WIP 6 x 1 - The Usual TMD? Fuelling Point? Small Country Terminus?

[sulzer71]

Seen as my main layout will be a long term project I thought I would knock something up from some scraps of plywood & timber I had , the thought behind it was to build something that will fit in the back of my Vauxhall Astra van so if the opportunity arose to exhibit it then it would be easy to transport 

I initially knocked up a 5 x 1 with backboard as can been seen in the pictures , the one that's fully painted but then last night I thought what the heck , I have a 6 x 1 I was gonna chop up to use as a fiddle yard/yards but decided sod it , I'll use the 6 x 1 as the main scenic area , after all , size matters , or so I've heard

I have now modified the 5 x 1 so it will affix to the side of the 6 x 1 and swapped the backboard around so it will hide the fiddle yard should I exhibit it

I have no plans to fit legs to the boards as when I'm at home I have a large enough surface it can sit on , should it go to any exhibitions I plan on buying some trestles

 

I'm currently pondering what to model , I know everyone hates a TMD and I think I'd be struggling anyway in the space I have , I have toyed with the idea of a fuelling/stabling point as I already have a Knightwing fuelling point kit + diesel storage tanks plus some other bits and pieces including a Dapol water tower kit so the thought was I could use the premise the fuelling/stabling point was on the site of a former steam shed and make the water tower look severely dilapidated and the whole surrounding area would be very run down/grimy 

 

The other option is a small country terminus station on maybe a raised track bed with maybe a canal or stream/beck in the foreground etc

 

If anyone has any thoughts then please feel welcome to comment

 

The last picture is of the 6 x 1 under construction

 

Edited March 2, 2021 by sulzer71

[rob D2]

Depends what era you are looking for ?

if you have the stock for all sorts it’s your call, or the decision is normally made for me by what is to hand 

[sulzer71]

43 minutes ago, rob D2 said:

Depends what era you are looking for ?

if you have the stock for all sorts it’s your call, or the decision is normally made for me by what is to hand 

My main layout build is 70's Far North Scotland so most of my stock revolves around that although I have a few loco's that would suit anywhere really , that said it would be nice if I could create something multi regional/multi era so I could pretty much run what I want as there's lots of models I would like that don't currently fit what I model 

[t-b-g]

I have been building a layout based loosely on part of an O gauge layout I saw at a show a couple of years ago. Mine is 8ft long and about 1ft 4" wide but I have used really long points, on a slight curve.

 

The station throat is only two points long (five points in total) and in 6ft, it would give you a 4ft platform length.

 

Double track, multi platform secondary terminus. The centre platform can be used for departures and arrivals. Arrivals in the LH platform (No 1) get shunted to the centre one to depart. Arrivals in the centre platform (2) can either depart from there or be shunted to Pl 3. The RH line is a parcel/loading dock and the short track the other way (with a coal wagon on it) is to house a pilot loco.

 

When I designed it, I thought that with shorter points and narrower platforms, it would just fit a 6 x 1 board and would make a rather unusual minimum space layout.

 

 

  

[rob D2]

TMD has kinda been done to death , 

how about a small quayside ? Could be Scotland / Wales/ Cornwall ?

[sulzer71]

3 minutes ago, t-b-g said:

I have been building a layout based loosely on part of an O gauge layout I saw at a show a couple of years ago. Mine is 8ft long and about 1ft 4" wide but I have used really long points, on a slight curve.

 

The station throat is only two points long (five points in total) and in 6ft, it would give you a 4ft platform length.

 

Double track, multi platform secondary terminus. The centre platform can be used for departures and arrivals. Arrivals in the LH platform (No 1) get shunted to the centre one to depart. Arrivals in the centre platform (2) can either depart from there or be shunted to Pl 3. The RH line is a parcel/loading dock and the short track the other way (with a coal wagon on it) is to house a pilot loco.

 

When I designed it, I thought that with shorter points and narrower platforms, it would just fit a 6 x 1 board and would make a rather unusual minimum space layout.

