Small loop and a shelf layout ideas

[Flying Pig]

5 hours ago, Zomboid said:

and the token siding at the bottom of the square bit has gone

 

Overall I like the plan, but this is a pity - a trip from the station yard to shunt it would have been a nice move.  Can it be relocated inside the loop?

[Keith Addenbrooke]

14 minutes ago, Flying Pig said:

 

Overall I like the plan, but this is a pity - a trip from the station yard to shunt it would have been a nice move.  Can it be relocated inside the loop?

It looks possible - assuming the grey (Setrack) straight on the inside of the loop is a standard length single straight it can be swapped for a point to give a short siding.

[Zomboid]

That's probably the best way, though an access hole to the back will be needed so it might be tight.

[PatB]

Just having a look in CJF's Track Plans, P26 looks to be relevant, albeit with more complex baseboards. Although drawn at 13 ft, I can't see that lopping a foot off the station would be disastrous. 

[Zomboid]

It's barely worth posting this, but for the sake of completeness...

 

There's also an option to put something inside the triangle, but that wasn't terribly satisfactory when I tried it.

The area marked for locos could be used for a siding too, but I think where I've shown it there is probably the best solution for this particular problem.

 

The Access Hole is only really any use for retrieving derailments, you wouldn't want to sit in there and operate it unless you're about 10.

[Dungrange]

The other place that you could put that 'Goods / Industry' siding would be in the middle of the triangle.  Switch the left hand point for a right hand version and the track would then run parallel to the lower right side of the triangle.  That would allow a larger access well to be provided.  What was unsatisfactory with that arrangement?

Edited October 2, 2020 by Dungrange

[Zomboid]

It would be hard to get anything other than the siding itself inside the triangle, it would be obviously rail-locked, and it's so close to the main station that it's not really a separate scene/ destination (running a road through the triangle and over the two legs to separate the scenes would seem a good idea, which wouldn't be possible if there were a siding there).

 

Operationally of course it's no different to where I've shown it, so it's entirely preferential.

[Dungrange]

I was thinking of the loco area as effectively part of the station (ie all one 'scene'), so I wasn't really considering the need for a separate destination as such but thinking of this as a private siding immediately outside of the railway goods facilities, where a wagon would be trip worked off an incoming goods train.  It would therefore be part of the station working and therefore part of that 'scene'.  I was assuming that a tall enough mill type building could block the view of the continuous run from the operating area, which I'm assuming would be in front of the main station.  However, I can see the merit in having road bridges across both legs of the triangle from the station to divide the layout in two: a 'serious' station to the right and a 'train set oval' to the left with the loop on that oval effectively serving as a fiddle yard for realistic operation of the main station.  There is even the opportunity to turn locomotives on the triangle, although that's not necessarily relevant if this is to be a post-steam era layout.

 

Overall, I think your latest suggestion is probably the most suitable type of layout for the space that the Original Poster has available.

[Zomboid]

21 minutes ago, Dungrange said:

I was thinking of the loco area as effectively part of the station (ie all one 'scene')

Yeah, the location over there isn't really ideal if the scenes are separated, but the only other options I can see would either reduce the station accommodation or need a wider panhandle board.

 

Saying that, if it's diesel era only then all it really needs is somewhere to plonk a spare loco or two between duties - could even use the overhangs from the run round for that.

[Dungrange]

44 minutes ago, Zomboid said:

Saying that, if it's diesel era only then all it really needs is somewhere to plonk a spare loco or two between duties - could even use the overhangs from the run round for that.

 

Well, the original post stated circa 1970, so I'm assuming the BR Corporate Blue era in which case there isn't a need to turn a locomotive on the triangle or have a locomotive depot.  That would mean stabling a locomotive within the station as you suggest could be the best option and repurpose those sidings for an industry that is at the brink of closure.

[Reg81]

The time is a bit fuzzy, somewhere around the very early 70s, but could even be a year back into the 60s. I'm aiming post steam, but before they've got round to painting everything blue and grey - so I've got an excuse to run a slightly, but not ridiculously, motley collection of rolling stock if the mood should take me   I'm finding Modelling the British Rail Era by Fleming et al to be quite helpful in allowing me to justify this.

 

Best idea I've had so for a small dying industry that still has a reason to be rail linked was a filing cabinet factory. It also fits the theme a bit. Heavy rolls of thin steel in, bulky and boxy filing cabinets out in box vans, suitable steel pressing and bending machinery probably small enough to fit in the bays of a smallish factory. 

 

Keep the triangle ideas coming! I'm worried it might end up as dead space if I'm not careful

[Flying Pig]

I'd suggest retaining the loco sidings, given the tendency of model railways to accumulate locos.  They're quite credible as a stabling point, perhaps the rump of a former mpd and  I think you'll find that they form a separate scene on the layout, despite their closeness to the station on the plan.

 

I like the idea of a couple of level crossings across the legs of the triangle very much, but then my imagination always gravitates to the Eastern region for this period and particularly Lincolnshire where level crossings in inconvenient places were legion. 

[Zomboid]

The other thing regarding the loco sidings is that I'm just using one of the terminus ideas to illustrate the train set oval section, and probably the biggest one. I don't think that part of the layout is decided, so there may be space there.

 

There's space on the circuit bit for probably 3 sidings as shown - you could move them around a bit, but it's still going to be about the same amount of siding space. It's really up to the OP to decide what the terminus board will hold, and then that can lead on to how to use the other sidings.

