Real Place ideas for 8x2 layout

[Moley48]

Hi,

 

We have plans for a large layout at some stage but at the moment my options are limited. The main focus right now is something end to end over an 8x2 baseboard for my Dad to use.

 

I really would like to find something I can base off real life as that is so much easier than "what if" stuff with my lack of imagination. 

 

I am thinking shunting area with sheds that has its fair share of locomotives from a wide range of eras including steam. Heritage related or not. I'm not sure at the moment myself. 

 

Any ideas welcome it would be great also to find something with alot of documentation to back up the location aswell. So I can try and replicate alot of the details.

 

Thanks

David

 

 

[Jeff Smith]

What scale are you thinking of?

[Moley48]

58 minutes ago, Jeff Smith said:

What scale are you thinking of?

Sorry OO gauge.

 

I know it's overly optimistic in such a small space but it's the best I can do at the moment. 

[Jeff Smith]

Are you already committed to OO gauge?  ie, do you have stock and/or track you plan to use?

[Moley48]

Just now, Jeff Smith said:

Are you already committed to OO gauge?  ie, do you have stock and/or track you plan to use?

Yes very commited to the gauge. I know it's probably going to near impossible.

[Rivercider]

Sure there will have to be compromises in that space, but I have seen plenty of interesting layouts in a space of around 8' x 2', 

 

Do you have an idea of what form the future large layout might take? If the 8' x 2' layout is not going to be incorporated into the larger scheme it would still make sense if some of the buildings scenery, locos and stock would be used on the large layout. Do you have a favourite railway company or region, or is there a part of the country you might want to set the layout? It might help give pointers of some real locations from which you could draw inspiration,

 

cheers

[RobinofLoxley]

Another thing to think about is what space exists around the 8x2 that might be used to take stock off or feed it onto the layout, by using a cassette, a section of track on a portable piece of board that can be mounted temporarily to one face of the main board. The idea of trains leaving for somewhere or arriving from somewhere is a potent one, using a cassette doesn't sacrifice main board space to achieve the same result. A Cassette isnt the only way but its relatively simple (he said, never having built one).

 

End to end in this case means one transit of the 8' length as a u-shape isnt possible on this board size in OO, unless a second board could be added to take the curve radius.

[Jeff Smith]

It may be worth thinking about what you want from the layout.  An inglenook for shunting puzzles, or a diorama to hone your modelling skills, or perhaps a bit of both which can be incorporated in a bigger layout later.

[Moley48]

Primarily the layout will be for my dad to keep him occupied until he can get back up to good health and I know he would be happy to have anything I make but operational interest would probably be it's key feature. 

 

But I love sharpening my modelling skills with detail butbthat is secondary to the track plan and operations. 

 

I might have a little bit of room off main baseboard to have a traverser. Almost as if there is a portal that brings light engines onto the layout. Maybe move onto the layout from behind an engine shed

 

 

Edited May 5 by Moley48

[CKPR]

OK, this is really obscure but my 4mm model of Mealsgate station (ex-M&CR, closed 1952), which you can find over on the Pre-grouping forum via the link below,  is 8' x 2' and based on a real location. It was primarily a goods line serving a nearby colliery and is an intriguing terminus for two end on branches. Little is known about workings in LMS and early BR days but a Jinty, a Coal Tank and maybe an ex-L&Y 2-4-2t would be very plausible [Although long closed by the 1970s, I've been known to indulge in some "what if ?" modelling and run class 25s, etc !].

Another recommendation for a real location in this space would be Seahouses, terminus of the North Sunderland Rly. This easily fits and these days, you can get all of the latter day engines (Y7 0-4-0t, Y1 Sentinel, ex-L&Y pug) that ran on the North Sunderland as modern  r-t-r.

Edited May 6 by CKPR

[Richard_A]

On the book, designs for urban layouts by iain rice, he has a couple of designs which fit your space, I'd see if you can get a copy and browse. 

[John Tomlinson]

There's no reason you couldn't have an engine shed layout, with possibly a little shunting yard at the side.

 

If you really are planning a larger layout in the future when space allows, this approach would enable you to start collecting locos and seeing them run, rather then be stuck in boxes. Moreover there's nothing like actually doing a bit of joinery, laying some track and then wiring it up, to give you hard experience for what will follow with the later project.

 

John.

