Shillingford in 3mm scale

[TT3]

Following the imminent demise/dismantling of Tretton, my first adventure in 3mm scale in the spare room I have decided to go with less track, more space and just as much operational potential.

 

The new effort, after many months of head scratching hopefully will over come some of the major shortcomings of the Mk1 layout, namely that it was never based on anything particular and thus had a very generic, and overcrowded feel to it.

 

Enter Shillingford a small junction station somewhere on the southern, single track section of the S&DJR. The name is a construct between Blandford and Shillingstone to kind of get the feel of the place. In addition, the branch, worked by traditional WR motive power services a stone quarry and ends with a very traditional style BLT. By a careful, and hopefully well executed use of scenic breaks the branch and mainline run accross 2 viaducts off scene to the fiddle yard.

 

In terms of the proposed layout all of this excitement needs to fit into a space around 12 foot square. An added problem is this layout will be in my new house which has a built in wardrobe with doors that need to open. I initially was going to aviod the wardrobe, remove it or just pretend it was not there but subsequently realised it is an excellent space for stock storage, especially if the cassette fiddle yards are the same size as they cubard space

 

The layout is designed for operation by 1 person but if somehow I found a friend it would be ideal. Thus operation points are in front of the through station close to the fiddleyard and the BLT (X on the plan)

 

For single handed operation one has a couple of choices, play with the BLT, make and break up trains, send them to the roundy to reverse and/or fiddleyard.

 

Or if one just wants the less intensive option of watching the trains go by, usual roundy roundy operation from the through station but one can also send things down the branch either to a fiddle yard or the station itself (DMU/autocoaches style).

 

With an extra operator it is more fun as you can make up proper trains in the branch and send them on to the junction.

 

This probably sounds a bit confusing so here is a schematic of the proposed layout apologies for the poor quality/no scale and general scruffyness

 

 

The detail of the junction station is as follows. I am hoping with this plan to preserve the feeling of space but while including some essential S&DJR elements. Most important element is to separate the arrival/departure of branch trains from the roundy.

 

 

All this will be DC as it fits in with the vintage rolling stock. In terms of rolling stock, i dont intend to be too restrictive, one just can't in 3mm. But if I were to do the proper job and keep to period I have Bulleids, Standard 5s, Standard 4s (tank), LMS 2Ps, 4fs, collett goods, 94xx and 57xx panniers, G6 and of course the jinties.

 

While this will make for a nice S&D session I will also run the the reast of the triang and the modern image component, well class 47s, AIAs and the DMUs. The reasoning is that DMUs make single handed operation of a brach alot more fun!

[The Dorset Wanderer]

Good to see another 3mm layout in the making. Which track are you going to use? I tried PECO Hom curved points but had so much trouble with them I actually modified my new layout to Terminus to fiddle yard. It may one day have the possibility of linking up with Hennock.

Good luck.

Steve

[TT3]

It will take a while to get this up and running so I am going to concentrate on the BLT first. Trackwork will be peco HOm points and 3mm society flexible track bases. I find the 3mm society track is the best, looks realistic and can run triang without any problems.

 

I have a few HOm curved points but could not get them to work reliably and the inner radius is very sharp. However, I am going to try again with the curved ones on the terminus but am prepared to give up with them. After the BLT is done i might even build some of my own pointwork but at the moment I have alotof trackwork I can recycle from the old layout, though all the GEM and wrenn track will be binned.