouldn’t mix them on the same layout.  Much as I love the long points, putting them side by side really shows how tight the radius is on the Setrack points - I’d stick to Short or perhaps Medium Streamline points if I was mixing them.  Other than that, go for it..!

 

 

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50 minutes ago, Reg81 said:

Extra width on the shelf isn't that much of a problem, but I think 12ft might be a bit tight - this would be so much easier if the doors to the loft eaves were in a better place, the length is actually there, but the space isn't all usable due to the access need. I'll need to do a more precise measure up TBH...

 

 

"Loft eaves"? "a more precise measure up"?

 

I have a bad feeling about this....

 

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1 hour ago, Keith Addenbrooke said:

I might add just one observation, as someone who has both Setrack points and Streamline Long points in my collection: I wouldn’t mix them on the same layout

I don't think the return loop circuit but would work without set track geometry. But a diagonal road across the triangle (with a pair of bridges) should do enough to visually separate the streamline terminus from the set track circuit, I'd say.

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Thanks for the ideas, I've had a little play around with Anyrail using Hornby set track and the odd bit of flex and I think this is doable, albeit not quite as elegant as the streamline version and right hand is a bit short at the moment, to be extended depending on how much space there really is - I know the minimum but not the maximum :D 

 

419592808_Finalmaybe.jpg.7717409445e8b693ae8549ccffaf63f9.jpg

Edited by Reg81
odd extra text
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51 minutes ago, Zomboid said:

I don't think the return loop circuit but would work without set track geometry. But a diagonal road across the triangle (with a pair of bridges) should do enough to visually separate the streamline terminus from the set track circuit, I'd say.


Good idea to add a road bridge - works well as a double sided scenic break.  Just to clarify, it’s only the Long points I’d keep apart from Setrack ones - they are very long!  Medium and (especially) Short should be OK.  Looks like Reg has a “ready to stretch” plan now anyway.  Good stuff, Keith.

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21 minutes ago, Reg81 said:

Thanks for the ideas, I've had a little play around with Anyrail using Hornby set track and the odd bit of flex and I think this is doable, albeit not quite as elegant as the streamline version and right hand is a bit short at the moment, to be extended depending on how much space there really is - I know the minimum but not the maximum :D 

 

419592808_Finalmaybe.jpg.7717409445e8b693ae8549ccffaf63f9.jpg


Just one quick point Reg - it can be hard to see on a small screen, but I think @Zomboid used a single slip point from the Streamline track range (not a plain crossing).  The slip points aren’t available in Setrack, I’m afraid.

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Yeah, that diamond would really want to be a slip for that formation to work. The running round would be a real shuffle, and trains from the top line can't get to what I assume is the main platform line.

 

I messed around with the Hornby set track for the terminus, and came up with this:reg1-4.jpg.0a1f8fea03b94fce0cd8ddc55a481c0a.jpg

I prefer the streamline version, but if you want to stick with sectional track, this would work with 2 coach trains and a total length of 11'. If you've got more length, then use it to extend the platform etc. There's a few bits of flex because the sectional straights aren't exactly right.

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If you don't mind a somewhat more generic terminus and a single line to/from the circuit, you could have something like this in 4'x10'.

 

All points are Setrack so same geometry as Hornby. I've used flex for some bits as am limited to 50 pieces on Anyrail.

 

Gra

rmw2020-09-29-5.jpg

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There is still more room for scenery on @Zomboid's plan than I find ideal.  I reckon you could cram in some more track and a bigger access hole to suit middle aged mid riffs.  Run round for top platform Personally I would use the back of the continuous run as a Fiddle yard but hey ho.  Would work well with DCC. Pilot loco to shunt trains  Apologies to Zomboid for ruining his beautiful drawing. 3rd platform would allow 3 passenger or 2 passenger and a parcels as well as a goods to operate.  Fun to operate but not necessarily great scenically.

 

Screenshot (13).png

Edited by DavidCBroad
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8 hours ago, Flying Pig said:

 

I think this is a neater arrangement of setrack for the throat and it gains about a point length.

 

Studio_20200930_230955.jpg.78cd00b36e55af5e57e7c128b7c0e5c0.jpg

To gain platform length you have to put the points in a different order, I found.

 

There's far too many reverse curves on these sectional track designs for my liking, but it does provide quite a lot of play value in the space.

reg1-5.jpg.4b06671aa65ff2a0dbf67e30abe18c15.jpg

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12 hours ago, Reg81 said:

 

It's less dire than it sounds, just a slightly odd space to explain in a way that makes sense! 

 

Loft spaces can be very tricky.

 

Are there any beams crossing through the space that would affect the plan? Does the roof slope inwards? Are there any purlins getting in the way?

 

(Hopefully the space isn't filled with braced trusses every 2ft!)

 

Has the loft space been "converted"? If not you need to think about the temperature extremes and humidity levels.

 

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15 hours ago, Zomboid said:

I'm quoting myself and contributing 3 posts in a row, but I'm on hold to the bank so had a bit of time to think about it... So to illustate the point I added about 3" width and 1' length to the pan handle (so it's now a total of 12' long including the 4x4' loop) and came up with this:

reg1-3.jpg.f9b025bfcb2874259870740ed30978f4.jpg

 

The terminus can handle 3 coach trains, but the passing loop on the left would be a squeeze. I'd still stick to 2, with possibly a CCT type van on some trains.

