David_B Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Hi All, I was looking for a small project (is there such a beast?) and remembered seeing a shunting layout at a show a few years ago (possibly Bangor, Co Down 5ish yrs ago?). Anyhoo, looking at Carl's site for inspiration I stumbled on Enigma Engineering which I believe is the one I saw at the show, unfortunately the youtube video with the article was a dead link. I did a google seach which turned up some photo's and a few mentions in a thread here and there. One thread on All Model Railroading states the sidings should be long enough for 2 wagons and that 6 wagons (and a brake van if one wants to be masochistic) was the correct number of wagons for the puzzle. Looking at the few photos I found the sidings look big enough for a loco and 2 wagons which makes sense, but I can find no mention of where wagons should start from and where they should end up. I have the space to add a detachable cassette on one end so the loads can arrive and leave. So, does anyone remember the layout and the rules, or can point me at anywhere else on the net for info, any help would be very much appreciated. Regards David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisf Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 I remember this layout [P4] very well. It is a simple yet absorbing shunting puzzle created by Paul Gittins who used to be on RMweb but I'm ashamed to say that I have forgotten his user name. The rules are that cards are dealt for each wagon at each location and the victim has to shunt the wagons so they end up in acordance with the cards. It does help if you have functioning brain cells! See also the thread started by Edcayton on micro layouts. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon A Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 There were two articles in the Scalefour news written by Paul G The basic track design was a run round loop with two short head shunt / sidings. Entry was gained from off scene storage from the left with a barrier which was closed after the train, 3(?) wagons and a brake van arrived. From memory two sets of cards were used. You dealt out one set of cards face down which was the location where the wagons should be placed. These were laid out face down. You then mixed a second set of cards for the wagons already on scene mixed with the freshly arrived wagons - but not the brake van. Then place one card below each of the position cards face down. You should have three cards left over. Turn the position cards over followed by the wagon cards placed underneath. This tells you where particular wagons are to be parked. The remaining cards formed the departing train, with the brake van at the back and the loco on the front. I believe the points were 2 feet radius in P4! The layout was very reliable and I have spent a few hours scratching my head shunting my way out.(2 engines cause even greater problems!!) Gordon A Bristol Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodco Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 G'day David, there was a photo article in the British Railway Modelling mag November 2006 Vol 14 No.8. Cheers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_B Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 Thanks for that Rodco, email sent to back issues dept... Hi Chris & Gordon. Ok, as I understand it there are 6 wagons & a brake van in play, 3 already at the industries and a loco with 3 wagons plus brake van arriving to the industries. The wagons are swapped according to how the cards were dealt. Loco plus 3 wagons and brake van exit to fiddle yard. I have done a quick anyrail below, A to D would be the arrival locations for the wagons. It seems that the brake van was added to the puzzle becuase the run around loop cannot be made short enough for only 3 wagons thus making the puzzle too easy to solve. Thanks for all your help. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 "Enigma Engineering" - the USA version was called "Peforia Narrows" and appeared in CM (sorry no date) can be found in the RMweb3 archive here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=6396 I think the "Enigma" appeared as an article in RM (again no date) and is in Carls Scrapbook page 70 http://www.carendt.us/scrapbook/page70/index.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_B Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 Thanks shortliner, I'll see if i can get any joy with RM...Unfortunately the youtube link on Carl's site says that the video has been removed by user. regards David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon A Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 I think I remember there was also a spot at the left hand head shunt for 1 wagon. Gordon A Bristol Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon A Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Here is some pictures of Enigma Engineering I took at RailWells in 2008 The last picture appears to show that there are 5 positions in which wagons are parked. The gate at the extreme right hand end is shown closed, which takes place after the arrival of the train to stop the operator from using the fiddle yard track for shunting purposes. Gordon Luck has built a similar size and designed layout called Fish Dock (I think). Gordon A Bristol Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_B Posted February 16, 2012 Author Share Posted February 16, 2012 Many Thanks Gordon, Great photos, they clearly show the track layout and length of the sidings. Even though I have a few yards of code100 lying around I might go for code75, as I will need to buy points anyway. Look out B&Q Regards David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5050 Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Just found this - a year to late! The layout is still extant, mothballed away in the loft along with it's US counterpart Peforia Narrows. Like Gordon says, there are 5 'spotting' positions and 6 wagons plus loco on the layout at a time. The train arrives from the right through the gate with one wagon and a brake van and leaves with a different wagon and the brake van - and the loco at the head of the train. All the wagons in the sidings are repositioned according to the random dealing of the cards. There is one card made out for each wagon, I used old business cards with a small printed lable for the wagon description. The sidings are artificially cosmetically shortened to allow only 2 wagons to fit (stop block, old wheels etc.) and the head shunt and 'mainline' to the gate only hold 2 vehicles (2 wagons or loco + wagon) as well. Locos used are shortwheelbase industrials no longer than a 4 wheel wagon. All the pointwork was built to fit and to ensure the siding lengths were maintained. David B - did you build your own version? It would be interesting to see how it translates into Peco track for the British version. Peforia Narrows predates Enigma and is built with Streamline small radius points. The principles of operation are very similar, only 40' cars can be used but there is no fiddle yard, stock stays on the layout and only the cards are reshuffled each time. I also don't use a controller with Peforia. Voltage is constant (enough to give slow running with Roco chassis etc.) and controlled by a spring loaded centre-off DPDT switch fitted so that the toggle goes right to left to indicate direction of travel. As Gordon says, I had to introduce the brake van to Enigma as without it there was just to much space available to make the shunting less 'interesting'. Thanks for the photos Gordon. I still have a similar amount of hair - but it's a few tones lighter in colour! Can't believe that was nearly 5 years ago! Oh, BTW, I've never been to Ireland so it wasn't me you saw at Bangor Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
maunsel Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 There was/is also a similar 7mm version called Porthwain. Which can be found at http://www.bpmrc.org.uk/layout9.shtml This would be more compact than Enigma Engineering if done in 4mm Eric Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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