Loftfordshire

[Michaelaface]

I've been browsing through this forum for ages, without posting, just looking and being inspired by all the great layouts on here, and gaining some valuable information on how to do things

So I thought I'd post my layout on here in the hope of gaining any advice on improvements or things I'm doing wrong or help on various aspects

 

so here is my layout, the third incarnation of "Loftfordshire" (first two being hideous failures that were never finished) a fictitious location somewhere Lancashire/Yorkshire-ish set in the 1950's.

 

Layout details;

The track work is a mix of C&L fine-scale OO, Peco code 75 and Hornby set-track (only in the fiddle yard)

DCC controlled because DCC, in my mind anyway, is a lot simpler to wire up and a lot easier to control

 

Buildings

i have quite a few metcalf buildings already built, lots of station building and engine shed stufff

im thinking of getting some Hornby and Bachmann buildings though because from the pictures on ehattons they acctually look quite good

I'd like to be able to build my own from scratch, dont think i possess the skills for that yet though

 

Board

Board size = 3.5meters x 1.7 meters and is 6 sheets of plywood, 9mm I think

 

Plan

I wanted to build something prototypical but I have neither the space nor the skills to achieve this yet, so instead I've based my plan on various layouts I came across trolling about on here

the operation features I wanted to included were;

1) station - that can fit around 5/6 coaches comfortably and have a bay platform (possible terminus for a local branch?)

2) small goods yard with factory/warehouse

3) small engine shed area for housing various shunters and small goods engines (for some sort of larger industrial area near-by?)

 

so yeah here's my final plan that I settled on (yes that should be a singleslip not a double, but I'm an idiot and ordered the wrong thing)

 

 

 

 

Progress

I've been building this on and off for a while now depending on when I've had money for things, but I've been waiting until I have the layout at a decent level of construction before posting, so I actually have something Interesting to post and lots of pictures, because everyone loves pictures

I've also been taking this REALLY slowly, and doing everything carefully and checking everything (for once) and so far its turning out great

so the board has been constructed (out of the one used for loftys 1 and 2)

I've finished laying the track and cork underlay

and as of tonight I have the inner loop wired up (so I could run some trains, been too long since I last did this!)

lots more to do though

 

ANYWAY here's some pictures from tonight of where I'm up to, was going to post some video's too but my camera work is awful and left me feeling rather nauseous

 

 

Question time

Signals Can anyone help me with where signals should be placed? as I have no clue which or what should go where

trap points anyone know where, if any, that these would go on my layout?

 

all other thoughts and comments welcome =]

[Kris]

Looks like you have a layout with lots of potential here.

[Donw]

Trap points are used to protect passenger trains from vehicles running onto the main lines during shunt moves and the like. Because both the bay platform and the yard have shorts headshunts where they join the main you will not need to add trap points the two turnouts should be linked to the turnout and the double slip in the main lines so that unless the route is set for the main any runaway vehicle would be diverted onto the headshunt.

Don

[westerner]

I do like the sweping large radius trackwork. It really gives a model railway look rather than a train set look.

[The Stationmaster]

As already noted - no need for trap points as you have 'trap facilities' created by headshunts etc. The only thing I wonder a bit about in the track layout is the double slip - not a usual arrangement at a through station in Britain but you have explained it.

 

As far as signals are concerned we have a reasonable idea of place and period but it would be helpful to add a bit of history especially which Company owned the line in Pre-Group times and which Region controls it in your 'present' as it might make a difference. Plus some idea of what goes into/out of the various yards and sidings. that apart as you have achieved a fairly prototypical track plan (the slip apart ) the layout will be easy to realistically signal according to the relevant prototype practice.

[TheFonz1]

Blimey I noticed you had posted at 06-30 this morning! I think this is a smashing layout and I look forward to seeing the progress of it. On the subject of signals you should have starter signals at each end of the through platforms (assuming they are bi-directional) Ie this is certainly the case at Chester station. I'm not that knowledgeable about approach signals but I am sure there are many members on here who can advise. Thanks again for sharing your layout with us.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Don't fret too much about that double slip. As Mike said above, it's not the usual arrangement, but wasn't unknown at a through station. Tavistock (North) on the SR mainline to Plymouth had one, for example, on the up line just beyond the platform end.

 

 

Regards,

Peter

 

[Michaelaface]

Thanks for the all the nice comments everyone, feel the need to make some more progress and get more updates (with pictures AND trains) to post, currently wiring everything up, which I'm taking slowly this time as, in my previous attempts at building this layout, my poor wiring was consistently one of the main things that caused problems

 

Trap points are used to protect passenger trains from vehicles running onto the main lines during shunt moves and the like. Because both the bay platform and the yard have shorts headshunts where they join the main you will not need to add trap points the two turnouts should be linked to the turnout and the double slip in the main lines so that unless the route is set for the main any runaway vehicle would be diverted onto the headshunt.

