Nembrington Park - n gauge 10' x 3' BR Blue

[Dale_the_Noob]

Click on plan for a larger version

 

Its a 10' x 3' plan on 2 boards (6' x 3' and 4' x 3') which will be able to taken down when needed.

 

Baseboard frame and legs came from Model Railway Solutions

 

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/ModelRailwaySolutions

 

I'll get some photos up soon of the full size plan with some stock on in place and the baseboards being built

[Dale_the_Noob]

Full scale plan fun!!!

 

First we have the overall plan showing various stock including a full length HST , can fit 4 full length HSTs on the layout and on the longest road, 28 MGR wagons.

 

Next we have a slightly closer look at the fiddleyard at the back, engine shed on the right and DMU shed on the left

 

My 3 road engine shed can hold around 18 locos, I think I may use siding for a bit more loco storage or see if I can squeeze another siding in.

 

My 4 road DMU shed can hold a fair amount of DMUs :shock: Should be getting a 150/2 in Regional Railways this week in the post which should fill it nicely

 

I'm getting Jeff00052 (or something) via ebay to build me a DMU shed and engine shed both with a removable roof hopefully. I've got a building of his already and its excellent.

[Dale_the_Noob]

Baseboard time...

 

2 Baseboard kits (6' x 3' and 4' x 3') and 3 sets of legs from http://stores.ebay.co.uk/ModelRailwaySolutions (Very nice stuff, all pre drilled where needed and fits together well)

 

The 6' x 3' board dry fitted together.

 

 

The 4' x 3' and the 6' x 3' boards together.

 

Will glue them and put all the panel pins in tomorrow and then leave them to dry for a day or so. Then I'll build the legs and sort the joining and alighning of the 2 baseboards.

[woodenhead]

Promising start, like the baseboard kit.

[Kris]

Looking good. I recognise that having extra storage for more locos would be good. I would suggest not making it a through road. How about a couple of stub sidings off the loop that goes outside of the shed, heading towards the station?

[37058]

I shall be watching with interest. Looks to be a great little layout.

 

Im guessing the single line that comes down to the scissor crossing will be high level? (Blue on your plan) Over the mainline and slowly dropping down on the level, nice idea.....

 

Cheers, Anthony

[Kris]

Just looking at the large plan

 

Can I ask what you intend to use this (see arrow in picture) siding for in your fiddle yard? It does not seem to have a lot of use.

 

 

[Dale_the_Noob]

Kris - I was thinking of doing that, but I'm not 100% sure about adding more storage, I'm not sure how it would look. It would come of the loop and be next to the shed between the shed and the other sidings. I'll have a play when I've got it built, the yard will be the last thing built

 

37058 - Yes the blue line is the branchline that will go up and over the mainline. I can't get enough height on the branchline using a 1:35 gradient (only small trains), so the mainline will drop down 10mm where the branch crosses it and then come up again before the fiddleyard. This is the only part I'm not sure on and need to play with, but I want to use different levels as I think it will make the layout more interesting.

 

Kris - That little siding is for a DMU that leaves the bay platform up the mainline. It can go into the fiddleyard and then sit on that siding, when it returns it will switch to the other lines and return to the bay platform. It saves a 2 or 3 car DMU taking up a road in the fiddleyard

[ColinW]

Have to say it looks impressive, are you planning to exhibit it or will it be permanently fixed in your house?

 

Colin

[bcnPete]

wow that's impressive...

 

I like the fact that the station is not the central focus and is pushed to the side - can I suggest that if you modify the line of your backscene you could model the station as half covered and that way your full length HST's etc could appear to stop occaisionally...just a thought

[Dale_the_Noob]

Although this is my first real layout, i will be taking my time and doing it properly and I want criticism (apart from coach/loco/wagon numbers etc.) if something is good enough.

 

If I can build it to a standard, I hope to exhibit the layout and I'm building it with the abililty to take down and put up when needed so I will be able to take it to exhibitions.

 

Pete - The station will be half covered as if it continued on with half of the platform visible and the rest under a large station building and bridge. It would then look like the HSTs are stopping at the station with the right length platforms

[Kris]

Glad to here that your not going to rush this, don't want to spoil what has the potential to be a nice layout.

[Edwin_m]

Looks pretty impressive. Just a few suggestions, well you did ask!

 

Do you plan to lift the tracks a bit above board level so you can get your downgrade under the branch line, or is it possible to hack into that baseboard structure? Also I'm not sure about the sidings between the station and the TMD - there doesn't appear to be enough headshunt to get a train that is the length of the sidings in or out. What are these sidings for, and the same question for the two short sidings next to the DMU sidings? If you plan to handle freight in these then a run-round in the siding area might be a good idea. At the moment a train would have to run round in the station.

 

I wonder also about the layout of points in the station throat. Going anticlockwise the straight route is through the platform but clockwise it is the other way round though both tracks are a bit kinked. This suggest that the layout would only be used at low speeds, bit like platforms 3 and 4 at Nottingham if you know that area at all. If you want trains to run through at full speed then I think you should look at moving the throat a bit towards the edge of the board so that the main lines are straight (or almost straight).

 

In the fiddle yard I see what you are doing with the DMU siding, however this would need the centre reversible track to be empty whenever the DMU needs to operate. In which case couldn't the DMU just sit on the reversible track? Judging by your photo the reversible track is too short to transfer a HST from one track to the other. I wonder if you could move some of the fiddleyard pointwork further out using curved points, whic would give you more or longer storage tracks (perhaps including a few shorter reversible tracks for DMUs).

