ian b Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Hi all! Never done one of these before so bear with me! I am a serial modeller- currently having layouts/ stock in Z, N, OO and O but n gauge has been my main scale since my parents bought me a Farish starter set (20142 plus two tanks and two freightliners) in the 80s. Anyway i've never shared my stuff with anyone until recently but thought i'd give it a go! In my railway room (shed!) i've got approx 14' x 6' to play with and have had a succession of railways in there, from modelling the west highland line to roundies to Edinburgh Waverley to Haymarket but haven't yet settled! I've always wanted to model Exeter but never took the plunge but have thought 'what the hell, i'll give it a go'. I'm a slow worker, being much more into running trains than anything else, and don't know how much i'll get done before I change my mind but here are a few piccies of my start- there are remnants of my old layout which is being gradually taken to bits to make way for this one! Hope they are of interest!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1977joey Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Hi Ian Looking forward to seeing this develope, looks like a great era you've chosen too Will keep my eye on updates, All the best, Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted April 4, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 4, 2011 An ambitious project, I like it Several years back in RM there was a couple of articles about someone who had built St Davids in n I hope that yours turns out just as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
devondynosoar118 Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Sounds great. Lots of operating potential too! Was there just the other weekwould thought it would make a great model. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian b Posted April 5, 2011 Author Share Posted April 5, 2011 Thanks guys! Love all things EE, especially the 50s so am aiming for somewhere around 1986-1991ish. This should give me the opportunity to run 50s in all hues! Does anyone know if the Farish 108 could be prototypical? The only 108 pairs i've seen have the headcode box, although one or two with the destination box were paired with 101 cars. Got platforms 1, 2 and 6 laid at the weekend- hopefully the rest of the station will follow this weekend... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
binesrail Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 This looks like it is going to be great when the track work is finnished! cant wait Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spannerman Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 Looking like good progress so far. Will be good to see a proper mainline station to showcase what n gauge is about, and to see some great west country diesel action. More pic's eagerly awaited. Nik Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky-CRS Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 Looking good. I like the class 50's as well. I am modelling West Cornwall main line a year or 2 earlier. Not sure about 108's really need 119's or 120's I think. Keep up the good work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian b Posted April 17, 2011 Author Share Posted April 17, 2011 Hi all! Quick update! Got the majority of the track laid now- just the roads at the Cowley Junc end of Riverside Yard to sort out. Had a bit of a think about the West of England/ Exmouth branch and have settled for 3 sidings at the mo- 2 are long enough for 2 locos + 9 coaches with a little 'un to hold a 3-car DMU. Wired very basically so far- just enough to get trains running! Also just enough to realise the bank is just too steep for an old three car grafar 101 to get up- looks like it'll be a 2-car for the time being... Heres a couple of photos- some close ups, a current stock list and a track plan to follow soon hopefully! Fiddle yards off scene- Barnstaple branch sidings to the right Overall station area 'Riverside' yard- 3 sidings is the limit! Complete with run round sidings opposite South end approach- it'll look better when theres actually a platform there... Depressingly blurred photo of 37 heading along the back wall- the 2 lines above have now become the Exeter Central fiddle yard Enjoy! Ian B Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katier Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Looking good, can you re-arrange the station throat at all, look to be some very tight curves in that area which is a shame as you have loads of space and long trains. I'm sure you could slacken the curves to both the outer and inner platforms, maybe with a small curve to the platforms. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian b Posted April 18, 2011 Author Share Posted April 18, 2011 Hi Katier! They look quite harsh in the photos but aren't too bad 'in the flesh'! I am in the process of replacing the set peco curves with Flexitrack which should ease them slightly- specifically the ones into platform 6 (far left) and platform 4 (right hand middle platform). My main worry is using short radius points in the fiddle yard but can't be helped unfortunately!!! Ian B Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katier Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 I was thinking if you changed the point that splits between the platform and the sidings for a curved point that might help a bit, would need slight tweaking of the pointwork into the depot but nothing major. Similarly a curved point before the cross over might help slacken things there a bit too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian b Posted April 19, 2011 Author Share Posted April 19, 2011 I was thinking if you changed the point that splits between the platform and the sidings for a curved point that might help a bit, would need slight tweaking of the pointwork into the depot but nothing major. Similarly a curved point before the cross over might help slacken things there a bit too. I think you're right- it would ease it off nicely but i'm trying build this without buying any more track so will have to try and be a bit cleverer with what I have. I've replaced the setrack stuff now with flexi which looks (and performs) much better! Photos to follow later hopefully!