 

 

  

That's some nice trackwork! I'm undecided on what track to use for this project , I originally had Peco code 75 for my main layout which has now been relegated for use on the fiddle yard as I have bought code 75 Bullhead now and as track isn't easy to get hold of sometimes I think I'll end up building this before doing any further work on the main layout

[sulzer71]

3 minutes ago, rob D2 said:

TMD has kinda been done to death , 

how about a small quayside ? Could be Scotland / Wales/ Cornwall ?

That has also crossed my mind too , I'm not fond of the TMD idea anyway but I do like run down/dingy/grimy things so that was my thought behind a fuelling/stabling point with maybe a couple of withdrawn loco's/items of rolling stock etc 

[SHerr]

10 minutes ago, rob D2 said:

TMD has kinda been done to death , 

how about a small quayside ? Could be Scotland / Wales/ Cornwall ?

Good idea - you could base around the 3 quayside sidings at Kyle with a few mods and use current stock.

[t-b-g]

1 hour ago, sulzer71 said:

That's some nice trackwork! I'm undecided on what track to use for this project , I originally had Peco code 75 for my main layout which has now been relegated for use on the fiddle yard as I have bought code 75 Bullhead now and as track isn't easy to get hold of sometimes I think I'll end up building this before doing any further work on the main layout

 

Thanks for the kind words.

 

I have modelled in EM for quite a while now, so that helps how the track looks.

 

This particular track is a bit unusual in that it is built to a standard that hasn't been used very much, if at all, for many years. It is known as the Manchester EM standard at 18mm gauge rather than 18.2 and with finer flangeways than standard EM. It is about half way between EM and P4.

 

If I was working in OO I would be looking to use the newer Code 75 track. Well laid and ballasted, it looks really good. 

[Rivercider]

I'm not sure that everyone automatically hates a TMD, though there is the usual problem

that within the normal footprint of the layout similar track plans appear, using similar buildings.

One thing that has put me off them in recent years is seeing a rainbow of class 66s from every known Freight company in the same place! 

 

A small stabling point would be a bit different, with or without fuelling facilities.

Instead of a purpose built depot building how about repurposing a former goods shed.

The stabling points at both Llantrisant and Llanelli in South Wales were based around former goods sheds,

did this happen elsewhere on BR?

Llanelli 24/6/82

 

cheers 

 

 

[Rivercider]

The idea of using the remains of a former steam shed is also interesting, especially if there is a way of representing a shed with the roof removed.

 

Exeter St Davids 28/7/84.

 

Gloucester Horton Road 6/11/80.

 

Newton Abbot was another WR location where the steam shed roof was removed.

 

Also how about using Carlisle Station, or Perth as inspiration and using a wall as the backscene?

 

cheers

 

 

 

[rob D2]

That’s a good idea Kevin , and if it’s 70s it would mean the cliche of multi company 66s ( probably illuminated by a million LEDs ! ) would be ruled out .

 

I’ m not anti TMD per see, but you do see a fair few modern ones which are a bit lazy on realism 

[sulzer71]

17 hours ago, rob D2 said:

That’s a good idea Kevin , and if it’s 70s it would mean the cliche of multi company 66s ( probably illuminated by a million LEDs ! ) would be ruled out .

 

I’ m not anti TMD per see, but you do see a fair few modern ones which are a bit lazy on realism 

If I was to go with the fuelling/stabling point idea it wouldn't be restricted to just the 70's , I would ideally like to create something that could be multi regional/multi era but I think I would be limited on era if I included the dilapidated water tower on the scene , I lost interest in the real railway in the mid 90's but I do still like some of the modern traction , I would like to also focus on the detail/realism but I have a 'thing' for run down/dingy/derelict/delapidated etc and as a newbie to the hobby I have very little to no skill at the moment so it's gonna be trial and error I suppose

[Smallwonder]

How about a slice of Doncaster? Platform face with a running line at the front with a bit of the works at the back. Not much scope for scenery and you'd have to be inventive with scenic breaks, but it would be different and give scope for more tham just locos. It would also fit different periods.

