Ideas for a small (8'x2') Modern Image layout

[MattWallace]

Hi all,

 

It looks like my circumstances might be changing in the next 6 - 12 months in a good way (we're hoping to buy our first house!) however it will probably mean that the space I currently need for Blockwall Junction will be reduced to approx 8' x 2'.

 

Given that this isn't a huge amount of space in OO and I don't want to move to N (it's too fiddly for me!) I'm hoping I can get some inspiration from the members on here to help me build a layout that meets the following criteria:

 

• Modern Image (as "up to date" as possible - 66's, 70's, GBRf 20's etc)
• *Not* a TMD
• DCC (so more than one loco can be running at a time)

I realise that by removing the TMD aspect I'm making it a lot harder for myself, however I want to run more than "just" locos, i.e. I want to run some services as well.

 

I've come up with the following design as a first draft.

 

 

It has a Three-lane "scenic" area with a 4-road storage behind a backscene and a "headshunt" in the FY to get the services from the from to the FY storage area.  I may put in a traverser, but a Helix is out of the question...

 

If anyone has any ideas on how to make better use of this space (and no, I can't extend it - this is an agreed space and a challenge to be met!) then that would be most welcome!

 

Thanks,

 

Matt

 

P.S. In case it makes a difference, the layout will be controlled via JMRI and MERG cbus so complex routes are not an issue (infact they probably add to the fun!)

[Deev]

Hi Matt,

 

How about a coal loading facility like the one at Avonmouth or Portbury?  There's lots of modellable potential there (e.g. conveyors, loading hardware, crew facilities, etc.) with DBS and until a couple of years ago, Fastline, running coal services.

 

Dave

[Pete 75C]

What about a rail-served industry like a cement works or even a basic wagon repair yard? A single siding at the right hand end of the plan (in front of the hidden area) could be served by using the bottom road on your plan as a headshunt.

[MattWallace]

Heh, Why do I get a feeling I'm heading back to modelling a fuel terminus 12 months after I decided not to?

 

Based on the above, I've gone back to part of my original design and made it more manageable:

 

 

I've put in a "passenger" line that can take 1 or 2 car DMUs such as you see around the south-wales area at the back of the layout - this will probably end up on an automated shuttle type configuration  with 2 DMUs traversing between the platforms and the sidings (I guess if I got really clever about the programming I could run 3 at the same time, with two in the station and the third traversing or waiting in the tunnel etc - either way, it's a good introduction for me to the JMRI route programming stuff!)

 

[edit]

The passenger line also has a slight incline in it up towards the "town" to make the scenics more interesting

[/edit]]

 

The industrial area probably gives me enough variation to keep operation interesting and the traverser means that I can have a number of services made up and ready to proceed on to the layout.

 

I've realised that the main problem for me with a FY to the rear of the layout is that I can't actually get behind the layout, so if something falls over, I'd need to take down the entire layout to reach them!

 

I'd welcome any opinions on this!

[Deev]

Hi Matt,

 

There's a lot going on there - do you have room for scenics?

 

Dave

[MattWallace]

Hi Dave,

 

Heres the same plan but in (a very rough attempt at!) 3D:

 

 

The white wall at the back will be a cliff-face style backing to the industrial area with the track that is on top disappearing into a tunnel as it decends down from the town.

 

The large ledge to the right of the image will have a tunnel portal for the track to disappear from the industrial area into the traverser underneath and the whole of the top section will be modelled as a small town (with a pub, bookshop and solicitors office!) with a dual-platform terminus at the end of a branch line.

 

There will be an industrial building to the left covering the rear two tracks and the front of the layout will be a few sidings etc. with the portakabins and other things that I already have from the current Blockwall.

 

I hope that makes it a bit clearer!

[Flying Pig]

I'd leave out the points on the upper passenger line and perhaps substitute a cassette on the right hand board to allow some variety. That would reduce the amount of track that you'd need to hide at the ends to the length of your longest unit plus a bit.

 

I also think there are too many short sidings for a modern installation but I'm not sure how you'd deal with this in the space you have, assuming it bothers you. A bitsa approach might work if you could find a suitable prototype.

[Poindexter]

Hi Matt

Have you seen Anderstaff Yard? It bit bigger than what you have laid out but a similar 2 level approach

 

Here's a vid I did a few years ago

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdCDdOX5ieA

 

Guy

[MattWallace]

I'd leave out the points on the upper passenger line and perhaps substitute a cassette on the right hand board to allow some variety. That would reduce the amount of track that you'd need to hide at the ends to the length of your longest unit plus a bit.

 

I also think there are too many short sidings for a modern installation but I'm not sure how you'd deal with this in the space you have, assuming it bothers you. A bitsa approach might work if you could find a suitable prototype.

