micro layouts Tommore Bay (change to the project from page 2 onwards)

[andyram]

So what do you do when you are a show organiser, you have exhibited your first exhibition layout at four of your own events, and the second project will not be ready for the fifth show? Do you work on completing the repairs and improvements to layout number one? Or do you get your rear end into gear and work night and day to get layout number two completed?

Well if you are me you decide to start a third project! I really must be mad!

 

Let me put things into context. My original exhibition layout, Skaleby West, was built for the inaugural Weston on Trent Model Railway Show back in 2012. It then appeared at the 2013 and 2014 events with minor improvements. Last year a small scenic extension was debuted, all be it in part finished form. It would be easy to spend 2016 concentrating on getting the extension finished and undertaking the various repairs needed on the layout. But after four successive appearances I feel that the show visitors are becoming bored of the layout. I therefore feel it needs a break from Weston.

The second project, Skaleby Quay, is a complicated build and is still in the early stages. To do this layout justice I do not want to rush it and so there is no way it will be ready for the 2016 show in November.

 

And so let me introduce you to my new project which currently has a title of "Skaleby North Yard". It will use a spare 4ft x 1ft baseboard that I built for a previous club project which did not get off the ground. I have liberated it from storage in the garage this afternoon and had a play around with some track pieces. Originally I had intended for the layout to use the basic Inglenook shunting puzzle layout of a 5, 3 and 3 siding formation. However as I thought about it I decided that I wanted a little more operation within the layout. I wanted a train to be able to be brought in from a fiddle yard, then be shunted using a card system before departing with a new formation. To allow this I decided to make the 5 wagon siding part of a run round loop with the 3 and 3 sidings potentially linked to a goods shed. I did think about a storage siding for the train loco, allowing for a yard pilot to perform the shunting.

So far this is what I have come up with. I need to get another Hornby Express point for the yard. I am using these to allow smooth running and shallower bends for shunting purposes. The location of the second point is denoted by the cut out paper shape. I am still not sure whether to add a spur to the right of the two sidings for loco stabling purposes.

Edited March 7, 2021 by andyram

[Andrew P]

Looking forward to seeing this in November Andy.

[andyram]

Hopefully I will get it finished in time. That is the aim!

[emt_911]

Looking forward to seeing this develop Andy

[andyram]

Still experimenting with the track plan at present. The original layout shown in a previous picture had the two 3 wagon sidings close together and gave no room for a goods shed. I think the layout needs one to give the shunting a purpose. I had another think and played around with the track and came up the plan below. This moves the straight 3 wagon siding further in so that it is accessed from the run round loop. The diagonal siding is pulled forward. This leaves a gap behind so that road vehicles can access the goods shed. I have considered replacing the curve with a point to access  an extra siding which could act as a locomotive servicing siding. Not sure if this will make the layout look too cluttered however. All suggestions welcomed. A comparison of ideas is shown in the two pictures below.

[andyram]

After an evening of paperwork I had a bit more of a play around with the track plan. This included an experimental shunting session. I placed 5 wagons + a brake van in the loop and 3 and 3 in the two sidings. Then wrote down the identities of the wagons on slips of paper, shuffled them around and placed the shuffled pieces of paper next to the loop and the 3 sidings. I then placed another loco in the head shunt (picture 1). I then tried to rearrange the wagons as per the rearranged papers. As part of this I needed to shunt the brake van to the other end of the train and allow the second engine to run round the train in order to be ready to pull the train from the yard. This proved to be impossible.

 I then altered the track plan to include an extra siding. This was to allow the second loco to be stored out of the way. However it still proved to be impossible. I think the addition of the brake van has tipped the puzzle over the edge with too many "wagons". I am also not sure if the new arrangement (picture 2) looks a bit too cramped. The new Hornby J50 did run well, even over the "dead frog" points currently being used on the layout. The only issue came with different loco and wagon coupling heights causing some unwanted uncoupling.

 So still some thinking to do. I definitely want the puzzle to include the idea of the train arriving, being shunted, and then departing. It may be I will have to do away with the yard shunter and use just one engine at a time with the train engine doing the shunting. I will experiment with this later in the week. Maybe the extra siding could be used for the brake van - either that or I could reduce the wagon number by one to account for the brake van in the puzzle. Suggestions welcome.

[Jerry1975]

Hi Andy,

 

Looking good, I like small shunting layouts.

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Jerry.

