Shillingstone S&D in 3mm Scale

[TT3]

After a house move, dismantling the old layout with a jigsaw it has been 3 years since I have done any constructive layout work.

 

So yesterday afternoon I just thought I would put up the shelf brakets in readiness for future layouts, then I saw the large supply of recycled timber with some assembled L giders and a big sheet of ply left over from kitchen renovations, well one thing lead to another and sudenly I can post a layout in progress topic.

 

Shilingstone is loosly based on the S&D prototype, I say loosley as I am building it based on pictures and there are many things I need to find out, like what exactly is behind the non station side platforms..

 

Anyhow, train Service at Shillingstone will appoximate the prototype as my TT stock is limited but I can field WC pacific, Standard 5, Standrd 4 tank, 2P, 4F, Jinties, 2251, 57XX tanks and a G6. Of couse the rest of the TT will get a run on the layout but I can play S&D if i want.

 

Location of the layout is in my new spare room that is exactly 4 feet longer and wider which is not a bad thing. However the room will have to revert to a proper bedroom if and when we leave so it has a big built in wardrobe which is a bad thing.

 

Layout is being constructed temporarily on the shelf racking as it will need to be moved up bout 8 inches to accomodate the lower deck US n scale layout. It will need bracing as it is a bit unstable.

 

 

An overall view, track plan based on Shillingtone as published in the Historical survey book

 

 

 

Overall view of the station area no platforms just yet

 

 

Objective of this layout is more with less and an attempt at that 'spaciousness' of the prototype. These are a couple of test shots to see how spacious it felt with a 4 coach train.

 

 

 

Station buildings and signal box.

 

 

Track will all be 3mm society trackbase with peco HOm pointwork, control all DC. One of the most annoying jobs will be to soak all the old trackwork to release the glue and ballast to revive the flexible aspect of the trackwork.

 

As a test, I think this layout will be alot of fun to try, next job cork trackbed, wiring an maybe a test run. Of course this is only one quarter of the baseboards as the other 3 walls need baseboards to complete the continious run. The Station board is the only scenic board as the other 3 are just 2 extentions (one temporary) to reach the fiddle yard so a proper round the walls run is still a long way off.

[slow8dirty]

Ooh very interesting,

 

Shall keep an eye on this one, nice buildings.

 

What dimensions have you got to work with in that room, I've sketched out Shillingstone plans on scraps of paper many times for OO so I'm interested how it translates into TT.

 

Topic followed! 

 

Matt

[TT3]

Thanks Matt, station buildings were constructed by a chap from RMWeb a couple of years back, been in a drawer just waiting for use. Size wise about 3.4m square. Layout at the moment is 2.6m by 0.48 a strange size but it breaks down into modules small enough to fit in the car for transport if I decide to take it to an exhibition.

 

Wost thing about it is how big it ends up anyway even with alot of compression, I thought I culd get the yard into about 3 feet but no chance. What you cant see is the curve at the station end, here I can put the platforms on a good curve to more space. Also it would seem there is alot of trees/planting on the up platform side so this could hide alot of the curve.

[TT3]

Time to start tracklaying, only had a little while on the weekend but 1 sheet of 3mm cork and the trackbed is already looking better. Recycled track is cleaned and ready to lay so all good, hopefully more progress will happen this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RailWest]

"I need to find out......exactly is behind the non station side platforms......"

 

If you mean on the Down side, then basically it is just flat fields, at a slightly lower level.

[bike2steam]

"I need to find out......exactly is behind the non station side platforms......"

 

If you mean on the Down side, then basically it is just flat fields, at a slightly lower level.

Yes, but with the imposing view of the twin stone-age hill forts of Hambledon, and Hod Hills in the distance.

[TT3]

"I need to find out......exactly is behind the non station side platforms......"

 

If you mean on the Down side, then basically it is just flat fields, at a slightly lower level.

 

Yes, but with the imposing view of the twin stone-age hill forts of Hambledon, and Hod Hills in the distance.

 

Thanks Guys that's great, I had a rough idea the fields were at a lower level than the platforms that's why I have built this on risers. Guess the drop is not as far down as I thought so could have got away with a flat baseboard. Next task is to find out what was down the Bournemouth end of the yard, thought this will be more a representation of the location as I am dropping the ground a fair bit at that end.

[TT3]

Time to start tracklaying, all the track comes from a previous layout. The main surprise is how much trach I have and how quickly I have got to this stage. All visible is 12mm 3mm society trackbase and code 80 rail so better than PECO HOm and of course Triang.

 

 

 

Checking the alignment, surprising how well PECO track can look given the resticted geomerty.

 

Poor camera phone shot but trackwork flows well when you push a coach across. All points are marked out for the motor cut outs, Luckily I have another set of points with motors attached and half wired from the old layout so one less hassle covered.

 

Next time shoud have track layed properly, motors in and wired and it might even run for testing.