Don

 

yeah, I thought this maybe the case, but after seeing the sort of "improvised" trap point on the Bradfield layout I kinda wanted to have a go at something similar

 

As far as signals are concerned we have a reasonable idea of place and period but it would be helpful to add a bit of history especially which Company owned the line in Pre-Group times and which Region controls it in your 'present' as it might make a difference. Plus some idea of what goes into/out of the various yards and sidings. that apart as you have achieved a fairly prototypical track plan (the slip apart ) the layout will be easy to realistically signal according to the relevant prototype practice.

 

well my idea was that it should be somewhere between Manchester and Sheffield/Leeds so I could run ex LMS and ex LNER stock, so that would make it either Lancashire&Yorkshire or Great Central?

as for goods, the area was full of mills and such so something like that? I still haven't decided on the goods facilities yet actually so any suggestions would be useful!

 

Blimey I noticed you had posted at 06-30 this morning!

 

haha yeah I couldn't sleep that night!

 

I do like the sweping large radius trackwork. It really gives a model railway look rather than a train set look.

 

thanks, I'm actually really glad you've said that, I spent ages trying to get my plan right and to try and get it as far away from that "train set" look as possible. When I first attempted building this layout, just under 2 years ago, I'd only just got back in to the hobby, I'd had a train-set as from the ages of 5-9, even then I hated the "train-set look," but that was it, so all I really knew was Hornby set track (recycled for use as my fiddle yard). So this resulted in a very train set looking layout, which I started to hate almost instantly and there fore only lasted a few months. I then tried again with Peco code-75 track (recycled this for use in this layout) but my plan was essentially the same as my set track layout looked equally horrible and was full of electrical faults. This lasted a bit longer, but in the end I just couldn't stand completing something I wasn't 100% happy with. So to hear it described in that way makes me feel like I've finally achieved what I was aiming to do

 

ALSO

any suggestions for ideas about buildings and scenery would be nice, as I can never make my mind up on what I want to do

 

Thanks

[Kris]

Given where you see this layout being set I would be looking at some large industrial buildings. These could be used to help disguise the curves.

[backofanenvelope]

ALSO

any suggestions for ideas about buildings and scenery would be nice, as I can never make my mind up on what I want to do

 

Thanks

 

Check out Dave Shakespeare's Tetley Mills! a great layout.. for some ideas.

Tom

[Heinz57]

Nice looking track plan there with loads of potential.

 

The only thing I would say is be careful with the 3-way point. I used one and everything that ran over it liked to de-rail. Many people have told me since not to bother with them as they are useless.

 

I am looking forward to seeing this layout progress!

[Michaelaface]

Given where you see this layout being set I would be looking at some large industrial buildings. These could be used to help disguise the curves.

 

sounds good, was going to use hills and bridges to help with this too

 

 

 

Check out Dave Shakespeare's Tetley Mills! a great layout.. for some ideas.

Tom

 

I've seen that one, it is indeed a great layout!

 

 

Nice looking track plan there with loads of potential.

 

The only thing I would say is be careful with the 3-way point. I used one and everything that ran over it liked to de-rail. Many people have told me since not to bother with them as they are useless.

 

I am looking forward to seeing this layout progress!

 

thanks and hmm, I've been rolling coaches and wagons over it and they've been fine, nothing will be going over it at speed, so I don't think I'll have any issues?

the only problems I've had are some of my older and cheaper wagons wobble a bit on the slip, but these will either not be used of have their wheels replaced anyway

[Michaelaface]

small update, been working on the fiddle yard and here's a possible arrangement of track and stock

 

yes I know most of it is hideous, I badly need new coaches and wagons

 

 

 

I also have half the layout wired up now, here's a video of some trains running to test it

 

[Kris]

Looks like your next job will be to put some form of protection on the ends of a couple of your sidings to stop locos and stock ending up on the floor.

[Michaelaface]

yeah I've already got that all planned out, however I might shunt some of my less favourable stock over the edge first

[Heruss]

Excellent looking layout. Good potential. Also, your stock doesn't look THAT shabby. As you're in a 50s setting, perhaps I might make a suggestion? Weathering. And quite a bit of it! There's a fantastic video out there that I really reccomend just to view and take ideas from called Pennine Steam in the 60s.

 

In fact, thanks to the miracle of youtube the whole video can be found here:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSX3MxmLYIE

[TheFonz1]

Coming along nicely! Enjoyed the small video slow running nearside and express superfast behind! Is'nt that what the hobby is about imho having fun? Agree with Heruss your stock aint that bad I have sinilar Hornby stock just waiting for me to get off my behind and actually start on my layout.

 

Another good way of helping with the curves maybe is to place them in a cutting with an overbridge (cameo scene) as an eye stopper if I find an example on the web I will post it for you. Thanks for updating I do like the layout you are building.