[Andrew P]

Yes Andy, as Jerry said above, small shunting layouts are really good. It's coming on well. 

[andyram]

Thanks for the kind comments. I am still mulling over how to make the shunting puzzle workable. I am not happy with the small, additional, siding for the train loco. Therefore I think I will have to stick with the train engine arriving and then shunting the layout before departing.  I can do this by running the engine around and then shunting the brake van to the rear of the train before the shunting begins. I need to think about the number of wagons in the puzzle as I think I used too many last night.

[Andrew P]

Thanks for the kind comments. I am still mulling over how to make the shunting puzzle workable. I am not happy with the small, additional, siding for the train loco. Therefore I think I will have to stick with the train engine arriving and then shunting the layout before departing.  I can do this by running the engine around and then shunting the brake van to the rear of the train before the shunting begins. I need to think about the number of wagons in the puzzle as I think I used too many last night.

Andy, Google Inglenook Shunting Puzzle, its worth a look. 

[andyram]

Thanks Andy. I have googled it this evening. I am already familiar with the track plan for such a puzzle - but wanted to include a run round loop in my version so that a train could arrive, be shunted, and then depart in something like a prototypical way. I was interested to note that only 8 wagons were used in the classic Inglenook layout. I had started with 11 + a brake van which explains why it proved impossible.

 I have experimented with 10 + brake today which is still more than suggested. I also took away the small loco release siding. Things flowed a little better, but it was still probably too much. Of course the puzzle is not helped by the fiddle yard board being unattached. This will extend the line. At present I can only fit a loco and one wagon at the base of the puzzle. Ideally I want to have room for a loco and 2 wagons. This will mean the train will slightly leave the scenic section during shunting.

 I may try and find time later in the week to experiment with 9 wagons + brake.

[andyram]

It has been a while since I have posted an update on here. There is a very good reason for that. Due to a busy period at work my modelling time has disappeared and with it, my modelling motivation has vanished too. I think things were not helped by the fact I did not feel completely happy with how the layout looked. I simply could not picture how the track layout would fit with the scenics and present a believable scene.

Fortunately there came a small Eureka moment. Sat at the back of a pretty boring and pointless presentation at school earlier this week, my mind started to wander. A quick bout of doodling and I think I may have hit upon a solution. It wasn't even that difficult. I simply have turned the whole track plan by 180 degrees. Now the loop sits to the front and the sidings to the rear. This will allow them to better serve the industry at the rear of the layout. I have a Bachmann low relief factory to form part of the backdrop. In my plan this will sit on the raised section of wood at the rear. This will then have a service road and some form of banking down to ground level. The goods shed will sit across the middle siding. I am still not sure what the industry should be yet.

The wood at the front of the layout is representing a possible platform. I am starting to wander away from a simple shunting puzzle, to having some sort of passenger facility as well. I still feel that the arrival of a freight train. A shunting puzzle type movement and then a freight departure will form the main operation. But providing a station would allow me to intersperse it with the occasional passenger service to provide some variation. See what you all think.

[andyram]

Thinking about maybe making the factory a distillery or brewery.

[Andrew P]

So the viewer will have the Station front / Forecourt to the front of the Layout then Andy.

[andyram]

Yes. If I decide on having the station, it will be at the front.

[andyram]

Well. Andy.p has a lot to answer for. Ever since I had my Eureka moment with the track layout I have been pondering his comments about the station and forecourt being at the front of the layout. Whilst there were some advantages I started to have doubts. I only had enough room for the platform and I did wonder if it would provide too much of an obstruction. To be fair to Andy, I started to have doubts even before his comments. This new track plan did not sit well with me.

A trip to the Derby show allowed me to view a lot of small layouts (a good point for me about the show). There was plenty of inspiration, with Ashbourne Midland being a particular source of ideas. This layout packed so much into a small space whilst remaining believable. It made good use of the low relief Bachmann building that I have purchased (and will feature on Andy's Porth Merryn layout). It also made use of an island type platform.

Tonight I tore up the plan and had another go, working from the idea of an island platform with one side being for passenger and the other helping to serve the factory. The wood, used for the raised roadway in the previous plan, was moved to represent the platform. I was able to come up with following plan. The two sidings off the run round loop will form a goods facility and a loco shed. The track plan is now edging towards a compressed version of my coastal layout, Skaleby Quay. I may consider this when deciding on industry for the layout.

So is this this final track plan? Who knows!