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian b Posted April 22, 2011 Author Share Posted April 22, 2011 Got the track down now to a layout i'm 99% happy with (although the doesn't count the fiddle yard!) and at a point where I can play trains, er, 'test the wiring'! All seems to be ok and running pretty well, although one of my Grafar 50s has developed an annoying habit of slowing down immensly around any sort of curve. Have checked the plastic things that hold the bogie in place and they aren't too tight or too slack, so i'm at a bit of a loss... Anyway, a couple of piccies to be getting on with! (You may need a bit of imagination!!! ) Elgar pulls into Platform 1 with the ECS for a W of E service while a 101 for Paignton sits in P3 50007 seen from the footbridge Nearly departure time! Leaving the tunnel on the way to Paignton Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted April 22, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 22, 2011 Playing trains is the best part! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian b Posted April 26, 2011 Author Share Posted April 26, 2011 Just a quick one! This is the track plan for the first shed which houses the main station and Central fiddle yard- i'll upload a plan for the second shed when I get it drawn! Forgive the wiggly lines... Didn't take long!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemoon-jon Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 WOW! this looks as though its going to be a really interesting layout, the era and location really appeals to me! one question, where did you get the class 50 in green from? cheers Jon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian b Posted April 26, 2011 Author Share Posted April 26, 2011 Hi Jon, Glad it looks interesting! Elgar is the standard Grafar one- i've had mine for probably around 15 or so years but there have been 2 on ebay this week so you can still find 'em! Also got Renown (29) in NSE, Victorious (36) in Large Logo, Defiance (149) in railfreight and 19 (Ramillies) in Laira blue! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted April 26, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 26, 2011 When running from the Meldon / Barnstaple line do you run "wrong line" to the other side of riverside yard or are you going to put in a cross over? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian b Posted April 26, 2011 Author Share Posted April 26, 2011 Hi Kris, I originally had the crossovers there too but found that the locos were clattering over them then in a fairly short distance onto another set so thought i'd be better to leave them out- works much better (and is much smoother) without- gotta think of my little passengers! Ian B Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian b Posted May 11, 2011 Author Share Posted May 11, 2011 This is why I said 'Possibly...' on my heading. Having got the track laid and things running pretty well I am now having second thoughts! Finding it a tad frustrating that the platforms are just slightly too short and also getting worried about the amount of stock I need just to cover a Sunday evening service! So are there other less expensive possibilites? My devon 1980s holiday memories start with some photos taken from our room in Paignton overlooking the north end level crossing. Days would start around 0600 with the arrival of a parcels train hauled by a crompton, before walking down to the park to feed the ducks and swans while watching 50s and first gen units popping in and out. Can I resist the temptation...? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robrailltd Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 keep faith the brother keep the faith. how much shorter than prototype would the trains relistically be? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian b Posted May 11, 2011 Author Share Posted May 11, 2011 After staring at the boards wondering what I should do I had a 's*d it' moment and have lifted the track- sorry for the loss of faith! Another important aspect for me was a bit difficult to explain and I didn't realise it until recently- one of the reasons for wanting to model Exeter (and I still do!) is to watch trains from a similar persepective as the majority of my photos and of my memories, and due to the layout having to have the station building at the front I was looking from the wrong side! I realise this sounds a bit odd but it was spoiling my enjoyment!!!!!!!! Should have thought about that during the planning... I was only losing about 3 coach lengths per platform so it was probably something I could have lived with but if i'd got a full-length HST sat there it would have fitted but looked a bit 'tight'. It also meant that I would have struggled with a pair of 31s on a west coast Mk3 rake which I fancied adding! Almost certainly going to have at least 3 simpler layout rising from the ashes- Paignton and Goodrington in the 80's (which is already advanced planning-wise), a china-clay cornish n-gauge one in the 80's (just a thought but I know silver bullets are arriving for my birthday this week!) and a Scottish-region based suburban station in the 90's for my 37/4s, 67, 86, 156s, 158s and 170s! The 50+ points I am in the process of lifting should help with these! Gonna kick off a new Topic shortly for Paignton- thanks for all the kind comments and hopefully see you there!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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