RMweb Premium St Enodoc Posted May 14, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 14, 2020 5 hours ago, bigwordsmith said: OK I've been up in the loft again and doing some rethinking. Following Gilbert's very sensible advice about One Man Operation I've re-thought the South end - it's probably a better idea to create a fiddle yard and keep the opes simple. So this morning I resurrected the track bed from the old viaduct and cleared as much of the corrugated base off it, together with ballast and general carp so as to put it into service with the new line. This followed deep and detailed thought ( no Whisky wasn't involved) last night about how together maximum trains onto minimum line, and the conclusion that in 15" I should be able to squeeze seven tracks, if only I could work out how... SO the plan that hatched was to create a five-road fiddle yard, and cantilever a pair of running lines over the gap I need between the engine shed board and the fiddle yard board, so that the shed can still lift without fouling the fiddle yard. This is what the design looks like It isn't to scale, but you get the idea! probably easier to see in this pic using stuff salvaged from the old viaduct... The track bed is actually about 1.25" above that of the fiddle yard, which will be covered ( don't wince Gilbert) by a removable townscape based on sheets of polystyrene resting on battens on the timber behind the arches and onto the main wall. OK now we turn to the track plan.... So this gets a five road fiddle yard, each of which can hold a 9 coach train plus loco, or two locals/ DMUs. You'll also notice it is reversible- I know that's a recipe for trouble, but if I went for one way traffic I'd have to have a pair of double crossovers rather than double slips ( which I do hate in fairness) to let the up and down lines get full access Which then got me thinking about this.... Its actually a lot simpler and will orbablygieme more flexibility... Peter, I'd be inclined to put the cassette at the other end so that you're nor reaching across the shed itself to get at it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium great northern Posted May 15, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 15, 2020 Recommendation seconded Peter. The cassette spur needs to be right at the front of the baseboard. Lifting cassettes over several tracks, especially if getting to the limits of reach, is potential for disaster. Also, make the distance from your cassette storage box/shelves as short as you can, and limit the need to swing them around or otherwise manoeuvre them. I think I mentioned that I'm now using three foot cassettes as standard, as they are much easier to use than four foot ones. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwordsmith Posted May 15, 2020 Author Share Posted May 15, 2020 Fair point on that Gilbert & St. Enodoc - I may indeed do that, but I'd deliberately allowed a cut out in the baseboard to accommodate it at that end! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwordsmith Posted May 15, 2020 Author Share Posted May 15, 2020 Or I could do this. At least If I create an exchange siding it would have a reason for some odd shunting activities on the main line, and when I'm doing stock changes, no-one else will be looking! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Stubby47 Posted May 15, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 15, 2020 (edited) Would it be possible to run the line to the Cassette onto the lifting bridge (so the Cassette is on the bridge), unless that is sceniced - if so then hide behind a false backscene ? This should allow easier access (from both sides if necessary). Edited May 15, 2020 by Stubby47 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwordsmith Posted May 15, 2020 Author Share Posted May 15, 2020 1 minute ago, Stubby47 said: Would it be possible to run the line to the Cassette onto the lifting bridge (unless that is sceniced - if so then hide behind a false backscene) ? This should allow easier access (from both sides if necessary). Nice idea Stu, and if I had another foot I'd go for it. Sadly I'd only get a 2' cassette. Mind you I could just put a siding on there and manually add/ subtract stock, although If I was going to do that I'd probably just choose a nice straight piece of track and build the train up that way! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Stubby47 Posted May 15, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 15, 2020 More like this: 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwordsmith Posted May 15, 2020 Author Share Posted May 15, 2020 16 minutes ago, Stubby47 said: More like this: I Like that - well impressed with your graphics! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Stubby47 Posted May 15, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 15, 2020 34 minutes ago, bigwordsmith said: I Like that - well impressed with your graphics! Your room is now a little longer though... hope you can really do that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwordsmith Posted May 15, 2020 Author Share Posted May 15, 2020 I had thought that - so this should suffice.... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Stubby47 Posted May 15, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 15, 2020 Just as long as you can reach the far end of the cassette across the widest part of the corner. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwordsmith Posted October 21, 2020 Author Share Posted October 21, 2020 Well - what a traumatic few weeks! A couple of weeks later having both my cataracts replaced with decent lenses, I had to go into hospital for a three day series of steroid infusions for y ongoing pulmonary problems. They pumped me with a mega dose - 3000mg or roughly 36x the dose they give to stop Covid! Unfortunately on the third night I went to the loo and totally lost my balance - major fall which included bouncing off the loo from my back, ripping skin and generally screwing myself over. It's taken two weeks and three visits to the chiro for the pain to recede and my back to unlock, which has given me a lot of time to think about life, the universe and everything. I've realised that however much I may enjoy having a massive collection of stock, the reality is I can't hope to build a railway big enough to do it justice, so I need to return to the drawing board. Watching a series of videos I was inspired by the simplicity of Little Bytham, and have long been a fan of Peterborough North, both of which seem to benefit from a very large fiddle yard and lots of long trains running, so I wondered about going back to basics with this one and doing something broadly similar. This plan - as you can see - divides the room into a scenic half and a behind the scenes section which is pretty much a blooming great fiddle yard with two sets of little end-sidings for DMUs and local stoppers. The idea is the the engine shed is the main focus of the scenic bit with a double track main line running along behind it on a viaduct similar, perhaps with a canal scene as well, and a townscape behind that. I've shown the fiddle yard with 10 roads - 5 each way, but suspect that once I have boards built and lay out the point work, I'll be able to get a few more in. Any thoughts folks? 5 1 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted October 21, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 21, 2020 Bloody hell Smiffy, WTF you doin'? Fancy them not giving you 'special pants' so as to avoid the Bog roll event. Now then, that looks better and a good and traditional rondy thingy. Looks a bit like P North but with a bloody great shed, or Little Bumtown with a bloody great shed instead of a station. XLNT decision, but not the events that led to the rethink. Thank some Deity that you are OK FFS. Only comment I'd make, as I have failed to do it on SOSJ so it is easy in one direction; cassette for the 'other circuit' (black lines), maybe at the right hand end of the 'Shorties', parallel to the wall or at an angle for a bit more length? That means you can load up onto that top FY road up to 8 coaches by the look of that loop length or even more as it is off stage. KISS mate, then you can get to play. Make the bloody whole show truly accessible (bit lower than usual?) Analogue or just two wires? Also, remeber that it is just a train set and you need to enjoy it. Don't do a Mallard and take so long you almost can't get into the room to play with it. I look forward to admiring WE Mark 3 (is it Mk 3?) All the very best and keep safe, His Arseness the idiot Duck. P 3 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwordsmith Posted October 21, 2020 Author Share Posted October 21, 2020 So good to hear from you Phil and even better to know your fighting spirit is undimmed. I recently was offered the opportunity to try out an inflatable crash vest for riding the motorcycle - a bit like a chest-wrap airbag. It would have been damned useful that night, although in fairness I tend to sleep au naturel, so probably wouldn't have been wearing it. You know life's getting on when you think about preventative measures for your sleep! I decided that one thing I enjoy about railways is watching long trains plodding or thundering by as appropriate, and heaven knows I have a huge amount of stock. I've just disposed of one of my 4 A2s on Ebay, and when I was looking for it to give to our wonderful lady from Hermes, I found all manner of things I didn't even know I had bought, including 5 Mk 1 Pulllmans, which didn't have boxes, so heaven knows where they came from! I have always found roundy rounds limiting as I used o believe in the need to go from somewhere to somewhere else, but given the wealth of operations I can do in the loco shed, I suspect having trains as a backdrop will be perfect -a after all in reality most of us enjoy seeing them whoosh through The fiddle yard does allow room for some operations - I'll have to move the engines on the locals from front to rear, maybe I could run the train into a cassette, spin it around then run it back into the siding ready for the next trip - after all if it's off scene, the hand of God can do what ever it likes! Good idea about at the second cassette - I did originally have it on the right hand end and could do a run so it sits besidde the lifting bridge when in use and moves out when it lifts - as per this revision... The great thing is that the bulk of the work on the scenic side has been done with the shed, the rest is titivation and a large twin track viaduct. Hopefully It will re-invigorate my interest, thought I can only use one see of the loft until our daughter gets herself a new house! IN the meantime Keep your wings up. It sounds like you've been having a pretty torrid time of it yourself... 6 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwordsmith Posted October 21, 2020 Author Share Posted October 21, 2020 A promos getting old - whenever I feel down, I just play this wonderful anthem on Youtube... 2 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted October 21, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 21, 2020 1 hour ago, bigwordsmith said: So good to hear from you Phil and even better to know your fighting spirit is undimmed. I recently was offered the opportunity to try out an inflatable crash vest for riding the motorcycle - a bit like a chest-wrap airbag. It would have been damned useful that night, although in fairness I tend to sleep au naturel, so probably wouldn't have been wearing it. You know life's getting on when you think about preventative measures for your sleep! I decided that one thing I enjoy about railways is watching long trains plodding or thundering by as appropriate, and heaven knows I have a huge amount of stock. I've just disposed of one of my 4 A2s on Ebay, and when I was looking for it to give to our wonderful lady from Hermes, I found all manner of things I didn't even know I had bought, including 5 Mk 1 Pulllmans, which didn't have boxes, so heaven knows where they came from! I have always found roundy rounds limiting as I used o believe in the need to go from somewhere to somewhere else, but given the wealth of operations I can do in the loco shed, I suspect having trains as a backdrop will be perfect -a after all in reality most of us enjoy seeing them whoosh through The fiddle yard does allow room for some operations - I'll have to move the engines on the locals from front to rear, maybe I could run the train into a cassette, spin it around then run it back into the siding ready for the next trip - after all if it's off scene, the hand of God can do what ever it likes! Good idea about at the second