SR layout in OO

[LucasK]

Long time lurker first time poster. Long story short, start a layout in my early teens that got put aside for one reason or another, and now I'm ready to give it another go, only keeping the base board from the original layout. Still haven't decided on an overall name.

Board size is 3.8m by 1.6m and in the last few months of browsing the site here and playing with different layouts this is what I sort of come up with.
Layout being based on the The top half being based on Ashwater on the North Cornwall Railway and the rest being free lance but I'm still not convinced this is the best option, though its fairly close. The main issues being I can't decide about the lower station, either being 2 lines through or just 1, and also the entrance to the yards. The large grey patch on the left representing a hill with a tunnel running through (Track access from underneath the board).

 

Also excuse the few places where track is missing, purely due to the limit on track pieces in the free version of anyrail.

 

Plans so far are:
Peco code 75 throughout
Servos for controlling points
DCC operation

Really I'm just looking for thoughts or constructive criticism before progressing any further.

Cheers, Lucas.

[Brinkly]

Hi Lucas,

 

Welcome to RMWeb. 

 

First of all are you planning on having any fiddle yards/storage space, as although both stations look very good, to me operation is very limited. (I would have just one station and then some from of fiddle yard taking the place of the other station.)

 

Kind regards,

 

Nick.

[LucasK]

Hi Lucas,

 

Welcome to RMWeb. 

 

First of all are you planning on having any fiddle yards/storage space, as although both stations look very good, to me operation is very limited. (I would have just one station and then some from of fiddle yard taking the place of the other station.)

 

Kind regards,

 

Nick.

I've thought about it and think I'd still rather the 2 stations on the main board. With that in mind i can see 2 potential options for storage. One being to use the line on the top left as a line off to storage, the other option being making the lower station on the plan a single line through but having the second line through as points off board to attach storage on that side if you get my meaning.

[Brinkly]

I've thought about it and think I'd still rather the 2 stations on the main board. With that in mind i can see 2 potential options for storage. One being to use the line on the top left as a line off to storage, the other option being making the lower station on the plan a single line through but having the second line through as points off board to attach storage on that side if you get my meaning.

 

Yes I think so! Do you have any additional space? 

[DavidH]

Is storage really necessary? You can run an out and back service on that; you just need to limit the stock on the layout at any time. 

[LucasK]

Yes i do have additional space but I had been thinking along similar lines to David. As long as I limit the stock on the layout at any point in time i should be able to keep it varied enough. And also if I go with the option to add storage by the top left siding, it can be on a needs basis if I find myself wanting storage sidings.

[Gwiwer]

Hi Lucas and welcome to RMweb where we have a strong Aussie contingent many of whom are knowledgeable in and / or modellers of the Southern Railway / Region of BR.

 

I'm familiar with Ashwater.  It would make a lovely setting or base for a semi-fictitious station.  It offers the opportunity to run short mixed, passenger and gods trains and the occasional longer one assumed to be a through London working perhaps behind something like a Bullied light Pacific.

 

I'm a little cautious with your second "lower" station given the space you have.  It might be the limitations of the design software but it appears that the platforms are almost as long as the intervals between the stations.  A train departing one will arrive at the other just moments after its tail has left the first.  Your board is 3.8m long and the station occupies about half of that but the dock platforms are shorter and possibly below a metre in terms of useable length.  Given that you - perfectly reasonably - have a loco-release on one line you are only going to be able to run round a train of a single coach or two at most.  Such short trains were often push-pull with no run-round required.

 

May I suggest that you consider dealing with two matters in the same move?  The larger "lower" station becomes a smaller station altogether and possibly a wayside halt such as Nanstallon or Grogley on the SR Bodmin - Wadebridge route (and which can still be a crossing point on a single line) and you reduce the complexity of the sidings area to have perhaps a 2-road loco shed and a couple of storage roads which can be used for goods wagons or a carriage or two.

