RMweb Premium njee20 Posted August 15, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 15, 2015 Having spent many an hour on here admiring layouts like Horseley Fields, Banbury, Smithdown Road Junction and so I thought I ought to put my head about the virtual parapet and post my own layout. Indeed the main reason I've not done so to date is that I've not had a layout to post, having been making the garage a more habitable place to stick a layout since we moved in 2 years ago! Whilst I aspire to the stunning quality of the aforementioned layouts I'm under no illusions that my own mediocre skill level and distinct lack of time means this will fall vastly short of that sort of benchmark. Now your expectations are suitably low I can talk about the layout... The layout's called Castlethorpe - named after the village just north of Milton Keynes, chosen by looking at a map and looking at nice place names. The layout is WCML based, but with some artistic licence - I've got a FGW HST, some of the freights are 'wrong', I don't think East Midlands 156s get that far south etc etc! It's 12'x3'ish, narrower at one end to avoid SWMBO's 'potting bench'. It's a 4 track main line, it will have half a station on one end, with platforms disappearing under a townscape (somewhat larger than it's eponymous settlement!), there's a MPD still to build at the opposite end, plus sidings and what not. It embodies the 'too much track, not enough space' philosophy which is quite difficult in n gauge, but I like running stuff, and filling it with track means less scenery to either never get around to, or to mess up. No one aside from immediate family and friends are ever likely to see it anyway. Well, aside from the whole internet now. I've been accruing stock for some while, so it's nice to have somewhere to put it now! The wife is pleased that's no longer than mantle piece! I did have a small layout previously, but it was far too much hassle to keep setting it up and getting stock out, so I rarely bothered. So, in another 'don't do this' top tip I've also gone for a reasonably sized layout as my first real foray into it. Can't be that hard surely... Snapped a couple of phone pics when I remembered whilst building, and as is (my apologies for the hideous state of my working area, I'm not exceptionally neat...). Baseboard frame number 1 (examples of other/primary hobby seen in the background!): Layout by njee20, on Flickr Board number 1 in situ - until the planning department objected, it had to be 'trimmed' and lowered to match the bench. That'll teach me! There are two of these. Layout by njee20, on Flickr As is (station will be in the foreground, track layout inspired by Stafford, so there's two through lines, outer two lines have platform faces, two bay platforms off to the left, plus two others to the right, those will loop around in a 'dog bone' at the far end of the layout. Layout by njee20, on Flickr Looking along the layout, MPD to go roughly where the weights are at t'other end. Layout by njee20, on Flickr Track is all code 55, with a couple of code 80 points in the fiddle yard. Control is DCC, from an aging ZTC 511, bequeathed by my Dad some years ago when he got annoyed with it! Point control will be using servos and MegaPoints controllers. There will be OHLE (probably with EZ-line wires unless it looks really rubbish), and signals, the latter being automated somehow, either with Heathcote type modules or an Arduino. The latter appeals, but my patience may not extend far enough! Current stock is a mix of what you'd expect - lots of 66s, an 8-car Pretendolino, 2 Voyagers, LM 350, 153, 170. Just looking forward to my RevolutioN Pendolino! Progress will likely be slow, but I'll try and post updates should anyone be interested. Longest post ever, sorry. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bri.s Posted August 15, 2015 Share Posted August 15, 2015 You've made a great start and the layout looks like one to watch and has great play potential Will be following and look forward to your progress Brian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
branchie Posted August 15, 2015 Share Posted August 15, 2015 Looks like an impressive start. Good luck with what's planned. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold jcarta Posted August 15, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 15, 2015 Great start on the layout, like others I will also watching and hopefully getting regular updates on the layout... Living a couple of miles from Castlethorpe will make it all the more interesting... Good luck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LooseHead Posted August 15, 2015 Share Posted August 15, 2015 Good choice of location - it was one of my cycle-to spotting favourites in pre-electrification days. Will follow your progress with nostalgic interest! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanks522 Posted August 15, 2015 Share Posted August 15, 2015 A great layout in the making! looking forward to more of this. Graham. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted August 15, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 15, 2015 Hi, That's a great start - thanks for posting and looking forward to reading more. Cheers Ben A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjkerr Posted August 16, 2015 Share Posted August 16, 2015 MegaPoints controllers Never heard of this before, nice find This would certainly simplify my panel, compared to the separate CDU, wiring and points indicator Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium njee20 Posted August 16, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted August 16, 2015 Thanks for the kind words everyone! Pace is likely to be glacial, but I'm enjoying it certainly. Finding it much easier to get motivated to do stuff on the larger layout as I'm much more interested in the final outcome than I was with a smaller layout. Yes - saw the MegaPoints controllers at Warley last year, and was impressed. My fiddling suggests that you can use splitter cables on the servos too, which makes it a significantly cheaper solution than it first appears - It can throw 4 servos off one output, for cross overs or scissor crossings and what not. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeHemmings Posted August 16, 2015 Share Posted August 16, 2015 Just found your thred very interesting will follow, castlethorpe not far from me. Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjkerr Posted August 16, 2015 Share Posted August 16, 2015 saw the MegaPoints controllers at Warley last year, and was impressed. My fiddling suggests that you can use splitter cables on the servos too, which makes it a significantly cheaper solution than it first appears - It can throw 4 servos off one output, for cross overs or scissor crossings and what not. I have two of the old Roger Murray "Modular" switch panels, which can set up to 12 routes However, the routes are hard wird and only supposed to power up to four point motors Sadly this isn't practical for a fiddle yard, but I added a second CDU and was able to operate up to eight point motors The main advantage I can see from the MegaPoints is the routes can be programmed Sadly looking at the manual I can't see how the LED are wired in... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium njee20 Posted August 18, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted August 18, 2015 I've not got that far yet I must say, I was just going to use toggle switches to show route setting, rather than worry about LEDs. Like so many of these companies it's a one man band, sure he'd respond if you drop him an email. There are various supplementary boards to add extra features such as the route setting I know. I'd be more interested in occupancy detection for fiddle yards, as I can envisage trains piling into each one when I can't see the difference between road 6 and 7! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike at C&M Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 With my British interest being the WCML, and my preference being to watch lots of trains go past, your layout hits all the right spots for me. All power to your elbow for your efforts ahead. I will watch with great interest. Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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