I used medium points for the top platform LH crossover, but there looks like there's space to use long ones, which would look better.

I could see that being in demand at exhibitions if it were to be made portable, really interesting operational characteristics. Plus viewing from all sides of the station peninsula, a real crowd puller.

Edited by toolongtoremember
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8 hours ago, OhOh said:

If you don't mind a somewhat more generic terminus and a single line to/from the circuit, you could have something like this in 4'x10'.

 

All points are Setrack so same geometry as Hornby. I've used flex for some bits as am limited to 50 pieces on Anyrail.

 

Gra

rmw2020-09-29-5.jpg

Sorry, looks that my upload didn't actually upload last night (I kept getting error messages) so here it is again. Looks that @Zomboid has planned fairly similar, and somewhat neater.

 

Gra

rmw2020-09-29-5.jpg

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1 hour ago, Harlequin said:

 

Loft spaces can be very tricky.

 

Are there any beams crossing through the space that would affect the plan? Does the roof slope inwards? Are there any purlins getting in the way?

 

(Hopefully the space isn't filled with braced trusses every 2ft!)

 

Has the loft space been "converted"? If not you need to think about the temperature extremes and humidity levels.

 

 

It's fully converted fortunately, even has heating! The plan is for the layout to go crossways, from the front of the house to the back of the house along the partition wall - like the flat bit on an A if that makes sense? This means there is restricted height at either end of the layout, but as long as I'm not planning on putting any skyscrapers in and don't build the baseboard too high, it's not that much of a problem really. 

 

I think I have a busy weekend ahead of me playing with some of these ideas...

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Zomboid said:

To gain platform length you have to put the points in a different order, I found.

 

There's far too many reverse curves on these sectional track designs for my liking, but it does provide quite a lot of play value in the space.

reg1-5.jpg.4b06671aa65ff2a0dbf67e30abe18c15.jpg

 

Ah - I thought the track spacing for the island platform might be an issue.  This arrangement loses a little in appearance I feel, but it's still the most appealing of the sectional track designs.  I don't think converting the station to a blt with effectively a single approach line adds anything and it will reduce operating flexibility.

 

I still like your earlier 'St Botolphs' in streamline best.

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It may be worth taking a look at one of Cyril Freezer's more successful plans. It was no 24L in plans for larger layouts but versions of it appeared twice as Railways of the Month in RM one called Stephenton and the other Borchester. Something about its design made it look particularly effective and though it was essentially a single track out and return with a continuous run managed to look like a busy main line.

It was for a 14 by 6 ft space in a saucepan shape but the terminus had a seven foot long platform so it could probable be scaled down. It's Peco's copyright so I can't post it but I'll PM it. 

 

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3 minutes ago, Pacific231G said:

It may be worth taking a look at one of Cyril Freezer's more successful plans. It was no 24L in plans for larger layouts but versions of it appeared twice as Railways of the Month in RM one called Stephenton and the other Borchester. Something about its design made it look particularly effective and though it was essentially a single track out and return with a continuous run managed to look like a busy main line.

It was for a 14 by 6 ft space in a saucepan shape but the terminus had a seven foot long platform so it could probable be scaled down. It's Peco's copyright so I can't post it but I'll PM it. 

 

Thanks - If this is in his 60 small plans book or design manual, I have a copy knocking about...

Edited by Reg81
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1 hour ago, Reg81 said:

 

It's fully converted fortunately, even has heating! The plan is for the layout to go crossways, from the front of the house to the back of the house along the partition wall - like the flat bit on an A if that makes sense? This means there is restricted height at either end of the layout, but as long as I'm not planning on putting any skyscrapers in and don't build the baseboard too high, it's not that much of a problem really. 

 

I think I have a busy weekend ahead of me playing with some of these ideas...

 

 

 

That sounds great!

 

I had to ask because a number of people who start threads here haven't really considered whether their space is suitable for a railway or not and we only find out after multiple plans have been proposed...

 

What's the rest of the loft used for??? :wink_mini:

 

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Another approach  is this

 

573616066_pintpot1.jpg.93bd742c00d4dbae51928187691b7a49.jpg

This was actully the plan by Mike Bryant for a 4ft x 2ft TT-3 layout that he built called "Pint-Pot" using 15" radius Wren points and which MRC ran as a six part detailed how-to project layout. The station occupied a 3ft x 9 inch board. With setrack curves and small radis Streamline poins  you could fit it on a not too enormous board in OO (With 15" minimum radius CJF got something similar onto a 5ft 6in x 3ft board in OO).  You wouldn't of course have to fit the terminus within the confines of the main board as he did but could put say half of it on a pan handle  extension to the right.  This doesn't give the double track feel that "Stephenton" did but the various bridges and tunnel mouths produced some nice little vignettes.

Edited by Pacific231G
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I thought I'd try and improve the "kidderminster SVR" return loop, though this would work for the "St Botolphs" variant too, or anything else with a 2 track approach. It's a longer loop at the passing station, so 3 coach trains will definitely work, but you've got to be happy with  a sectional track curved point, and the token siding at the bottom of the square bit has gone.

 

light blue is streamline, grey is sectional.

reg1-3b.jpg.38521aa3b620452aeee32130e02d79fd.jpg

 

Personally I'd have a great time playing with this...

Edited by Zomboid
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