[gismorail]

This is looking like a good project in development    when was the show 'November:2016 that's this year !!!!!!! NO PRESSURE THEN      

[andyram]

This is looking like a good project in development    when was the show 'November:2016 that's this year !!!!!!! NO PRESSURE THEN      

Erm. Yes. 12th November 2016. Am I worried?? Yes, partly, but I did get Skaleby West ready in 9 months and most of the work was done June - September so I am not beyond hope....yet!!!

[andyram]

I managed to break off from paperwork long enough to sneak into the spare room for a few minutes this evening. I still feel much happier with the track plan developed last night. I pushed the Hornby Railroad around the layout to check clearances. The run round loop is just long enough to accommodate the two coaches and still allow the locomotive to run round although it is tight. It may cause a few difficulties if the train is not stopped in exactly the correct place. However I am not sure I can extend the loop any further.

At present the plan is for the siding at the rear of the layout will serve the factory. A loco shed will be situated opposite the factory on the opposite side of the running line. The final siding will feature a goods facility, either a goods shed or some exchange for fish traffic. I am still deciding on this area.

I have measured the width of the wood that currently represents the platform. It is slightly wider than the Metcalfe platform kit that I plan to use. Here are the latest pictures.

[Andrew P]

Coming on well Andy, I do prefer Nick's arrangement on Ashbourne Midland, looking into the Station, I've done a mirror image of that on Porth Merryn. Still as you say you have LOADS OF TIME. hahhah.

[andyram]

I have used both Ashbourne Midland and Porth Merryn as inspiration for new track layout. As regards the available time...this tape will self destruct in five seconds.

[andyram]

After a particularly testing day at work I decided to ignore the paperwork this evening and spend a little more time on the layout. A temporary power connection was rigged up via crocodile clipped wires attached to the tracks of my other layout, Skaleby West. I then ran one of my Isle of Wight 02's through the loop. All ran well. Of course there are a couple of parts of the layout that are unpowered as more than one track feed will be required. I think I am confident about where these need to be. I calculate there needs to be three feeds in total to power the kick back sidings and the loop. Ideally all power feeds will be situated at one end of the layout (the nearest end as seen in the picture below). That is where the first problem arises. Being an electronics dunce I am not yet sure how to wire all three feeds to the controller. I think I may need to hit the store of modelling magazines for assistance.

Edited May 12, 2016 by andyram

[andyram]

It has been a few weeks since I last posted in this thread and there has been a very good reason for that. A hectic period at work has taken me away from working on the layout. It is now highly unlikely that I will get it ready for the Weston show in November.

I think another reason for the slow progess was a real loss of inspiration. I had not been happy with my various track plan attempts and had made so many alterations to the project. Today, motivated by a trip to the Bakewell Model Railway show, I did some more work on the layout. The track plan has now been finalised. It will feature an island platform with a single track on one side and a run round loop to the track on the opposite platform face. From the loop there will be two sidings, one for freight and another for a small loco shed. A siding off the single platform line will serve a low relief factory at the rear of the layout. Today I have laid the cork underlay for the track so there is no going back. The current progress is shown below. This means the layout has changed focus to include passenger facilities. As a result the "North Yard" title no longer fits. The project has been renamed "Skaleby East". I will change the thread title once I find out how to do it!

[Andrew P]

It has been a few weeks since I last posted in this thread and there has been a very good reason for that. A hectic period at work has taken me away from working on the layout. It is now highly unlikely that I will get it ready for the Weston show in November.

I think another reason for the slow progess was a real loss of inspiration. I had not been happy with my various track plan attempts and had made so many alterations to the project. Today, motivated by a trip to the Bakewell Model Railway show, I did some more work on the layout. The track plan has now been finalised. It will feature an island platform with a single track on one side and a run round loop to the track on the opposite platform face. From the loop there will be two sidings, one for freight and another for a small loco shed. A siding off the single platform line will serve a low relief factory at the rear of the layout. Today I have laid the cork underlay for the track so there is no going back. The current progress is shown below. This means the layout has changed focus to include passenger facilities. As a result the "North Yard" title no longer fits. The project has been renamed "Skaleby East". I will change the thread title once I find out how to do it!image.jpeg

Andy, go to first post, then EDIT, then FULL EDIT, then you can change it.

 

Layouts coming on well mate.

[andyram]

Thanks Andy. As you can see I have managed to change the title of the thread.