Chris M Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 This is my small layout. I have posted about it on the N gauge forum before but now I have decided to share a few photos here. It won't be to everyone's taste as it can only handle two coach trains and uses some Peco first radius curves but it does get a lot of operational interest in a small space. A trip along the branch starts at Birmingham Snow Hill which of course is not part of the model. The train leaves a bay at Snow Hill and after a short while enters a tunnel. On the model we see the train leave this tunnel and enter Spring Hill station.This station is in the old part of the city and is surrounded by high walls on one side and a church the other with factory units behind. When built the church would have been out in the fields. 45xx heads into the tunnel towards Snow Hill Railcar heads up the branch while a Manor, unusually large for this sort of branch, heads towards Snow Hill 45xx arriving at Spring Hill 2MT on passenger train waits for a parcels train to clear the line. Parcels train continues its journey. The signals are colour light at this station because they are controlled from the main city station. Or maybe because there wasn't enough room to install Dapol semaphores. The signal towards Snow Hill never shows green, only red or amber. This is because the next signal is always at danger until a path is cleared for a waiting train. It could also be because I only have a two way switch and amber seemed more appropriate than green. Panniers working the. branch. View from above showing the wall on one side and old buildings in the background. In your mind you have to ignore the higher track to the right when looking at Spring Hill as this is meant to be miles away. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris M Posted February 27, 2018 Author Share Posted February 27, 2018 (edited) The train enters a short tunnel after Spring Hill and then travels a few miles through urban landscape before entering another tunnel which emerges into Worlds End station. On the model the train just runs hidden along the back of the layout. It is a separate section so trains are held there while other things are going on. In this way they emerge at Worlds End some time after leaving Spring Hill. A freshly outshopped 64xx works an auto train. I'm not sure what class 22s were doing on this branch but two of them seem to be regulers. They most have been posted to Birmingham specially for these duties. Railcars are used a lot on this line. They are ideal for the fairly light loadings during the day. The row of semis are quite close to the track, as happened in many urban areas where the houses were built many years after the railway. Ridgacre brewery can be seen in the background. Pannier working empty vans back from the brewery while today a BR railcar provides the passenger service. Looks like a nice day. Worlds End is a name for an area of Birmingham. The story behind this station is that it was mainly fields when the branch was built and there was just one platform with no passing place. As the suburbia spilt over into this area the branch became busier and so a passing place with island platform was built. The small footbridge is there to take passengers from the station building and the site of the original platform to the new platform. A bit like what happened at St Agnes in Cornwall. A rather over clean class 22 working hops to the brewery. And returning with empties. This photo was taken before I detailed the gardens. Pannier waiting for the line to be clear for the final stretch to Ridgacre Railcar heading towards Ridgacre Pannier on the empties from the brewery. Green railcar sets out now the empties have cleared the line. A rather rare moment when two tender locos are seen at the same time on the line. The Manor is the largest loco allowed to run on this branch. You can see the gardens are now more detailed. Edited February 27, 2018 by Chris M 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris M Posted February 27, 2018 Author Share Posted February 27, 2018 After a steep climb on a sharp curve the terminus at Ridgacre is reached. Urban branch as it should be. 45xx with suburban stock and pannier working a freight. This time the 45xx is hauling a B set. Two coach auto train leaving Ridgace. Class 22 with the B set. Somewhat unusually, Ridgacre has no general goods yard but it does have a parcels depot which, together with the brewery creates regular non passenger traffic. 2MT is backing the parcels into the depot. Pannier backing vans full of hops into the brewery siding. The empties have to be shunted into the platform to allow the loco to run round to the front of the train. Uncoupling is achieved by electro magnets under the track. Pannier running round. Panniers at rest at Ridgacre. The brewery 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris M Posted February 27, 2018 Author Share Posted February 27, 2018 (edited) The whole layout is 44" by 27". It is on one board and can easily be carried by one person. An hour working this layout goes very quickly as you have to concentrate all of the time. Track plan Whole layout The storage sidings are under the factory at the front. This is the normal view. This is with the hinged factory section open. The houses, road and brewery form a break between Worlds End and Ridgacre stations Edited February 27, 2018 by Chris M 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris M Posted February 27, 2018 Author Share Posted February 27, 2018 I did think about liquidating this layout so I could use some of the parts for a new project. At the moment I have changed my mind and it will be going to at least one exhibition in 2018. The main reason for the change of heart is that my two year old grandson loves this layout. