Shakespeare Road

[Summer_Saturday]

I posted pictures of this layout on the old RMWeb but as it has developed, I thought I'd post some new pictures here.

 

Shakespeare Road is an OO gauge layout loosely based on Kensington Olympia in the Network SouthEast sectorisation years between 1986 and March 1994 (i.e. just before privatisation). I enjoy modelling London-based layouts as I like the urban sprawl and all the small details, plus it reminds me of my One Day Travelcard spotting trips when I was younger! The choice of Kensington Olympia, while not original, allows a variety of stock to be run, so I can justify whatever models I like! It also allows operational interest in the form of loco changes as Midland Region and Southern Region locomotives attach and detach from their trains before they continue their journeys.

 

The layout measures 13ft x 11ft and incorporates three continuous loops (Up West London, Down West London, Up and Down Relief), a station with Underground platform (using motorised EFE Central Line stock), a small engine depot for running-repairs, carriage sidings, wash road, a rail-served factory and an engineering/Speedlink sidings (which are used as a loco stabling point at the moment, a change which may become permanent).

 

I use a Gaugemaster Prodigy Advance 2 DCC system and the layout has working Berko colour light signalling, controlled from a panel of switches rather than the DCC system. Point motors are to be added at some point and a staff footbridge is in development to span the junction and join the two depots together, meaning the staff don’t have to use a long Authorised Walking Route!

 

The view from the cab of a train arriving from Willesden Junction on the Up West London and signalled into the platform:

 

 

A view from the Clapham Junction end of the layout. Due to poor sighting of the signal on the right of the picture, it has a ground mounted co-acting signal, both controlled from the same switch so they change aspect synchronously:

 

 

Looking towards the carriage sidings and wash road:

 

 

Platform area detail:

 

 

 

 

 

Urban scenes:

 

 

 

 

 

Miscellaneous pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

Currently in development are some allotments, still lots to do on them:

 

 

[St. Simon]

Hi,

 

Got to say, that I love this layout!

 

It looks fantastic, I do like the station and urban scenes!

 

Keep up the good work!

 

Simon

[eastwestdivide]

Currently in development are some allotments, still lots to do on them:

Allotments are like that - never-ending jobs to do.

Nice set of shots, and plenty of non-railway detail. Any chance of a "helicopter view" (to reclaim a piece of management jargon)?

[jonhants]

hi and what a great layout and set in my favourite era as i used to go all over the place in the old network railcard days for £1 with an adult

its also the era that im modelling to love te pics to i will be watching with interest to see more

 

jon

[nse47]

looking great, look forward to seeing more

[CovDriver]

I remember this from the old RMweb it has so much character I'm glad you come over to the newish RMweb I'll be following this one with great interest keep up the great work and always keep posting plenty of photo's

 

Colin

[Summer_Saturday]

Any chance of a "helicopter view"?

 

Couple of overhead views of the layout to give an idea of the track plan. These show the unpainted track, which I think is the weakest part of the layout. I decided not to paint it as it would have taken too much time (especially as the layout is in one of my bedrooms and spray painting the track wasn't really possible) and I wanted to get on with everything else.

 

Looking from left to right in this one, which looks towards Willesden Junction, you can see the depot area incorporating some stabling sidings, carriage sidings and wash road; the Down West London, Up West London and Up and Down Relief; what were the engineering and Speedlink sidings but which are now stabling sidings.

 

 

From left to right in this one, looking towards Clapham Junction: the headshunt for the engineering/Speedlink/stabling sidings; Up and Down Relief, Up West London, station holding siding, platform loop which then becomes the Down West London; maintenance depot; rail-served factory.

 

 

About two-thirds of my layout is fiddle yard as I wanted to be able to have all my stock out rather than keep having to take it off the layout. The fiddle yard was a rush job when I first built the layout and in a few weeks it will be redesigned to make it (and the layout) more useable. I want to be able to run fixed trains in and out of it with ease, as with exhibition layouts, rather than just having it as a simple storage area.

 

 

 

 

Finally, something else under development is my signalling panel. This was made out of 3mm chipboard. The switches seen in the picture are those for the signals and their position approximates where they are on the layout in relation to each other. I will add switches for point motors and track section colours, as well as LEDs to show the signal colour that is illuminated and also routes that are set.

 

[Arpleymodeller]

Hi

 

That is one impressive layout!!!

Just look at the amount of detail and stock in the fiddleyard!!

Very good indeed,

Cheers

Lewis

[70022Tornado]

Very nice indeed, brings back sume of the better memories of the Smoke.

70022

[70022Tornado]

Very nice indeed, brings back sume of the better memories of the Smoke.

70022

[Summer_Saturday]

For fans of third and fourth rail, a few Underground pictures. The train should be District Line D Stock but it isn't available RTR so I opted for the Metromodels Central Line 1962 stock, as used on the Ongar branch (hence the Epping destination, which I really must change). It has been fitted with two Tenshodo motors and works well on a DC power supply (this is the only DC part of my layout and doubles up as a test track for new locos). The fourth picture shows a row of cable hangers from Radley Models; I have some thin wiring to hang from them, in appropriate colours.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a picture I took of the Bachmann 4CEP arcing as it crosses over the junction points. The blue flash is by Express Models, operated by a magnet under the train closing a reed switch mounted in the four foot and hidden under the ballast. I intend to have several across the junction:

 

[Stuart-AU]

WOW!!! What a great looking layout. The town looks very busy.

 

Stuart in OZ

[Ragtag]

I'm just curious, but when you say you leave your stock on the layout more or less permanently - do you cover your fiddle yard with a dust sheet or do you have some other setup?

 

Loving the tube and the flash on the 4-CEP there.

[Summer_Saturday]

I'm just curious, but when you say you leave your stock on the layout more or less permanently - do you cover your fiddle yard with a dust sheet or do you have some other setup?

 

As I use the layout quite a lot I decided not to put any dust covers on it. When a train runs out of the fiddle yard, if it needs a dust I just use a clean paintbrush to dust it off. As some of the pictures show, I need to do this more often! From time to time I have a big clean up of the whole layout.

[Summer_Saturday]

Another Underground picture, showing the cabling now in place on the cable hangers; it just needs a bit of weathering. It is multi-coloured as per prototype but I don't know if the colours are correct. I've also added a homemade black and white 25 mph speed sign in the background.

 

Just a few bits but it is these details that add the interest.

 

[jonhants]

hi and thanks for the update and new pictures this reallyis a fantastic layout and what a range of stock you have

 

jon

[pacer lover]

hey

 

great layout there love the underground bit of it . i see in your pic u got a Hornby networker class 466 ( i think). it got me thinking that Hornby was the frist to do a emu and now at a time when they are the in thing, why does they rerelease it ?

[Ragtag]

Modelzone has had a limited edition special of the NSE Networker expected for quite some time.

[Trainsrgr8]

Looks really good! Like the LU part you are creating! Keep up the great work, am following with interest

 

Danny

[Swifty11]

Excellent layout, a real shame the layout owner has been banned... We don't get any more pictures 

[sub39h]

Agreed