 

Or even just a section of the works. From a quick look at overhead photos there seem to be some interesting buildings and track arrangements.

[Rivercider]

4 hours ago, sulzer71 said:

If I was to go with the fuelling/stabling point idea it wouldn't be restricted to just the 70's , I would ideally like to create something that could be multi regional/multi era but I think I would be limited on era if I included the dilapidated water tower on the scene , I lost interest in the real railway in the mid 90's but I do still like some of the modern traction , I would like to also focus on the detail/realism but I have a 'thing' for run down/dingy/derelict/delapidated etc and as a newbie to the hobby I have very little to no skill at the moment so it's gonna be trial and error I suppose

A lot of my early railway memories are of derelict buildings, closed lines, stations and yards.

 

Another idea might be to model a stabling point as a small part of a larger station. On the WR in the 1970s and 1980s there were stabling points adjacent to Taunton, Hereford, and Pantyffynnon. On the SR at Salisbury and Ashford. On the ER I can think of Ipswich and Cambridge where locos were stabled near the station, and also the fuelling point at Liverpool Street. On the LMR Workington station SP is another that might provide inspiration.

Workington 23/10/77,

 

cheers

[9C85]

A layout I started but never finished in the 1990s (and was sold 6 months after I started it) was based on the premise of being a 'Platform 9' type thing i.e. a small bay platform on the edge of a large terminus station. I was into Southern Electrics at the time and the bay could squeeze in a 4 car EMU or 3 parcels vans and a loco (my preferred option).

There was also a offshoot track which lead to the headshunt to some carriage sidings, and a kickback off the final siding which lead to a diesel fuelling point ( so not too dissimilar to my current layout).

IIRC I built a traverser on drawer runners which fed the visible section and 2 storage sidings.  The storage sidings would be in effect Platforms 7 and 8 of the main station. They would be mostly obscured by the backscene, which was the wall of the main station with a low relief canopy roof. 

I would have been able to get glimpses of the stock in the storage sidings as if they were trains arriving and departing the main station, which I thought was a nice touch. 

At the end of the carriage sidings I was either going to have a girder bridge obscuring the end of the tracks or have the first few centimetres of a carriage shed, with one door half rolled down and the other with the cab of an EMU poking out.  Each option would give an impression of distance beyond the end of the layout. 

I got as far as laying the track, and building a Southern Pride 2-EPB which was motorised, and a scratch built NSE liveried 4-BEP which wasn't motorised. All of these went on Ebay.

I think I enjoy planning and building more than operating. 

[sulzer71]

Made a little progress on this one last night , backscene board fitted awaiting some sky blue paint arriving today , placed the scenic and fiddle yard boards on the flattest surface I had to check their fitment , still no idea what I'm going to build on it , fuelling/stabling point still seems the best option , as you can see in the pics I have several item's that will not be used elsewhere that will suit this

Edited March 4, 2021 by sulzer71

[sulzer71]

I also came up with this idea after playing with some offcuts of ply I had from shaping boards for the main layout but I'm unsure as it will make it difficult for me to manoeuvre around my flat and into the van should I get the opportunity to take it to exhibitions , fortunately I can remove it easily enough

[rob D2]

Multi era , 

Gets tricky building wise - most if the 60s built traditional diesel depots are gone replaced by clad industrial buildings and very few of those .

 

might be an idea to model something like the GB facility at March , that used a re jigged goods shed but in the 66 era 

[Pete the Elaner]

On 02/03/2021 at 18:25, Rivercider said:

I'm not sure that everyone automatically hates a TMD, though there is the usual problem

that within the normal footprint of the layout similar track plans appear, using similar buildings.

One thing that has put me off them in recent years is seeing a rainbow of class 66s from every known Freight company in the same place! 

 

 

 

 

You've hit the nail on the head there.

TMDs are not disliked but they are often modelled in unrealistic locations.

A small branch line terminus is a common choice because it can be squeezed into a smaller space but, since the 60s, most consist of 1 or 2 platforms & little else, but this is not he way they are usually modelled.

A 'rainbow of class 66s' is nice to operate, but they would come from the main line, which is where the TMD would be.