 

Thanks for the input.  Unfortunately I don't have space to add a cassette, hence the idea for a traverser - any room that is required for a cassette would need to be taken off the end of the layout...

 

When you say "leave out the points" did you mean station or tunnel side?

 

Matt

 

Hi Matt

Have you seen Anderstaff Yard? It bit bigger than what you have laid out but a similar 2 level approach

 

Here's a vid I did a few years ago

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdCDdOX5ieA

 

Guy

 

Thanks, I'll take a look tomorrow.

[MattWallace]

I've had a play with Sketchup tonight and the export feature of Anyrail to create the following which I hope will show in more detail what I'm considering at the moment:

 

 

Thoughts and comments welcome as usual...

[ginger j]

Interesting idea of having the station over the traverser but how will you disguise the "hidden sidings" above the industrial buildings? One way I thought of would be to have a screen of trees hiding the trains waiting to come on but is there enough space? Or will it be a continuation of the cliff face?

[Flying Pig]

I meant both ends and put a cassette where you've marked the station as I misunderstood and thought this would be hidden sidings. I'd still leave out the all points and put a cassette where you have the hidden sidings as this will give you a bit more open running line and the station could be a single platform with minimal facilities. This would be quite adequate for a shuttle and the cassette would allow a change of trains every so often. I think you might make a more convincing scene by hiding the cassette behind the industrial buildings than trying to build a realistic hillside in the space you have.

 

Poindexter's suggestion is a good one: Anderstaff Yard appears to be using the "Piano Line" pattern where the entrance is part way along the runround. Roughed out for a 66 + 2 bogies in your space you get something like:

 

[Wherry Lines]

In that space, you may not be able to get a full yard or similar in.  Google an EM gauge layout called Duncrievie Sidings, which depicts one end of some reception sidings for a mine. The fiddle yard entry/exit is disguised by a road bridge, and only the loco and a few wagons appear, suggesting a much longer train. The layout is about 9' by 18' including fiddle yard. 

[MattWallace]

Interesting idea of having the station over the traverser but how will you disguise the "hidden sidings" above the industrial buildings? One way I thought of would be to have a screen of trees hiding the trains waiting to come on but is there enough space? Or will it be a continuation of the cliff face?

 

Hi,

 

If you look at the 3d diagram of the layout, you'll see that the track disappears into a tunnel above the industrial buildings.

 

The track from the station to the tunnel is on an incline, so it should look like it's disappearing to a lower level through a tunnel which I gues means the answer to your question is "it's a continuation of the cliff-face"

 

This approach also gives me two roads to link onto a larger layout if I ever get more space (a shed in the garden etc....)

[MattWallace]

I meant both ends and put a cassette where you've marked the station as I misunderstood and thought this would be hidden sidings. I'd still leave out the all points and put a cassette where you have the hidden sidings as this will give you a bit more open running line and the station could be a single platform with minimal facilities. This would be quite adequate for a shuttle and the cassette would allow a change of trains every so often. I think you might make a more convincing scene by hiding the cassette behind the industrial buildings than trying to build a realistic hillside in the space you have.

 

Poindexter's suggestion is a good one: Anderstaff Yard appears to be using the "Piano Line" pattern where the entrance is part way along the runround. Roughed out for a 66 + 2 bogies in your space you get something like:

 

MattWallace.gif

 

Thanks for that,

 

The reason why I thought about using a traverser is that I don't have any access at all to the rear of the layout so reaching back to change cassettes isn't possible.

 

I also wanted at least two tracks at either end of the passenger line so that I could run a couple of different DMUs (I'm a big fan of variation!) - probably one single-car and a double-car, certainly nothing larger as it won't fit on the platforms!

 

One thing that is one your plan and not on mine is some form of run-around loop.

 

Its on of the main things that I'm unhappy with on my current layout as the headshunts mean I can only get two or three wagons into each siding - maybe I'll revisit that when I take another look at the track plan.

 

Thanks for the input,

 

Matt

[ginger j]

Hi,

 

If you look at the 3d diagram of the layout, you'll see that the track disappears into a tunnel above the industrial buildings.

 

The track from the station to the tunnel is on an incline, so it should look like it's disappearing to a lower level through a tunnel which I gues means the answer to your question is "it's a continuation of the cliff-face"

 

This approach also gives me two roads to link onto a larger layout if I ever get more space (a shed in the garden etc....)

Oh right thanks for the clarification

[MattWallace]

So the loft at the new place is big rnough o0t have a sizable layout, I'm asking that this thread be locked and anyone that is interested can checkout the progress on my new layout by following the link in my signature.

 

Thanks for the interest,

 

Matt