 

This isn't meant to sount too negative (honest!) - it looks to have a lot of potential.

[Flying Pig]

A few ideas I had following Edwin's comments. I've reduced the through lines to a single bi-directional centre road which allows a better flow at the station throat and gives you a bit more space on the curve where clearances between the lines may be an issue. The unspecified sidings now spring from a goods/slow line and are imagined to be the remnants of the parcels platforms, carriage dock etc - almost certainly out of use in your period, but perhaps you could stable engineering stock there.

 

To make room for the connection at the station end of the slow line, I've had to move the whole of the carriage sidings and depot slightly to the right, though I haven't had to shorten any of the roads. Finally, I've reworked the loco depot entrance to allow more flexibility around the fuelling point and a short siding for tank wagons.

 

[pitbull1845]

This shows the advantage of N gauge, I love the line up of locos, and the full length trains.

A promising start.

 

Thanks for sharing

 

Cheers

Scott

[Kris]

That bit or reworking looks good. The loop off the main line seems to work particularly well.

[Flying Pig]

Another rethink, to include a wash plant. Ideally you should be able to both wash and fuel a DMU, but I can't guarantee the lengths on a freehand sketch like this. Possible maintenance shed for the DMUs added too, though it hides both the trains inside and the wash plant.

 

[Kris]

Not quite sure why but I don't think the latest incarnation is as good as the previous one. Might be because there is going to be a awful lot of track right in the centre at the front, that could start to look crowded.

[Dale_the_Noob]

Wow.

 

I like the plans, I'll have a think about that, the single through road would be easier and make the flow better. I'm used to seeing 2 lines or 4 lines, are the single passing lines common?

 

I like your first modification, I would probably keep my original general sidings rather than the ex parcel depot/good siding (although I might put some spare track there disconnected but overgrown a bit like platform 1 at clapham junction.

 

I prefer your fueling arrangement, but should the headshunt for the depot be purely a headshunt with nothing on it, or would it be ok for a loco to be fuelling there with another loco using it as a headsunt?

 

I've got a 3 road loco shed built for me and a 4 road DMU shed 1m long(both with a removable roof). I'll post some pics when I pick them up next week.

 

Edwin - the 2 sidings on the right next to the DMU shed are for fuelling. The 2 sidings next to the station are just general storage, might have a few sealions, OBAs or some locos sitting there, I'm not expecting to fill these sidings with full length trains. I'm hoping to hack into the baseboard frame to lower the mainline. The dropping it down will limit how far to the right I can start the fiddleyard.

 

Thanks for all the input

[Dale_the_Noob]

Yay! I picked up my metre long mu shed and my smaller engine shed.

 

One minor problem is I under estimated the space between the rails in the sheds and need to redesign the whole yard. It will all fit in, just take up more depth.

 

Photos will be up in the morning.

[Dale_the_Noob]

Photos as promised...

 

All buildings were custom made for me by Jeff (http://shop.ebay.co.uk/jeff0052/m.html). Great detail, just a few little bits maybe to finish off (mainly weathering). I asked for the roof to be removable on each item, so I can see whats inside, I may add lighting and detaling inside, but not sure yet, see how brave I feel.

 

3 road through loco shed, should hold 9 or so locos inside or 12 if you let them stick out either end. Has some office/workshops on the side of the building with various doors, shutters and windows.

 

 

The 159 fleet lined up in the DMU shed - I love the finish on the roller shutters

 

 

End on shot, showing all the posters, doors, shutters etc.

 

 

Slight error in terms of width...

 

 

I will need to work the whole yard around, move the scenic break and the branch fiddle yard back to get the extra space. It should be do able, just need to curve the track around more to go around the DMU shed.

[Dale_the_Noob]

I spent 4 hours in anyrail last night updating the plan so that the new buildings fit in the plan - it was rather hard fitting it in the limited length but getting it so it didn't look shoe horned in and that there is space around things. I added in some of the changes Edwin and FlyingPig suggested, the throat is redesigned for the station and the fuelling area has changed. The layout is on 2 baseboards, one 6ft long and one 4ft long and the hard part is not having the points on the join. This join is just in front of the DMU shed and limits the positioning of the DMU shed and the loco shed.

 

I've also changed the throat of the station to make it flow better and allow the through trains to run at full speed and changed the fuelling area to have a run around.

 

I'm not sure on the sidings on the left, I will need to think about the scenary and have a play...

 

Click on plan for a larger version

 

After the changes due to the building, I'm going to start on the scenic parts of the plan, getting buildings etc. while it is in paper form so I can see if it will fit. Card will become my best friend.

[Edwin_m]

That's one heck of a shed but you seem to have fitted it in very well. Can I suggest you lengthen the depot headshunt a little (up to the end of the platform) so a longer unit can shunt. Does the position of the fuelling point allow DMUs to be fuelled?

[Kris]

Those building look great.

[Dale_the_Noob]

Edwin - I will increase the headshunt, hopefully to take a 3 or 4 car DMU so that I can shunt them from the yard to the refuelling line, but I tried a few things and it looked odd on the plan, so I will wait till I get some rough scenic pieces built to see how it looks.

 

On a DMU, each coach has an engine I believe? so each coach has a fuel tank and so each coach would need refuelling? I'll need to put some long hoses down I think, is this how it would happen or are DMU refuelling areas generally longer?