 

What period you want to model makes a big difference. The traditional mixed goods yard was phased out around the same time as steam. Some dedicated goods yards remained for much longer, so private sidings for a particular type of freight could be something you could get away with.

Small sidings would be unlikely to be served by a succession of large locos.

 

If you prefer modelling scenery to running trains (& there is nothing wrong with this), then re-creating some aspects of a station is something you would find interesting. Many stations have things unusual about them.

[rob D2]

1 hour ago, Pete the Elaner said:

 

You've hit the nail on the head there.

TMDs are not disliked but they are often modelled in unrealistic locations.

A small branch line terminus is a common choice because it can be squeezed into a smaller space but, since the 60s, most consist of 1 or 2 platforms & little else, but this is not he way they are usually modelled.

A 'rainbow of class 66s' is nice to operate, but they would come from the main line, which is where the TMD would be.

 

What period you want to model makes a big difference. The traditional mixed goods yard was phased out around the same time as steam. Some dedicated goods yards remained for much longer, so private sidings for a particular type of freight could be something you could get away with.

Small sidings would be unlikely to be served by a succession of large locos.

 

If you prefer modelling scenery to running trains (& there is nothing wrong with this), then re-creating some aspects of a station is something you would find interesting. Many stations have things unusual about them.

That’s part of the problem - unless you are modelling something like the GM facility at longport, there’s not many places where a rainbow of 66 would be seen in one TMD.

and then the “ squeeze as much track in as possible “, ladders of track with about four reversals to get somewhere - uneconomic and awkward in the real World.

 

but I digress , it sounds like OP has some good ideas in front of him 

[sulzer71]

15 minutes ago, rob D2 said:

That’s part of the problem - unless you are modelling something like the GM facility at longport, there’s not many places where a rainbow of 66 would be seen in one TMD.

and then the “ squeeze as much track in as possible “, ladders of track with about four reversals to get somewhere - uneconomic and awkward in the real World.

 

but I digress , it sounds like OP has some good ideas in front of him 

That was my thinking behind just a fuelling/stabling point , I can run different eras/areas but chances are there wouldn't be DB Schenker/DRS/Europhoenix etc on scene at the same time but I could choose which train company's loco's I wanted to run from day to day , that said my preference is for BR Blue/Large Logo/Railfreight/Sector/Dutch/Mainline/EWS etc although I think if I included the water tower it may look a bit out of place in the nineties/noughties although I could attach small magnets to the legs so it could be removed dependent on what I'm running

[Rivercider]

Having one or two key items that could be removed or swapped over to represent different eras is a good idea.

 

Some steam era equipment did last well into the diesel era.

By 1980 there were no class 25s allocated to Bath Road, but members of the class still often visited. I think the water tower was removed within a year or two, and certainly by 1983 when the daily shed was extended. 9/1/80,

 

cheers

 

Edited March 4, 2021 by Rivercider
spelling

[sulzer71]

3 minutes ago, Rivercider said:

Having one or two key items that could be removed or swapped over to represent different eras is a good idea.

 

Some steam era equipment did last well into the diesel era.

By 1980 there were no class 25s allocated to Bath Road, but members of the class still often visited. I think the water tower was removed within a year or two, and certainly by 1983 when the daily shed was extended. 9/1/80,

 

cheers

 

That water tower is not too far off the Dapol kit I have tbh 

[jbg]

If you wanted to use this to build up stock for the Kyle of Tongue project Kyle of Lochalsh seems to offer a couple of options.  

 

Either the half-a-station approach as adopted on the 2mm version by BCNPete documented on here, or a model of Kyle shed in its final years when in some dis-repair and when the turntable road was out of use.  There was a layout plan for the latter either in MRJ or one of the Wild Swan layout design books for the steam era version with turntable fitting onto a single door sized baseboard but the turntable wouldn't necessarily need to be operable or included in a early 1970's version.  There is also a laser cut kit for a Highland shed available from Pop-Up designs....

 

Good luck with whatever option you choose!

 

Jeremy