Majorbrough -- space, Minories, and Hornby TT track

[Keith Addenbrooke]

First impression is the balance between the terminus ‘leg’ and the fiddle yard area looks good to me.  Well done, Keith.

[NCB]

Majorbrough  Plan C

 

 

Drops the Minories approach in favour of a more compact throat. Fully sceniced except for tunnel at RH end. 2 approach routes each served by 2 platforms, plus central shared platform.

 

Board lengths 89, 66, 140 cm; total 295 cm. Width 37 cm rising to 90 cm. 

[Flying Pig]

41 minutes ago, NCB said:

Majorbrough  Plan C

 

 

Drops the Minories approach in favour of a more compact throat. Fully sceniced except for tunnel at RH end. 2 approach routes each served by 2 platforms, plus central shared platform.

 

Board lengths 89, 66, 140 cm; total 295 cm. Width 37 cm rising to 90 cm. 

 

I think the lower half of the station throat needs a bit of tweaking.  As it is, the crossover marked red below doesn't do anything and everything for those two platforms goes through the spot marked in orange.  If the additional bit of track shown blue could be worked in (I know that as things stand it needs a Y point) running would be a lot more flexible.

 

 

[NCB]

42 minutes ago, Flying Pig said:

 

I think the lower half of the station throat needs a bit of tweaking.  As it is, the crossover marked red below doesn't do anything and everything for those two platforms goes through the spot marked in orange.  If the additional bit of track shown blue could be worked in (I know that as things stand it needs a Y point) running would be a lot more flexible.

 

 

 

Red crossover allows locos from shed to reach lower platforms without using central platform. Slips would help.

[Keith Addenbrooke]

7 hours ago, NCB said:

Majorbrough  Plan C

 

 

Drops the Minories approach in favour of a more compact throat. Fully sceniced except for tunnel at RH end. 2 approach routes each served by 2 platforms, plus central shared platform.

 

Board lengths 89, 66, 140 cm; total 295 cm. Width 37 cm rising to 90 cm. 

Could definitely be made to look very nice, with plenty of options for scenic treatment over the right hand end to conceal the turnback (if you wanted).  

 

My only concern would be that trains now return very quickly after leaving as there are no staging loops on the right.  If you operate it like a point-to-point, almost as if it is two separate stations (top platforms to bottom platforms) it could work, but stock storage is limited without carriage sidings.  
 

On the other hand, a plus point would be it’s easily achievable - and if there is ever space to expand further sections could be inserted before the turnround board to add to the fun.  Just a thought, Keith.

[NCB]

14 hours ago, Keith Addenbrooke said:

Could definitely be made to look very nice, with plenty of options for scenic treatment over the right hand end to conceal the turnback (if you wanted).  

 

My only concern would be that trains now return very quickly after leaving as there are no staging loops on the right.  If you operate it like a point-to-point, almost as if it is two separate stations (top platforms to bottom platforms) it could work, but stock storage is limited without carriage sidings.  
 

On the other hand, a plus point would be it’s easily achievable - and if there is ever space to expand further sections could be inserted before the turnround board to add to the fun.  Just a thought, Keith.

Agreed. Operation is limited, but moving locos to/ from shed adds interest. I see this as for the experienced modeller attracted by a fully scenic but busy layout in a small space. Carriage sidings could be added top and bottom of the station.

[NCB]

Tweaked to include double slip, the diamond marked DS. Hornby where are you?

 

Also includes alternative approach to platform 5, and 2 pilot spurs.

 

[Les1952]

5 hours ago, NCB said:

Tweaked to include double slip, the diamond marked DS. Hornby where are you?

 

Also includes alternative approach to platform 5, and 2 pilot spurs.

 

 

You do have an operational issue that you can't get a connecting coach from one side of the station to the other, or get a loco from the top two roads to the turntable without cluttering up the centre road and  the exit past the signal box with an extra loco shunting move.  If the layout is to be portable, would it be an idea to have your two rectangular boards the same length?  Makes it easy to transport as they could then be bolted face to face.  If it is a fixture that doesn't matter.

[Hobby]

Didn't CJF do a layout like that in one of his plans books?

[Flying Pig]

20 hours ago, NCB said:

Tweaked to include double slip, the diamond marked DS. Hornby where are you?

 

Also includes alternative approach to platform 5, and 2 pilot spurs.

 

 

Even better, use a couple of single slips, as beloved by British frugal pw engineers of the steam age.  So many useful formations use these track pieces, they should be part of any manufacturer's range, even before the double slip, I'd argue.  I think you may have to rely on Tillig and Peco for anything more complicated than a diamond though, as Hornby have never shown an interest in a wider range of points and crossings in 00.

 

[NCB]

3 hours ago, Hobby said:

Didn't CJF do a layout like that in one of his plans books?

Yep, nice one, but a lot simpler.

[NCB]

18 hours ago, Les1952 said:

 

You do have an operational issue that you can't get a connecting coach from one side of the station to the other, or get a loco from the top two roads to the turntable without cluttering up the centre road and  the exit past the signal box with an extra loco shunting move.  If the layout is to be portable, would it be an idea to have your two rectangular boards the same length?  Makes it easy to transport as they could then be bolted face to face.  If it is a fixture that doesn't matter.

Moving  such a coach across the station looks easy to me. The line from the shed is not a running  road so no clutter.

[D9020 Nimbus]

It's not surprising that Tillig (like other German manufacturers) have a double slip (and a three-way point) in their range—these are much more common in German track layouts than in this country, so virtually all set-track ranges include them.

One of the Tillig double-slips may be compatible with the Hornby geometry.

[Porfuera]

3 hours ago, D9020 Nimbus said:

One of the Tillig double-slips may be compatible with the Hornby geometry.

 

The small one is and exactly matches the Hornby points for length and crossing angle. The larger one has the same crossing angle but is 208mm long.

 

I put a couple of posts on the Hornby thread because a question about double slips was asked there - apologies to anyone that has already seen them.

 

The only problem with the Tillig trackwork is that they don't have springs to hold the switch rails in place so are difficult to use on temporary tabletop layouts.

 

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by Porfuera

[rekoboy]

The Tillig (or Roco H0e) surface-mount point mechanisms are a simple screw-fit to the side of the Tillig turnout or slip - they can be hand or electrically operated and are not too obtrusive.

[Porfuera]

44 minutes ago, rekoboy said:

The Tillig (or Roco H0e) surface-mount point mechanisms are a simple screw-fit to the side of the Tillig turnout or slip - they can be hand or electrically operated and are not too obtrusive.

 

But I was talking about a quick layout setup on a tabletop and then put away after - they would need to be electrically connected to operate, which would be a lot of work just for that. Or can they be operated manually once in place?

 

Either way for a temporary layout it would be an expensive option to Hornby or Peco points as IIRC the motors are somewhere around £15-£20 each (I haven't checked).

Edited March 21, 2023 by Porfuera

[rekoboy]

They exist as manual and electric versions - I have a couple of the Roco H0e manual ones in the drawer. Originally, Tillig did not have their own turnout mechanism - they sold and recommended the Roco ones. The manual mechanisms look identical to the electrically operated ones - apart from lacking the three core lead. 

[D9020 Nimbus]

For a temporary layout I'd have said the Tillig "bedding" track would be the best solution. There is a double slip in the range, and the track uses Kato Unijoiners. The points can be operated manually as supplied; alternatively a point motor can be fitted in the ballast base. The points are dead frog, but non-isolating.

[NCB]

Majorbrough Plan D

Traversers offer alot of storage in a moderate area, here 185cm x 200cm.