[Reg81]

On reflection, I like the loco sidings and I can see the use for them - but I might parallel the tracks so I can build some sort of depot building around them, unless it gets in the way too much. 

[Flying Pig]

47 minutes ago, Zomboid said:

The other thing regarding the loco sidings is that I'm just using one of the terminus ideas to illustrate the train set oval section, and probably the biggest one. I don't think that part of the layout is decided, so there may be space there.

 

 

Keeping the loco sidings separate from the station maximises the stock storage capacity of the station yard, which is important on a layout without hidden sidings.  Your design does reasonably well in this respect, although I think wagon capacity is always going to be tight in the space available (particularly due to the limited width of the panhandle).  One aspect of this station that I like is that the rear runround could be used as a carriage siding and probably would be on a mostly DMU railway.

 

40 minutes ago, Reg81 said:

On reflection, I like the loco sidings and I can see the use for them - but I might parallel the tracks so I can build some sort of depot building around them, unless it gets in the way too much. 

 

I think a two track shed would be too much in a small space like this - remember that most depots have a lot of siding soace in the open.  A single road maintenance or fuelling shed on the further siding could help break up the main line visually and wouldn't hide all your locos. 

[Zomboid]

If you want to model a loco shed then you could put a (small) one in the triangle to represent the closed steam shed that the station needed before the dawn of the diesels. I wouldn't cover over the actual stabling myself, all it'll do is hide your locos from view.

 

I've had a bit more time on hold (not the bank this time) to play with it, and failed to come up with any kind of improvement...

[Zomboid]

Pretty sure I'm doing this mostly for my own benefit, but in case anyone else is interested...

 

The last plan I posted seemed to have some shades of Exmouth, so I thought I'd try and stretch that a bit further. 4 platforms wasn't happening, but by losing the middle 2 I managed to get a bit more of the Exmouth throat (as shown on the signalling plan) in. Fundamentally it's not a whole lot different, and would benefit from the pan handle being a bit wider still (maybe even tapering so that it's wider at the right) to allow a better rendition of the goods yard.

 

I think 3 coaches remain possible with shunt release, but if a loco is to take its own train back out then 2 might be more realistic.

 

 

I'm also not entirely convinced that this is any real kind of improvement on the last one I posted, but I'll post it for posterity if nothing else.

[OhOh]

7 hours ago, Zomboid said:

I think 3 coaches remain possible with shunt release, but if a loco is to take its own train back out then 2 might be more realistic.

Looks to be another good plan 

 

If this were to be my layout, I'd most probably limit my trains to 2 coaches as I think that's a better aesthetic fit for the 4x4 circuit.

 

Gra

[Zomboid]

24 minutes ago, OhOh said:

If this were to be my layout, I'd most probably limit my trains to 2 coaches as I think that's a better aesthetic fit for the 4x4 circuit

I think your probably right, but it would depend on what the trains were. If the traction were (in southern terms) M7s, O2s and other similar small tank engines, then 2 would probably be fine. If I wanted to run an N class then I'd need 3 for it to be believable. I'm not one for long trains in general, but 2 coaches as a maximum would be a stretch.

 

The OP mentioned DMUs and Type 2s. A 2 car DMU would obviously be fine. 2 car LHCS I'm not so certain of, would have to give it a go and see.

 

Any longer than 3 would look ridiculous on the circuit (unless we're talking 4 wheelers or some other short vehicles).

[Reg81]

8 hours ago, Zomboid said:

Pretty sure I'm doing this mostly for my own benefit, but in case anyone else is interested...

 

Oh still interested 

 

I think all the options you guys have presented are better than my original, but from here I think it's mostly a case of playing around with the options a bit in practice and seeing how well they fit with trains and with how much space I want for the 'scenes' around parts of the board. 

Size is now pretty fixed on 4ftx4ft and 1.5ftx8ft but timber supply issues (i.e. local wood place not answering and B&Q's timber saw being U/S) mean that my weekend plans have gone a bit awry...

 

 

 

 

[Zomboid]

Since you've gone another 3" wide on the panhandle, I went all in with my "shades of Exmouth".

 

It became harder again to get any kind of freight on the circuit, and there's nowhere to park locos, but I enjoyed drawing it. FWIW, if it were my layout, I'd actually build the one higher up the thread with the single slip that I referred to as "Kidderminster SVR". But if you like the idea of a cut down Exmouth, here it is:

[ess1uk]

Some great ideas here

[Schooner]

12 hours ago, Zomboid said:

Pretty sure I'm doing this mostly for my own benefit

Not at all! I've really enjoyed seeing these develop. In terms of fun per square inch, they're ace!

[Flying Pig]

17 hours ago, Zomboid said:

if it were my layout, I'd actually build the one higher up the thread with the single slip that I referred to as "Kidderminster SVR".

 

That's my favourite too and with the slightly wider panhandle I would add another goods siding at the front.  This is one of the most appealing schemes I've seen in a while - bookmarked for future reference.

 

[Zomboid]

I think that terminus has a nice flow because it's possible to use larger radius points (the first one on the top line is a large, and the others in the throat are mediums). It would work well for a conventional double track approach as well as this Great Yarmouth style 2 divergent single lines application.

 

It's also very reminiscent of West Kirby on the Merseyrail network.