Fictitious LNER Continuous

[Geordie]

Hello,

 

New member here, sucked back into model railways by a spur of the moment purchase of a Hornby Digital East Coast Pullman set; 30 years after I last ran a model train. I'm limited by space so the maximum I can have is 9' x 5' and I envisage it being LNER to late steam BR (I have always wanted "Evening Star" for some reason, even though it probably never went near the old LNER system). I would attach an AnyRail plan of the layout (with layers) but it appears that's not allowed, so here is a 1:1 jpeg file for your comments. The layout is on 3 levels with 3 stations, a goods/carriage yard, turntable and loco sheds, and a sort of fiddle yard on the middle level.

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Geordie.

[train mad]

interesting layout you have there. look forward to seeing it develop.

 

neil

[Kris]

That is an interesting looking plan. Have you considered how you are going to reach the middle most tracks to clean them and rerail any derailed stock?

[James]

As that's a solid piece do you have access all the way round? If you do, the overall space may prove to be better with a round the walls affair with a central opeating well.

[Geordie]

Thanks for the replies. I will have access all the way round, just about. It will be in a 11.5' x 11.5' room. I have considered going around the room, but I'd have to cross a floor to ceiling window, two doorways and a chimney breast which might be a bit too much for my joinery skills. I'll have another look at that idea though, but one side will have to be narrowed (track wise) so i can still get a sofa-bed in the room for occasional use. Yes, getting to the middle area might be a bit tricky as there are inclines and raised levels on all 4 sides. I'll start off with the blue lower level and take it from there. The layout is based on the Hornby Track Plans Layout 4, so not much of a purists layout, but I wanted to try and achieve a long continous layout capable with some stations capable of handling 5 coaches (at a push).

 

On another note do any of you know if it is possible to convert an old Tri-ang R59 to DCC? It is in a bit of a state at the moment, the rear bogie isn't attached at the moment as the attaching screw seems to have snapped at some point and the threaded bit is still in the loco chassis. Another thing to add to the job list. Here's a picture of 82004 in all her glory...

 

 

Thanks for reading.

[Sir Madog]

Geordie,

 

without appearing to be too negativeyabout your plan, but I think you may have just put a little too much track in that plan, leaving no room for scenery. Sometimes less is more ...

[Kris]

On another note do any of you know if it is possible to convert an old Tri-ang R59 to DCC? It is in a bit of a state at the moment, the rear bogie isn't attached at the moment as the attaching screw seems to have snapped at some point and the threaded bit is still in the loco chassis. Another thing to add to the job list. Here's a picture of 82004 in all her glory...

 

It might be possible, but unless it is of particular sentimental value you would be better off getting hold of a newer version. Bachmann do a version that is significantly more detailed and that is DCC ready.

 

 

 

[Geordie]

I agree, Sir Madog, it is a bit too full of track. I've been tinkering with just the twin loop lower level expanded to use more of the baseboard with a village in the middle. I'm still working out which parts of the original layout will be hidden if I stick with it. Probably hide the yellow middle level, and the red, dark red and light blue inclines. I could ditch some (most) of the lower level sidings and shorten/rearrange the loco sheds off the turntable to create more space in the middle for a village scene.

 

Kris, with regard to the Tri-ang R59 loco (my first loco from1970/1), I'll try and get it running just as a DC loco on its own layout of early 1970's Hornby track and I hope to add an LNER liveried Thompson Class L1 if I can find one.

 

Thanks for all your comments suggestions.

 

Geordie.

 

Edit; forgot to mention that I could use the yellow middle level for coach storage instead of the lower level sidings. The back face will be open for access but decoupling could be a challenge on the innermost track.

[Geordie]

I've had a think about Sir Madog's suggestion and simplified the lower level to come up with this. I've kept the turntable and moved it to the left with loco sheds, coaling stage, water, etc parallel to the lower level loops. It leaves some more room for a decent(ish) village scene and a proper station on the southern side. I also ditched the lower level northern station.

 

On another matter, it appears that we can't post files of layouts generated in AnyRail, except as a picture, is this also true for XTrackCAD files?

 

Sorry the first picture was so large, this one is a more manageable 273KB.

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Geordie.

 

Edit; the gray shape is for the lower level village scene.

[Geordie]

Hello again,

 

Just a minor modification to the placement of the turntable so that it can now be recessed into the baseboard without fouling the under frame. It also makes the gray space for the village scene look a bit better.

 

I think that's my final design, although I thought that 28 layouts ago!

 

 

Control will be via a Hornby Select for the locos and I was thinking of getting a Gaugemaster Combi for analogue control of the turntable and points and also to run my old Tri-ang R59 on a separate layout. Shame that my parents mislaid my old Tri-ang RP14 controller.

 

Construction begins this weekend; photos to follow...

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Geordie.