Louise Road, 2mm shed layout.

[Davexoc]

Looking good. I would shorten the branch tunnel a bit, and extend the headshunt to make it long enough that a shunter could release an incoming loco at the head of a train, or be at least as long as the sidings.

[RikkiGTR]

11 hours ago, Davexoc said:

Looking good. I would shorten the branch tunnel a bit, and extend the headshunt to make it long enough that a shunter could release an incoming loco at the head of a train, or be at least as long as the sidings.

 

Noted! The branch tunnel is really just a scenic break, so branch trains don't just blatantly go around the corner to the next station. There is ample scope for a lengthened head shunt there. 

 

EDIT: all track pieces (finescale) now purchased, so let the fun begin...

Edited February 17 by RikkiGTR

[RikkiGTR]

just realised I already said that. Sorry. 

Edited February 17 by RikkiGTR

[RikkiGTR]

 

Work continues getting the shed up to spec; cables have all been installed for plugs and lighting. Dehumidifier beavering away to dry things out a bit before I re-felt the roof.

The track is all in transit and should arrive this week, when the shed *should* be powered, dry and warm. 

 

I am very anxious about building the base boards, truth be told. But I'm going to put a 2x4 beam right around the inside at exactly 4ft off the ground, and use that as a basis on which to lay said boards. 

I originally planned to do open-frame baseboards, but the track plan I've chosen only calls for an open section along the right hand wall where I'll create an embankment -  it shouldn't be too taxing. And it is all part of the fun. 

[RikkiGTR]

 

All track has now arrived (even those I purchased from eBay), so as soon as the electrician adds two banks of sockets and a light I can get stuck in for real. 

 

I realise I have a code 80 medium point there, but I'll see how it fits and go from there. I'll change it if needs be. The rest is code 55 streamlined.

[RikkiGTR]

Planning my base boards now, this seems to be about right. Not a whole lot of room to move around the layout but I still think it'll be ok. I'll need two 8x4 sheets and maybe a bit more for all the tops. 
 

EDIT: on reflection I might remove the turntable altogether, or put it elsewhere on the layout. Perhaps on the other side of the branch terminus or somewhere around the through station. 
Then the baseboards could follow the lower sidings of the branch and give me more room at the entrance to the shed. 

Edited February 23 by RikkiGTR

[RikkiGTR]

Having thought more about it I might actually redo the terminus completely and (after suggestions elsewhere) make it much smaller - perhaps running parallel to the fiddle yard. 
I could make it a small halt, serving a small seaside town and only really handling small DMU/EMUs that shuttle in and out to and from the through station. 
 

This would make it more realistic for a layout based in the 80’s to 90’s, and open up more of the shed to move around in. Would also simplify the baseboard building process if I just make the fiddle yard board a bit wider in order to accommodate a small terminus along the front of the backscene.  

[RikkiGTR]

 

Something like this, perhaps?...

The industry marked with 2 red asterixis is open to redesign. 

[RikkiGTR]

 

Slightly increased the length of the fiddle yard, as well as adding a crossing at the entrance on the left, so any train from any platform or road at the station can enter any part of the fiddle yard (and vice versa). 

Also added 2 potential signal cabins. I'm not sure exactly where it would go on a station such as this, or if it would have 2 cabins since it is a reasonably large station with a lot of points, crossing, and slips. 

 

A wooded part to give the impression passenger DMU/EMUs go somewhere before arriving at the small halt, it would probably need some kind of (lift out?) access in the event of derailments. 

 

It would be cool to make some kind of automation system whereby said passenger trains to and from the small halt do so automatically, on some kind of timer. I'm sure it's possible. 

[Nick Holliday]

I appreciate that there has been a lot of design development, and this latest offering seems quite a promising scheme, but I believe it could do with a little more tweaking to make it even better.  One area which I think needs a bit of polishing is the commencement of the bi-directional central track.  At the moment trains need to run over a short section of track in the wrong direction.  Probably acceptable on the real thing, although it looks clumsy, but it means that running through in one direction would impact on traffic running in the opposite direction.