[Michaelaface]

Thanks for the link! that video was really useful! helped me get a better understand of what the kind of trains I'd want to run would look like, and I love the slick 80s production

 

the coaches aren't that bad, most of the BR ones are triang though, and have had their weights removed for some reason? =s (bought them off ebay) and the Hornby coaches need repainting as only 2 are BR the rest are LMS and LNER, I have some Hornby Pullmans which are a bit newer although also from ebay, but they were bought before I had any idea's as toward era and region and not to mention knowledge of what ran where. I doubt a line with this setting would have ever seen Pullman coaches, but I guess I could say it's a diverted train due to electrification elsewhere? or I could just say my layout my rules =p

 

haha that was my 9F running at unrealistic speeds, I'm not sure why that one is considerably faster than the others, when I first installed the decoder it's top speed was much lower, then one day it could do that? I've never really looked into the programming of decoders but is there a way to increase the top speed in them?

 

my layout is heavily inspired by another layout I saw on here and I was planning to disguise the curves in a similar way

here's a vid of the superb layout

[Heruss]

No problem at all I used to watch that video a lot when I was younger, there was a second part to it afterwards but I'm not sure what it was, or if it was uploaded also.

 

Remember, grimy is the key.

[Flying Pig]

any suggestions for ideas about buildings and scenery would be nice, as I can never make my mind up on what I want to do

Stone terraces clinging to steep valley sides with big mills along the valley bottom. Everything built of millstone grit and weathered black in your period. Lots of cuttings and tunnels. As previously suggested, Tetley's Mills is a superb representation of this landscape, as of course is Dewsbury Midland. A really useful book to get hold of is "Pennine Steam" by Kenneth Field and Brian Stephenson - out of print but there are quite a few listed second hand on the web.

[Oldddudders]

By all means use your existing rolling stock to prove the layout. As long as it runs, doesn't derail/uncouple/otherwise misbehave, then it's fine. You can have plenty of fun just operating it, perhaps with some sort of timetable service, although that's an option not everyone takes to. Having done so, you may find a few bits of the layout that don't quite work in the way you'd hoped - so change them, knowing what was wrong.

 

Then, and only then, when the layout is the way you want it to be, is the time to slowly improve the rolling stock/locos with better products. Getting distracted at this stage with lots of lovely new trains - we've all been there! - can really hamper getting the layout "right".

[Michaelaface]

No problem at all I used to watch that video a lot when I was younger, there was a second part to it afterwards but I'm not sure what it was, or if it was uploaded also.

 

Remember, grimy is the key.

 

haha the video is as old as I am o__O

and yeah, however my weathering skills are not that great yet, I intend on buying already weathered RTR stock though

 

Stone terraces clinging to steep valley sides with big mills along the valley bottom. Everything built of millstone grit and weathered black in your period. Lots of cuttings and tunnels. As previously suggested, Tetley's Mills is a superb representation of this landscape, as of course is Dewsbury Midland. A really useful book to get hold of is "Pennine Steam" by Kenneth Field and Brian Stephenson - out of print but there are quite a few listed second hand on the web.

 

cheers for the link! plenty of inspiration can be taken from that great layout

 

 

By all means use your existing rolling stock to prove the layout. As long as it runs, doesn't derail/uncouple/otherwise misbehave, then it's fine. You can have plenty of fun just operating it, perhaps with some sort of timetable service, although that's an option not everyone takes to. Having done so, you may find a few bits of the layout that don't quite work in the way you'd hoped - so change them, knowing what was wrong.

 

Then, and only then, when the layout is the way you want it to be, is the time to slowly improve the rolling stock/locos with better products. Getting distracted at this stage with lots of lovely new trains - we've all been there! - can really hamper getting the layout "right".

 

yeah true, most run well, and I've replaced most of the old wheels with new ones also, and haha thats why it's taken me so long to get to this stage. Instead of buying the track and electrical components I needed I instead bought a Britannia and Std class 3 & 4 tanks, well worth it though

[Heruss]

 

haha the video is as old as I am o__O

and yeah, however my weathering skills are not that great yet, I intend on buying already weathered RTR stock though

 

I was one *cough* hello fellow youngun

 

If, if if, I can find my Jinty that I have buried somewhere in this confounded house I will show you how easily you can make a good, grimy and weathered looking locomotive without resorting to anything bar a simple set of Tamiya Weathering powders, which have the added bonus of being removable with a slightly damp tissue.

[JeffP]

I like the layout idea, but I have to say that the huge out-of-scale woodscrews holding the track down sort of spoilt it.

 

Will they be removed, or replaced by something more subtle as the layout progesses?

[Michaelaface]

 

I was one *cough* hello fellow youngun

 

If, if if, I can find my Jinty that I have buried somewhere in this confounded house I will show you how easily you can make a good, grimy and weathered looking locomotive without resorting to anything bar a simple set of Tamiya Weathering powders, which have the added bonus of being removable with a slightly damp tissue.

 

sounds good, here is one of my few attempts at weathering , I think it looks ok

 

 

 

I like the layout idea, but I have to say that the huge out-of-scale woodscrews holding the track down sort of spoilt it.

 

Will they be removed, or replaced by something more subtle as the layout progesses?

 

haha they're only there as a temp measure to hold the track in place