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 You said small and then it opened up into something quite unexpected, lovely little layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris M Posted February 27, 2018 Author Share Posted February 27, 2018 I hope some readers will have enjoyed these photos. The layout is not to everyone's taste but it makes full use of the space available. One great thing is that, on cold days like today, I can bring it into the house and run it on the dining table - until dinner time anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris M Posted February 27, 2018 Author Share Posted February 27, 2018 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris M Posted February 27, 2018 Author Share Posted February 27, 2018 I've recently spent a tenner on a very low tech automation Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danstercivicman Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 I'd say you have made quite a convincing little layout very ONWR Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted February 27, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 27, 2018 It's a great little layout! I'm with your grandson on this one Did I see it in a magazine? Cheers Simon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris M Posted February 27, 2018 Author Share Posted February 27, 2018 It's a great little layout! I'm with your grandson on this one Did I see it in a magazine? Cheers Simon Thanks. Yes it was in RM in 2014 - September I think. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris M Posted March 6, 2018 Author Share Posted March 6, 2018 My grandson is only just 2 but he loves playing with my railways. He can use a controller and can do three speeds - stop, slow and fast. Some of his first words included tunnel and crash. Amazingly he has already learnt to handle N gauge stock carefully although the stock he handles is of course specially selected for such duties. Most of it is kept hidden while he is around. The recently added shuttle has turned out to be very useful with the grandson. I can switch to diode protected ends of the line without switching on the actual shuttle. In this way he can be allowed to control trains up and down the line by himself with no fear of crashing into the end of the line. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marly51 Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 This is a great little layout with lots of interest and good use of the limited space. I found your YouTube videos first then discovered your thread here, where you have posted a layout plan. Space is always going to be the issue for me and I am finding so many clever ideas here on the Forum! Thank you for sharing! Marlyn Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris M Posted May 17, 2018 Author Share Posted May 17, 2018 I had to get these two. Pure nostalgia for earlier days on the SVR. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris M Posted May 21, 2018 Author Share Posted May 21, 2018 (edited) A couple of videos showing the versatility of the class 22; a loco for all purposes. Ok they maybe they could have been more reliable but there is something cute about them.On the Ridgacre Branch And on the main line ( my other layout) Edited May 22, 2018 by Chris M 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris M Posted May 22, 2018 Author Share Posted May 22, 2018 (edited) I don't know what a diesel with yellow warning panels is doing pulling crimson and cream coaches. Yellow warning panels weren't introduced until 1962 by which time crimson and cream coaches would have been extremely rare or non existent. I must be more careful with my choice of stock next time. Edited May 22, 2018 by Chris M Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris M Posted September 11, 2018 Author Share Posted September 11, 2018 Just a few more photos. And a video 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnlambert Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 Lovely photos, it looks like a wonderful layout with lots of operating potential and tons of detail. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
south_tyne Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 (edited) The whole layout is 44" by 27". It is on one board and can easily be carried by one person. An hour working this layout goes very quickly as you have to concentrate all of the time. ridgacreppt.jpg Track plan Untitled.jpg Whole layout hy04.JPG ngs04a.jpg The storage sidings are under the factory at the front. This is the normal view. hy03.JPG ngs04b.jpg This is with the hinged factory section open. ngs10.jpg IMG_2609.JPG The houses, road and brewery form a break between Worlds End and Ridgacre stations Lovely little layout and a cracking trackplan. Shows what can be done in N gauge in a small space. There looks to be so much operational interest packed in! If you don't mind me asking, are you using settrack points or small streamline ones? Thanks for sharing and hope to see some more photos. David Edited September 12, 2018 by south_tyne Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris M Posted September 12, 2018 Author Share Posted September 12, 2018 Mostly small streamline points. The only setrack point is at Worlds End station. Trains entering the station go through the straight part and trains leaving the station go through the curved part but only as a trailing point. The curved part of the point is not normally used as a facing point. This doesn't cause any problem with locos up to 4-6-0 size (which are too big for this branch anyway). This is the only setrack point. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearholmer Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Excellent. N gauge is waaay too small for my eyes, but I really like the ‘classic’ feel of this layout, the fact that you’ve prioritised operation, and used the spiral plan to get a whole lot of operation into the space. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris M Posted September 27, 2018 Author Share Posted September 27, 2018 Just a few photos using real sunlight with a low evening sun. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zomboid Posted September 27, 2018 Share Posted September 27, 2018 What Nearholmer said. A very charming layout, probably quite old school, but all the better for it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris M Posted September 27, 2018 Author Share Posted September 27, 2018 Thanks. It is so old school that the inspiration for the track plan came from Cyril Freezer’s plans for small railways number 5s which was a spiral in OO. This makes the idea about 60 years old. I also tried to use Cyril’s thoughts on scenic breaks in order to get everything in and still be able to think of it as a branch line. The power is dc which is great for this layout as I will only ever want to have one train running at a time and it’s really useful to have the correct train live just by flicking a point. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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