Edited May 6 by John Tomlinson

[Moley48]

16 minutes ago, Richard_A said:

On the book, designs for urban layouts by iain rice, he has a couple of designs which fit your space, I'd see if you can get a copy and browse. 

 

Thanks for the recommendation. I've just purchased a copy. 👍

 

 

[Moley48]

2 minutes ago, John Tomlinson said:

There's no reason you couldn't have an engine shed layout, with possibly a little shunting yard at the side.

 

If you really are planning a larger layout in the future when space allows, this approach would enable you to start collecting locos and seeing them run, rather then be stuck in boxes. Moreover there's nothing like actually doing a bit of joinery, laying some track and then wiring it up, to give you hard experience for what will follow with the later project.

 

John.

 

We have a larger 16x10ft layout in the loft. So we have a collection (maybe 40 locos) already. 

 

The big issue is due to ill health my father cannot safely get in and out of the loft. So the big plan then was to create a generously sized garden room to transfer into but that is a big job as the garden alone needs quite alot of work before we even get to the stage of building the room.

 

So thats how the current plan came about. I dont know how things will pan out but atleast he has this albeit small layout to enjoy in the living room. 

[The Johnster]

In 8x2 feet, you could probably extend Gumstump & Snowshoe to include an exchange yard at the lower level to supply traffic from the rest of the world, and maybe another factory/quarry/mine/harbour for more shunting.  Something else at the higher level as well perhaps. 

Or reverse the concept so that the gradient is downhill to a lower level at the front.  I designed something like this for my own possible use years ago, a BLT with a connection to a lower level representing a previous horse-drawn tramroad that had been upgraded as an industrial branch but never incorporated into the main line network; lightly laid track, small engines, hired in 16xx perhaps.  It was inspired by the Melingriffith Railway to the north of Cardiff, and an imaginary connection to it from Coryton station.

 

Just thinking aloud.  Gumstump's steep gradients and short zigzag headshunts mean that traffic has to be taken up or down two wagons at a time, which means more shunting, and more shunting means more quiet playtime for dad...

[Moley48]

20 hours ago, The Johnster said:

In 8x2 feet, you could probably extend Gumstump & Snowshoe to include an exchange yard at the lower level to supply traffic from the rest of the world, and maybe another factory/quarry/mine/harbour for more shunting.  Something else at the higher level as well perhaps. 

Or reverse the concept so that the gradient is downhill to a lower level at the front.  I designed something like this for my own possible use years ago, a BLT with a connection to a lower level representing a previous horse-drawn tramroad that had been upgraded as an industrial branch but never incorporated into the main line network; lightly laid track, small engines, hired in 16xx perhaps.  It was inspired by the Melingriffith Railway to the north of Cardiff, and an imaginary connection to it from Coryton station.

 

Just thinking aloud.  Gumstump's steep gradients and short zigzag headshunts mean that traffic has to be taken up or down two wagons at a time, which means more shunting, and more shunting means more quiet playtime for dad...

 

I certainly wouldn't mind that from a modelling perspective but I need to run it by the boss. So I would guess probably not.  Its going to be slow moving larger light engine movements too and from something to something. We also have an I-train license so it can also include automated movements where my dad can just sit back and relax. I'd love to get a semaphore on the layout too although not sure how to include yet. But I have a programmed Merg servo board with bounce and I know he likes the added realism of seeing the semaphore operate with the bounce program.

 

I've got the book coming by Iain Rice this week so will have a good look at that. I'm sure it will help me out alot aswell. 

Edited May 7 by Moley48

[Moley48]

The book never arrived. I purchased through Amazon seller only to be told the one they had in stock was too damaged to send!

 

Anyway I messing around myself in anyrail at the moment. No idea what I'm doing really but I've tried to base the layout on cheddleton. Do you think this could work?

 

 

[F-UnitMad]

How about something based on King's Cross Loco & the parcels depot at the side of the main shed? Both now long since closed & obliterated from history, but Chris Ellis did a 'Basis for a layout' article on them, in the May 1980 Airfix Model Trains magazine..

 

Someone did start a 7mm version here but the thread's not been updated since 2022...

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/forums/topic/117848-kings-cross-loco-yard-in-7mm/

[The Johnster]

6 hours ago, Moley48 said:

The book never arrived. I purchased through Amazon seller only to be told the one they had in stock was too damaged to send!

