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Traverser ideas


rynd2it
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I'm planning a GWR branch terminus layout based on Faringdon and I am thinking about the fiddle yard. To keep expense and complexity down and provide maximum storage space I have decided a traverser of 5 roads is probably the way to go. 90% of the locos are going to be typical GWR pannier tanks which just need to change ends on the train but I also have a Dean Goods so I would like to be able to turn it round. I want to minimise the BHS (big hand in sky) and physical handling of the stock but I need a train length of 3 coaches or 10 wagons plus loco. All has to fit on a 4'  x 2' baseboard.

 

I see the issues as needing a headshunt to decouple the loco and run it round the train but this implies a headshunt of about 10" at each end leaving only just over 2' 4" for train storage. One solution might be to have one headshunt on the scenic board disguised by a cutting and a bridge but it would need to be long enough to hide any 'shunting' movements.

 

Any other ideas please?

 

 

Faringdon_fiddle_sm.jpg

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You can deal with the tender engine by placing a locolift (as manufactured by Peco but could be home made) on the end of the arrival road.  Lift the loco off, roll the stock along to the end by hand, placed turned loco (or another loco) on outer end, recouple, ready to go.  Obviously will work for panniers too, but if you don't want to use a lift for them you could leave them at the end of their arrival road until another loco has removed the train, leaving them free to slip up to the other end for a subsequent departure.  You might even be able to have a couple of stub roads for parking them to the left of the traverser inside the tunnel mouth.  Either way, you wouldn't need the headshunt you've shown at the right hand end, which would be a sad waste of available length (and doubles your alignment problems).

 

Best of luck!

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I have a terminus to traverser type layout that whilst I didn't build it, I do occasionally exhibit it.

 

It is similar to your example in being 5 roads but without the extra 'loco' section. As you can soon get through the 5 trains permitted it is my intention to replace the nearest track (to me) on the traverser with a cassette type system so that I can exchange a full train fairly easily just to help mix it up a bit. Hopefully this will give me the best of both types of system when exhibiting and not wanting to keep the paying public too long before the next train appears, especially if operating solo.

 

I realise that this doesn't really solve your main issue regarding loco turning but it may be another consideration you may wish to think about.

 

Regards,

Ian.

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This is what I’ve done

 

27109446-652A-4811-B3BC-3FF13A4A1101.jpeg.f0f5677f9554ee4d584d603ab726eb82.jpeg
 

DD7AA212-DBA6-4744-AB07-A7B5F8FE501A.jpeg.78bb5f960412c41bdcca6c5188fc9c22.jpeg

 

However if I were to do another I would mount the drawer slides differently (or rather as they are designed to be mounted)

 

1 hour ago, Harlequin said:

You'd be surprised how many people don't think of that!

 

 

Phil is spot on! Fortunately the geometry of my track work did this for me


E668A47B-F3E7-415A-AEAC-9695037D62AC.jpeg.37e3b0984231751be6e8b223c9973bf7.jpeg

 

6 hours ago, Chimer said:

You can deal with the tender engine by placing a locolift (as manufactured by Peco but could be home made)


I agree, so much so I intend to use the Peco loco lifts myself, the added bonus is you can stack them on top of each other

 

Edited by chuffinghell
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An option could be a Denny fiddle yard. Smaller number of tracks but a removable cassette. 2 cassettes with 3 tracks each gives you more storage than a single 5 track traverser. Tender engines are handled by simply turning the cassette around.

 

image.png

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I'm wondering if you had a slot the length of the traverser underneath in the supports and a pin  from the traverser dropping into it. You could pull out the other end to 90 degrees, slide the pin end from one end to the other then slide the traverser back into place. There not being space for a proper rotating traverser..

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41 minutes ago, TheQ said:

I'm wondering if you had a slot the length of the traverser underneath in the supports and a pin  from the traverser dropping into it. You could pull out the other end to 90 degrees, slide the pin end from one end to the other then slide the traverser back into place. There not being space for a proper rotating traverser..

 

Hello Q, is all well at the BMRC these days?

 

David

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3 hours ago, rynd2it said:

 

Hello Q, is all well at the BMRC these days?

 

David

Fine, we're all in 6  person Bubbles , so most nights there is a group at the club.

I'm in Fridays as usual,  John on his O gauge layout, Brian,  Hazel and Chas on Herrington which is all but finished and a Layout that was recently gifted to the club.. It's tired so needs some scenic renovation but it looks generally a good layout. 

 

Clive has withdrawn from the club due to ill heath.

 

The big storm we had Friday / Saturday led to trees down all over the place and the power going off in many areas, we could hear something sliding on the clubhouse roof in the wind which suggests there is roof damage..

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5 hours ago, TheQ said:

Fine, we're all in 6  person Bubbles , so most nights there is a group at the club.

I'm in Fridays as usual,  John on his O gauge layout, Brian,  Hazel and Chas on Herrington which is all but finished and a Layout that was recently gifted to the club.. It's tired so needs some scenic renovation but it looks generally a good layout. 

 

Clive has withdrawn from the club due to ill heath.

 

The big storm we had Friday / Saturday led to trees down all over the place and the power going off in many areas, we could hear something sliding on the clubhouse roof in the wind which suggests there is roof damage..

Sounds great, best wishes to all and if they want to know what we are up to there is a new Facebook group 1687 Model Railways.

 

 

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Bit of lateral thinking .  Traverser has 4 usable roads, blue is pushed all the way one way, orange the other,   Couple of spurs added behind scenery beside tunnel entrance.  Train arrives, Traverser moves to align with a spur, (needs 2 spurs as only 3 roads align with each spur).  Loco uncouples runs onto spur. Traverser moves to align spare road with spur. Loco runs to  other spur. Traverser aligns train with loco and loco pushes train back slightly and couples up. Traverser re aligns with exit road.  Simples.  No big hand, no broken handrails.

Screenshot (11).png

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12 hours ago, DavidCBroad said:

Bit of lateral thinking .  Traverser has 4 usable roads, blue is pushed all the way one way, orange the other,   Couple of spurs added behind scenery beside tunnel entrance.  Train arrives, Traverser moves to align with a spur, (needs 2 spurs as only 3 roads align with each spur).  Loco uncouples runs onto spur. Traverser moves to align spare road with spur. Loco runs to  other spur. Traverser aligns train with loco and loco pushes train back slightly and couples up. Traverser re aligns with exit road.  Simples.  No big hand, no broken handrails.

Screenshot (11).png

Interesting idea but challenging to get all those tracks to align properly especially at the baseboard join . I'll plot it all out with Templot and see how it fits. Thanks

 

 

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