cassette - I did originally have it on the right hand end and could do a run so it sits besidde the lifting bridge when in use and moves out when it lifts - as per this revision... The great thing is that the bulk of the work on the scenic side has been done with the shed, the rest is titivation and a large twin track viaduct. Hopefully It will re-invigorate my interest, thought I can only use one see of the loft until our daughter gets herself a new house! IN the meantime Keep your wings up. It sounds like you've been having a pretty torrid time of it yourself... Not torrid but horrid....just knackered all the time and sometimes really, really knackered! Great place for the second Cassette IMO. I already have an inflated bag for protection. It is called the CV19 weight gain device; my enlarged girth! Good luck buddy. P 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwordsmith Posted October 21, 2020 Author Share Posted October 21, 2020 4 hours ago, Mallard60022 said: Not torrid but horrid....just knackered all the time and sometimes really, really knackered! Great place for the second Cassette IMO. I already have an inflated bag for protection. It is called the CV19 weight gain device; my enlarged girth! Good luck buddy. P I too have one of those - I call it the fat bag! In fairness I didn’t break any bones, which after 30 years on steroids says I’m either very lucky or very dense! 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwordsmith Posted October 21, 2020 Author Share Posted October 21, 2020 4 hours ago, Mallard60022 said: Not torrid but horrid....just knackered all the time and sometimes really, really knackered! Great place for the second Cassette IMO. I already have an inflated bag for protection. It is called the CV19 weight gain device; my enlarged girth! Good luck buddy. P I’m sure they’ve looked at at, but how’s your ticker? Being perpetually cream crackered can be a sign of impaired blood flow... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwordsmith Posted October 22, 2020 Author Share Posted October 22, 2020 So as work is a spot on the quiet side at the moment I thought I should revisit my stock list in the light of the revised ideas flowing through for railway ops. I've decided I can get two 3 foot baseboards along the long walls, which will allow me a 3'6 walkway between them, which is plenty. THis in turn should mean I could get 18 roads into the fiddle yard. 18 roads = 18 made up trains, plus the six 'shorties' which should be enough to keep anyone happy, so then I thought about which stock I would need to run appropriate rakes. The first shock was discovering that I've got half a dozenMk1 Bachmann Pullmans, which I've no recollection of buying. They're not even on my stock list! they go with the My stock list says I have 58 Mk 1's, all in maroon and mix of Hornby, Bachman, Railroad, and even a handful of ex Tetley's Mills coaches. Definitely room for some thinning out. ON top of that I have 20 x 57' Mk 1 suburbans, a mix of Thompson, BR from Bachman and Hornby, and no fewer than 39 Bachman Thompsons in a mix of cream and maroon and plain maroon. Just in case I run out of coaching stock I apparently also own 20 Ian Kirk Gresleys in teak or maroon, and unearthed 40 odd 57' Gresleys in maroon and maroon and cream I remember I went through a phase of buy-in Hornby boxed sets, which is probably why I now have 11 ECML pullmans, with much duplication, although where the Devon Belle observation car comes in heaven only knows! I'e note even started on the three large boxes of goods stock, although I do seem to remember around 15 bogie wagons, and probably enough vans to do the Scotch goods three times a day! So the next task is to work out what trains I want to run, retain the relevant stock and dispose of the rest! 1 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwordsmith Posted October 22, 2020 Author Share Posted October 22, 2020 So a bit of sorting out and planning and I came up with this list of train types and appropriate stock - any ECML experts out there, please feel free to comment on whether or not this is broadly correct. I do have a lot of 'foreign ' locos in stock so some of those may well creep onto the odd train. I've even programmed in a couple of footers to use them! However, even running full length trains, as you can see I only use up around half of the vehicles I have in stock, not to mention a fraction of the loco stable I feel some fleabaying coming on... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Stubby47 Posted October 22, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 22, 2020 Would you not need the same amount of trains going both up and down ? So, for example, 2 x fish train of 30 wagons ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwordsmith Posted October 22, 2020 Author Share Posted October 22, 2020 Hi Stu A very fair point and in the interests of accuracy you are probably right. However., I 've sort of realised that this is going to be more of a 'spirit of...' line than total accuracy, especially as there won't be any stations! - BTW don't I still owe you some £££ for the bits you bought for my last proposed but of stonemasonry? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted October 22, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 22, 2020 19 hours ago, bigwordsmith said: I’m sure they’ve looked at at, but how’s your ticker? Being perpetually cream crackered can be a sign of impaired blood flow... Yup...I was due to go for varous Cardio tests just before lockdown............I'm still waiting of course. P 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwordsmith Posted October 22, 2020 Author Share Posted October 22, 2020 1 minute ago, Mallard60022 said: Yup...I was due to go for varous Cardio tests just before lockdown............I'm still waiting of course. P Ouch - it's a bummer - are you folks going into T2/3? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Stubby47 Posted October 22, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 22, 2020 2 hours ago, bigwordsmith said: BTW don't I still owe you some £££ for the bits you bought for my last proposed but of stonemasonry? Nah, I've used the wall on the 009 layout. Spirit of East Coast - Speoc ? 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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