As it stands, a train running clockwise (green main line) would have to cross over onto the anti-clockwise line (purple) before reaching the through line, and, at the other end, an anti-clockwise train, running on the purple line, crosses onto the clockwise line before reaching the bi-directional line.  This could be avoided by moving the points slightly, as below.

Another fairly simple modification would be alter the angle of your branch terminus so that it is not running parallel with the baseboard edge, as this will probably look better. (I think you may need a headshunt to protect the mainline as well)

Without knowing exactly how you intend to treat the main station's platforms, it is difficult to understand why the branch line connection is where you've shown it, rather than perhaps a little further to the right, and I suspect that the connection to the clockwise line should also be more direct, with a diamond crossing across the bidirectional line. 

Personally I would minimise the "maintenance depot" section, as it usually contributes little to the operational complexity of a layout, unless you have a large fleet of locos that you want to have on display. Similarly, I wonder if the four finger-sidings for "industry" will add much to the mix, but that would depend upon what type of industry you are thinking of.  I would be inclined to re-dedicate the industrial area to a small loco depot instead, and create a larger general goods and merchandise style yard where your maintenance depot is.  That way you could include a goods shed, loading bay, a coal yard (not staithes!) etc. which could justify a wider range of goods stock, and increase the shunting potential with more locations to spot wagons. I realise that that all sounds a trifle cliched, but those sort of facilities were what the railways were usually providing.

[RikkiGTR]

 

@Nick Holliday - this is how I had imagined the platforms (which would actually be longer and "wrap around" the lines more but this is only a quick illustration), and why I put the branchline connection where it is. That platform would only ever really serve the branch line DMU/EMUs, and since those trains would never need to cross to any other platform, it made sense to have it set up like so. But I'll admit I'm not entirely clued in to real railway practice so I only ever guessed this was correct. 

 

My intention is to have a number of passenger trains - including HSTs - circulating the layout, stopping at platforms 1 and 2, the occasional long industry train (coal, oil etc that actually doesn't stop anywhere on the visible layout) "passing through" on the central avoiding line, short DMU/EMUs popping back and forth to the small halt, and some shunting and loco activity taking place at the industry and maintenance depot. 

[Davexoc]

I'm inclined to agree with @Nick Holliday on the bi-directional through line, it needs to operate without conflicting either main line.

I would extend platform 2 to be closer to the length of 1, and have access to the maintenance depot directly from the branch platform.

For maintenance it could be MU sidings with raised walkways for the carriage cleaners and a fuelling point.

For the workings of a through line look up videos of Reading in the 80s....

 

The actual branch is geared up for loco release, so is the plan to run an excursion in, run around, and then back the stock into the siding?

If so, is it big enough to look convincing?

Just thoughts....

[RikkiGTR]

Good thoughts as well @Davexoc, and I sure wish you guys had made these suggestions before I went and bought all the track 😅

I do jest, worst case scenario I'd need another couple of points - hardly much trouble. 

 

My original plan for the branch was quite extravagant, but now it'll be more like Portrush here in Northern Ireland - a small terminus halt that sees a single DMU every hour or so. I'm not even sure there's any need for a run around. I've even considered omitting the branch altogether and increasing fiddle yard capacity. 

 

Regarding the bi-directional through line - that was something I obviously hadn't thought about (wasn't aware of),  I'll give it a go in scarm and see if I can get the changes to work.

[RikkiGTR]

 

Good progress being made now. 
We have heat, light, and power. Now I’m just marking out where the support legs will go for the baseboards. 
 

I realise my panelling work isn’t perfect but I really just wanted to get it all insulated and covered. You won’t see the walls once the railway is built anyway - 4ft of the bottom will be hidden by railway and the rest at the top will be painted, backscened, and scenic. 

[RikkiGTR]

 

Some solid progress being made now, including a remarkably flush meeting of the two baseboards at the right hand wall (the radiator board meeting the odd-shaped corner board) which is on a hill into the far corner, every leg is a different length but somehow I got them perfectly level and I am stupidly proud of my efforts - this is my first time ever building baseboards since I'm the kind of person who would usually just pay a joiner to do it for me.

