Hinksey Yard (c.2010)

[ZiderHead]

Earlier in the thread someone asked for details of operation in the yard, Ive seen the same kind of movements a few times now and I'm told something similar happens most afternoons so if you could post a bigger version of the control panel so I can read the road numbers I'll walk you through them ... or it could just be a shunting puzzle

 

Eastleigh to Bescot ballast arrives from S and parks up, loco detaches and runs around back to the middle yard where it shunts a few wagons around, then takes some of the wagons back and attaches to the front of the ballast train. Meanwhile the Morris Cowley to Southampton cars gets a path across the mainlines from the Cowley sidings into the yard, loco runs around so it can head S after crossing the mainlines again and both trains end up cab to cab adjacent to the shunter's hut where both drivers jump out for a brew

[Dave Searle]

Hi,

 

Many thanks for this - I'll try & get a better shot of the control panel tonight so you can identify the roads. Bear in mind we've cut down the North end and lost a siding from the South set due to not having the 70 feet we needed for an accurate scale model.

 

Regards,

Dave

[big jim]

Only just found this tread, very impressive so far, well done

 

As brian daniels said futher up the yard can be busy depending on what particular flows are happening at the time, last week for example my week on the bescot to westbury ballast went like this (i get relief in hinksey)

 

Day 1: light engine bescot to hinksey and into the yard to collect 10 side tippers for westbury

 

Day 2: rail delivery train from bescot to westbury but not collecting anything in hinksey (so i went past and got relief in radley)

 

Day 3: 20 side tippers from bescot to hinksey, shunted in, light engine to westbury

 

Not on it this week but passing by with the coal later on!

 

Will watch this thread with interest

[ZiderHead]

Hi Dave

 

No problem, pretty sure I can remember the moves (and Big Jim can correct me if required). The Cowley cars loco runs around at the N end of the yard which you dont have so I'll adjust that, otherwise it should be about right.

 

ZH

[Dave Searle]

Hi,

 

Here's the control panel image. The south roads are labelled S1-S7 (missing S3). the reception roads are labelled R1 & R2. The other through roads are labelled T1-T6. I think these are the names are used. S7 is used for storing crippled wagons.

 

 

Cheers,

Dave

[ZiderHead]

Excellent, I'll have a crack at it after work this evening

[Guest bri.s]

Wow that's a really nice big yard wish I had that kind of space can't wait to see the engines shunting and marshalling their trains .I don't know anything about the yard what kind of traffic does it receive plenty of verity I hope

Watching with interest

 

 

Brian

[Turbo_Tim]

Really impressive layout coming together there. As the subject was on operations, thought I'd throw my tuppence in about down passenger services. You're probably aware already but I thought I'd mention it anyway.

 

All down passenger trains are checked down as they pass the yard on their way towards Oxford. The most common occurrence is a double yellow at Hinksey South, single yellow at Hinksey North. This is to bring trains down for the 25mph into the Down Passenger Loop at Oxford Station.

 

The less common alternative is where trains are crossed over at Hinksey North to the Down Up Passenger Loop to access the Up Passenger Loop. In that case the double yellow is before Kennington Junction, single yellow at Hinksey South. This seems to happen either late at night at the end of service (where it makes access easier to the Up Carriage Sidings) or when trains are running late (it saves time shunting between the down and the up platforms if the train is heading back towards London).

 

Hope that is of some use.

 

Regards,

 

Tim

[ZiderHead]

OK here goes …

 

Last time I was there T4 and T5 had rakes of autoballasters, T3, S1, S2 rakes of opens (MFA/MHA/MTA?), and possibly some more wagons in S7.

 

Eastleigh ballast (opens) arrives down via Down Main, R1, R2, stops to pick up the yardman before 11 and parks up in T1. Loco uncouples, moves forward beyond 18 (which yardman hops out to switch), reverses back via 21, T6, 13, ?, ?, 14, 15, S2 and proceeds to sort the wagons between S2 and S1. Quite a bit of shuffling around here, he must have passed over 14 7 times reordering those opens. 

 

While the ballast loco is sorting the wagons in S1 and S2 above, there is a gap in the timetabled mainline services and the Morris Cowley car train arrives down the Up Main (that should raise a few comments from the punters at a show ), crosses the Down Main via 25, 24 and into R1. He heads up to the N yard to run around, but you don't have that option so park in R1, detach loco and run around via 3, R2, 11, 24, R1, then back up so the loco is roughly in line with the yardman's cabin.

 

After the ballast loco has finished sorting wagons in S1, S2 he heads back with the whole rake in S1 via the same path to beyond 18, then reverses back and couples to the rake of opens he brought from Eastleigh. You don't have the N part of the yard to work with here that he did so you could either use that path with a short enough rake from S1 to fit the headhunt beyond 18, or move forward into T6 and reverse back over 13, ?, ?, 15, 10, 11, 24, pull forward into R2 beyond 4 then reverse onto the rake in T1.

 

Now you need to get the ballast train into R2 ready to head off to Bescot. I have no idea why but our intrepid ballast driver pulled forward beyond 18 then reversed all the way round via T6 to beyond 11 before pulling forward into R2. Again you don't have that option so just reverse back over 10, 11, 24 until you clear 11, then pull forward into R2 level with the car loco and the cabin.

 

Phew! Time for a well deserved brew in the yardman's cabin

 

The ballast has to leave first because its fouling 24, followed by the cars which will also need a path across the Down Main onto the Up Main.