 

There's scope there to create something like a small industrial site and still have stock storage.  The SR kept carriages in all sorts of strange places at times!

 

I'm happy to discuss anything in greater detail at any time and you are welcome to browse my own projects linked below.

[David Todd]

Welcome to RMweb.......Lucas,  will watch you develop your SR. layout................

[LucasK]

Thanks to everyone that's replied already. Thanks Gwiwer, that's the sort of feedback and thoughts I want on the matter to give me something I can enjoy running, I somehow had managed to overlook the fact that a train would barely had left a station before arriving at the next if I were to run a long set.

[jon_1066]

Your curves look rather tight on the inner line especially coming out of the lower station.  You need to keep to R2 equivalent if possible (about 450 mm radius).

 

How are you for access?  ie do you have access all around or at least to both sides or will one side be up against a wall?  If the latter you will struggle to reach across the layout to build it or rerail/clean the track.

 

You could put some carriage sidings off the inner loop between the loop and the bottom platform of the top station.

 

What about using a single slip on the lower station throat instead of your Y points like this:

 

 

It would take up slightly less room since you can use curved points to start your curves.  It would also allow trains from the branch to pass through the station by accessing the lower platform and would keep the two through platforms operating to the left.

 

 

 

 

[LucasK]

Hi Jon,
Yea, I'll be making sure i keep to R2 at least, the inner line ill give as a large of a radius as possible while still giving enough to put some sort of scenic break between the inner line and the top station.
Access wise I can get around the whole thing without any issue.
I'd thought about running sidings of the inner lines but wasn't sure if it would make the sidings/yard feel a bit disjointed.
No I hadn't thought about using a single slip there, thanks for the idea. It will definitely get some consideration.

[LucasK]

Potential changes/ideas, which solves the issues of not being able to get the station yard from the outer lines.
The sidings coming off the inner line being some sort of industrial site, Of what description I'm not sure.
Also the blue rectangle is a potential coal staithes location but again suggests are welcomed.

[tophski]

I think if you are wanting to have any form of natural scenic break that you now have too much activity going on. What looks to be a lot of white space on anyrail is actually only 15cm or so in real life.

One thing that might help you there is to set a grid out on the background, under settings, check grid and it really helps you to see how much space you are leaving for scenery. 

The cost of a 3 way point also can often outweigh the advantages of saving an inch or 2 in a storage yard/sidings.

 

I preferred the first plan as it seemed to give you more options to play, forming trains in the terminus part of the station at the front, sending them round and through both stations, and then using the far through station to end the journey, and add a milk van, or parcels wagon, and return the train to the original destination.

 

If you have good access the whole way round you may want to consider a hill with large trees on top running down the middle, creating a scenic break, so you don't see the train all the time. I would take out the reverse loop in the middle and turn one of the platforms on the far station into an island, which would let you have a run through line not affected if you were using the 2 lines you have drawn currently to run round a train/shunt wagons into the sidings.

 

It may well be worth plumping up the £40 to buy anyrail as it will give you a complete idea of the trackplan without any missing bits of track. I purchased it over a year ago and find it such a blessing when trying to design helix's and other such trackplans!

 

 

Hope that helps.

 

Chris

[jon_1066]

I like the new plan.  I think the reverse loop still adds to the potential operations you can carry out.  I would definitely try to fit some carriage storage in somewhere.

 

The industry could be used as a scenic break - some large mill buildings will have the effect of the hill mentioned - though not very southern.  Perhaps a cement works or brewery would fit better.  Make the setting more urban and hide the railway with the town

[Removed a/c]

Looks good and I will be following along with interest. 

[jon_1066]

I think you ideally want to put both lines into tunnels.  Could look something like this:

 

 

You can use a bridge, a chalk hill and the large industry to hide parts of the railway from view.  There is room for carriage sidings and your industry plus various workers cottages and the hint of the outskirts of a town.