 

I've bought another box of "30yds of finescale flexi track", so every part of the layout will be finescale aside from the points in the fiddle yard - although I'll upgrade those to finescale if I have any issues. 

The drop section at the back wall will feature a motorway underpass, I've just posed some old set track there to give me an idea of where it'll go.

[RikkiGTR]

 

The hinged section fits perfectly. 
This is the last piece of baseboard that needs created and fitted and then it’s on to track laying - anxious about that as well but it’s something else I have “mentally” done a hundred times since I was a kid. 

[Davexoc]

Don't forget that if you hinge it, the hinges have to be higher than the board so the hinged track clears the fixed track.

Alternatively, have a lift out section.....

[RikkiGTR]

@Davexoc yes I feel a lift-out section would be better, I have since framed and braced that section which now slots perfectly into the gap so it is already "lift out". 

[RikkiGTR]

 

All baseboards are completed! 
Today is the day I finally unpack my track and start placing it down. Have to say again I’m genuinely anxious about this part as I’ve only ever worked with set track before but this is all fine scale points and flexi track. 
 

I’ve made the fiddle yard board a half foot wider so I’ll see if I can get another couple of tracks in there. Also not making a branch terminus, instead I’m going to create a dock/scrapyard in that area. 

[RikkiGTR]

I've just discovered that finescale track does not come with pre-drilled track pin holes so I'm researching how to lay it. 

I have track templates arriving in the next day or so but I'm wondering if I need cork underlay as well? I've always intended on laying the track straight onto the boards but virtually every source I find talks about the underlay as if that's the standard M.O 😬

 

I have a pin vice, Xuron cutters, Dremel, files, PVA glue etc. Cork underlay seems like an extra headache I'm not sure I need but I don't want to regret *not* doing it.

Also - should I paint the boards now before I lay track? Seems to be another common practice.

[John Clitsome]

Def lay on cork. It will help reduce noise through board and enable you to create an edge to ballast against. 

Re the track- use the pin vice to make holes for track pins although if your going to glue and ballast the track at least in the scenic sections then pinning won't be necessary, you'll just weight the track down while the glue dries. Ballasting will be done after that providing further stability.

If you haven't seen already I strongly recommend you look at Charlie Bishops YouTube site Chadwick Model Railway. Apart from Charlies wonderful presenting skills you'll find a wealth of helpful tutorials on building a layout- I wish it had been available when I started my layout! You'll find he has a link to various suppliers, one of which is a firm in Aylesbury supplying large rolls of cork sheet at good pricing.

I've read through your thread today, and although both era and scale is different to my interest, I've found it a thoroughly interesting read and look forward to following the build.

[RikkiGTR]

@John Clitsome thank you so much! 
I’ve went and bought a 10m roll of cork for the straights and a large sheet for the curves as well - if I’m doing this I may do it properly from the start. 

[RikkiGTR]

 

A bit more drawing to help me visualise the layout. 

 

I'm pretty sure a couple of points on the girder bridge is ok, but if needs be they can be moved further forward towards the tunnel mouth. 

The dock or scrap works is the only part of the plan that isn't set in stone - truth be told I will build the rest then create something there later on. If I go with a scrap yard of some kind, I'll add a security fence at the border of the "woods" plus some nice lighting, portacabins and the like. 

In the far left corner will be a small town scene raised above the station with more retaining walls, and a road leading down to the station. I'll create more urban areas in the blank spaces around the station. 

[John Clitsome]

As the points on the girder bridge are for the purpose of getting access to all the storage yard tracks, as this involves some wrong road running you may want to consider the alternative of hiding it. However if that's impractical  or impinges heavily elsewhere then you just apply Rule 1!

[Izzy]

Looking through from the beginning it’s interesting to see how the plans are now totally different from how they started out and all the better for that. With regard to the points on the girder bridge how are they to be operated? You may need to move them off it towards the fiddle yard to be able to do so either manually or using point motors etc.

 

Bob