Edited November 12, 2013 by ZiderHead

[Dave Searle]

Phew indeed!  Very useful - a couple of questions to clarify:

 

1. Was the Eastleigh ballast train also MHA/MFA/MTA opens and were they loaded?

 

2. Were the wagons from S1 and S2 loaded?

 

Many thanks for all those details,

 

Cheers,

Dave

[Dave Searle]

The less common alternative is where trains are crossed over at Hinksey North to the Down Up Passenger Loop to access the Up Passenger Loop. In that case the double yellow is before Kennington Junction, single yellow at Hinksey South.

 

Hi TIm,

 

Many thanks for the information.  I've seen a train waiting for an up train to pass before crossing over to the passenger loop.

 

Unfortunately that loop (and the south goods loops and Kennington Junction) are all off-scene, so will take some explaining!  We will need to create some suitable diagrams at each end.

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

[Dave Searle]

I don't know anything about the yard what kind of traffic does it receive plenty of verity I hope

 

Hi Brian,

 

The traffic is mainly ballast and related things (sleeper & rail wagons).  Ballast trains are prepared ready for engineering works and then the spoil is returned afterwards. These are sorted and forwarded on for disposal.

 

There is also a car train from Cowley that reverses in the yard so that it can head south.

 

This post http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/33691-hinksey-yard-stock-in-2010/&do=findComment&comment=357357 by Glorious NSE gives a lot more detail.

 

Regards,

Dave

[ZiderHead]

Hi Dave

 

The incoming Eastleigh ballast was mixed opens (not sure of the exact composition, just a few were fitted with instanters, the rest screw link if that helps at all). I'm almost certain that they were loaded with spoil and old ballast. Not sure about the mixed opens in S1 and S2, I think they were all empties.

 

The opens sitting in T3 were empty, autoballasters in T4, T5 were loaded.

 

I saw similar operations the few times I happened to pass this way over the summer on weekday afternoons, fascinating to watch if you like that kind of thing ... and I do!

 

Jon

 

 

(Edited as strong coffee has jogged my memory)

Edited November 13, 2013 by ZiderHead

[Dave Searle]

Hi,

 

Some more activity over the last couple of weeks.

 

Bill has added the covers to go over the exits from the front scenic area:

 

and last night, work has started on the ground cover under the trees at the north end:

 

We are looking forward to a talk on tree making from Jacqui Perrat of Ceynix Miniature Trees next week where we hope to pick up some useful tips for the several hundred trees we need to make.

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

 

 

[jonas]

This is looking superb. Looking forward to seeing the trees made and really setting the scene!

[Grafarman]

Hi,

 

Some more activity over the last couple of weeks.

 

Bill has added the covers to go over the exits from the front scenic area:

Right-end-cover.jpg

Left-end-cover.jpg

 

and last night, work has started on the ground cover under the trees at the north end:

Ground-cover-1.jpg

 

We are looking forward to a talk on tree making from Jacqui Perrat of Ceynix Miniature Trees next week where we hope to pick up some useful tips for the several hundred trees we need to make.

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

 

If you find you've made too many can you let me have a few for Prestatyn?!

 

Looking really good

 

David

[Oldddudders]

 

We are looking forward to a talk on tree making from Jacqui Perrat of Ceynix Miniature Trees next week where we hope to pick up some useful tips for the several hundred trees we need to make.

 

 

Having had a look at her products at Railex, I can understand your interest.

[Dave Searle]

Andy has made a start on a  couple of trees, which we couldn't resist trying out:

I'm not sure why the tank is there, it just arrived and is moving around the layout, but together with the man in the hi-vis jacket gives a feel for the sizes. 

 

And a second tree:

 

The hole in the backscene should eventually be hidden by a lot more trees.

 

Cheers,

Dave

 

[roundhouse]

Maybe the tank fell off the Kineton to Didcot service one morning

 

The trees are looking good.

 

Ian

[Dave Searle]

Hi,

 

We've made more gentle progress over the last few weeks.

 

Andy has been busy making trees.  We started with some kit made ones to provide some bulk to the wood. They are mounted on plastic pedestals to give a variety of heights:

 

and then added Andy's hand made ones in front and beside:

 

Brian S has been working on the Electricity Pylon:

 

I've made a start on the Northern footbridge:

 

Michael has been adjusting the sky so that it's quite nice to the North over Oxford:

 

but a bit stormy down towards Didcot:

 

The rest of the team have been adding more ground-cover toward the back of the scenic area. Brian H has started work on the river banks.

 

Cheers,

Dave

 

[roundhouse]

Dave

 

The trees are looking great. I do like the idea how you raise the height of the trees.

 

Ian

Edited January 21, 2014 by roundhouse

[Revolution Ben]

Hi Dave

 

Great idea for raising the trees!  I'm sure I will copy that at some point in the future - thanks!

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

[brian daniels]

Are you going to put the annual water feature under Red Bridge?

 

This was the scene on the 9/1/2014

 

Also a picture showing the face of Red Bridge if you want to model it in the correct colour.

[Banger Blue]

Hi,

 

Michael has been adjusting the sky so that it's quite nice to the North over Oxford:

sky-01.jpg

 

but a bit stormy down towards Didcot:

sky-02.jpg

 

Cheers,

Dave

Very prototypical! Didcot always seems to have its own micro climate, the amount of times I have left home to the west of Oxford on a sunny day and as soon as I hit the Didcot slip road on the A34, it's started raining!

[Dave Searle]

Are you going to put the annual water feature under Red Bridge?

 

This was the scene on the 9/1/2014

 

Also a picture showing the face of Red Bridge if you want to model it in the correct colour.

 

Hi Brian,

 

Many thanks for those photos - the bridge one in particular will come in very useful.

 

We're aiming to model the summer - so hopefully not too much water. I'm not sure how well model trains would cope with the water feature.

 

Cheers,

 

Dave