 

Anyway I messing around myself in anyrail at the moment. No idea what I'm doing really but I've tried to base the layout on cheddleton. Do you think this could work?

 

 

 

It'll work, in the sense that if you attach power leads to the track the locos will move when you turn the knob on the controller.

 

But where do the trains come from or go to, where's the fiddle yard or even the track leading to a scenic break to suggest that there is a world beyond this otherwise isolated piece of railway?  Sorry, praps I'm missing the point but it doesn't make any sense to me without an offstage area.  I think some sort of run-around facility would be useful as well unless there are two locomotives, unlikely at such a small location.

 

It satisfies the need for shunting operations well enough, but I'm not sure that i can think of any real trackplans that even remote resemble it without extending the lower line off the board to a fiddle yard at one or both ends, which is what happens on the real track plan.  The fiddle yard(s) don't need to be anything more complex than single road removable fiddle sticks, but it/they is/are essential IMHO to make visual and operational sense of the layout.

Edited May 16 by The Johnster

[Moley48]

Lack of space is the real issue. As said previously we had a larger layout that I built for my dad but that is likely to be inaccessible for him now. That included a helix to a 12 lane fiddle yard. It was perfect for not only manual operation but automation of different trains up and down from the yard. 

 

I would love to incorporate a traverser with perhaps a 6 lane off board section but it turns out I will have even less room that I originally thought. 

 

I've reordered the book by Iain rice in the hope that provides something useful. At the moment the compromise is likely a shunting puzzle type layout. 

 

I will keep plugging away at it. 

[Harlequin]

I think the difficulty with your question is that any real world location will require a lot of compression, compromises and adjustments to make it work in the size available and so it's really hard to suggest anywhere.

 

You'd probably be better off thinking about the kind of place you want and then designing something fictional along those lines.

 

The track plan doesn't have to be complicated to make operations interesting. Less is more, as they say. And a simpler plan will help you get the layout up and running more quickly.

 

If you haven't got room for any kind of external track (even a simple temporary fiddle stick would do) then you could design in a small bit of hidden track within the layout to give trains somewhere to go to and come back from. A hidden sector plate is quite a common device on small layouts - one of Rice's favourites. But that would only work if your Dad can reach round the back to access it.

 

[Moley48]

1 hour ago, Harlequin said:

 

You'd probably be better off thinking about the kind of place you want and then designing something fictional along those lines.

 

 A hidden sector plate is quite a common device on small layouts - one of Rice's favourites. But that would only work if your Dad can reach round the back to access it.

 

 

This is my approach now.  I'm going to see if I can do some rejigging and have one option in mind. It would be good to get a traverser installed.

 

 

[F-UnitMad]

1 hour ago, Harlequin said:

you could design in a small bit of hidden track within the layout to give trains somewhere to go to and come back from. A hidden sector plate is quite a common device on small layouts - one of Rice's favourites. But that would only work if your Dad can reach round the back to access it.

Because reaching a hidden track at the back of a home layout can be a real pain, usually because the layout is against a wall, in the past I've even used a 'staging track' at the front of the board; not hidden in the usual sense, but somehow seperated visually from the other tracks, one layout it was in front of a wall, another time it was done as street trackage, rails buried in the road.

It took a bit of imagination to think of the train leaving the scene, certainly, but no more of a stretch than imagining the whole layouts represented a real sort of place, compressed as they were.

[BlackFivesMatter]

Have you seen the Farthing blogs on this site, How to eat an elephant. Based on a bay platform which goods yard - and interesting storyline to boot! GWR is not essential. 

[Moley48]

We have decided to go with my miniature highly compressed version of Cheddleton. Only alteration is the follow through at each end. I've made the baseboard and back panels so they are completely modular, so I can easily modify the side panels with entry and exit points at a later date. The tracks will run to the extremities of the board hopefully allowing for extension off main scenic area to some sort of fiddle yard. I can make adjustments for this later.

 

It will include a version of sorts, of the river, road bridge running over and then across a working fully automated level crossing. Small station to accommodate a couple of coaches to work back and forth (once a yard is in place). Also a shunting environment on the layout.

 

We're not sweating it about real place in a tight space. It just gets too silly. Dads excited by the idea and I know he will enjoy it. Wish us luck ! 👍

 

Edited May 17 by Moley48