 

 

 

[TT3]

 

 

Final pic, taste of thing to come, a standard 5 and a G6

 

 

 

[RailWest]

I trust that you won't forget the trap point at the exit from the Down Siding West ??? :-)

[TT3]

I trust that you won't forget the trap point at the exit from the Down Siding ??? :-)

 

Well now that you mention it I think I have found a use for some old GEM track components. A closer look at the drawings in the Historical Survey book shows no catch point but the signal diagram does so it will be worth trying.

[RailWest]

The 'Historical Survey' was good for its time, but does have its flaws (my wife says the same about me :-) ). Just don't forget the trap on the Down Siding East as well when you get to that end of the layout!

[TT3]

I knew about the Down Siding East trap but we might have bigger issues in accommodating that end of the layout itself especially after a reviewing the plan again with an eye to scale. Might just have to employ a scenic break or some other disguise element until I can extend round that corner properly.

[TT3]

Alright time for an update, last couple of weeks decided the wall location for the TT layout was not ideal so have shifted it 90 degrees to under the window. Unfortunatley this required the creation of more benchwork and legs to hold it all together, on the plus side it has given alot more space for the end corners of the layout.

 

A second modification was to reverse the deck location for the layout. Initiallythe TT layout was the uppder deck with a N scale American prototype layout below. This has now been reversesed with the N layout going above the TT layout in  the form of a reverse loop to loop with end to end branch.

 

New Bath end for the station with N scale deck above, width of the lower deck is about 2 feet with the upper deck around 18 inches but this will grow to 2 feet to accomodate the return loop. Lower deck supported on old kitchen units while upper on modular shelf brackets.

 

 

Other side much narrower, 8 inches for upper deck and 12 for lower deck but this will be a bit more scenic. Lower deck becomes a fiddle yard for TT labout and return loop staging/branch town and coal mine when i get round to building it.

 

 

Better view of that side showing fiddle yard/staging and deck arrangements - currently used as work bench/junk storage. Width will be 3 feet at the bottom giving quite generous curves for a return loop yard while maintaining decent access from all sides.

 

 

New station approaches needing new cork roadbed and of course tracklaying.

 

 

Another view of the station, same layout as before but the Bath end might need a little realignment given my improved space.

 

 

Thats all for now, next time track and hopefully it will run.

[Joseph_Pestell]

Thanks Guys that's great, I had a rough idea the fields were at a lower level than the platforms that's why I have built this on risers. Guess the drop is not as far down as I thought so could have got away with a flat baseboard. Next task is to find out what was down the Bournemouth end of the yard, thought this will be more a representation of the location as I am dropping the ground a fair bit at that end.

 

I suspect that this week those fields are below water. They are meadows which go down to the Stour. My best guess would be that they are about 15' below track level so you probably have your board just about right - flat would not have been.

 

At the Bournemouth end of the yard (behind the station building) the ground rises a bit above track level. To the north (Templecombe) end of the yard, line is on an embankment for quite some distance including the road bridge over Station Road (confusingly named) which is actually a lane from Child Okeford. Embankment is not very high and bridge height over the road must have been quite restricted.

[TT3]

Ahh excellent stuff many thanks I can probably modify the baseboards to suit the Bournemouth end is no drama given the narrow boards and the scenic treatment for the North will end just after the siding so I can probably drop the fascia down to show the raised track level.

[TT3]

Other jobs to do, fit a lighting rig in the upper deck as it is difficult working on the lower decks in the dark - looking at LED strip lights. Also need to finish the upper deck and the yard which will be right above the station.

[TT3]

Progress at Shillingstone we can run trains properly

 

Station area

 

 

Fiddle yard - 5 loops and 4 sidings longest enough to hold 7 coach tains and/or 15-20 wagon freight.

 

 

 

Overall View

 

 

PL 13 side mounted point motors

 

 

PL10 surface mounted motors

 

 

Preferred method of point control Vintage Triang passing contact switches, only fitting giving the vintage triang TT rolling stock

 

[TT3]

Now the almost exciting bit. fed up trying to operate the layout under the shadow of a energy saving 20w bulb I tried out LED strip lights. Apologies for the picture quality as i had a bit of trouble with the colour on the camera but the results were outstanding. I am using 3 5m strips of 5050 LEDs, the light is enough to illuminate the layout properly and the fiddle yard. So much so I can operate with just the LEDs and no room lights.

 

 

 

 

Some detail shots, also gives a bit of scale for the station given the length of the train in the shot

 

 

 

 

 

Now the downside I severly underestimated the power need of the LEDs. Trying to run 15m of LEDs off vintage 2 amp transformers was not a success so I have had to invest in a proper 15 amp power supply.

 

 

[TT3]

Now jobs to do, wire up station point motors and isolating sections, scenery, buildings..well alot but we can now run trains and thats good enough for now. Currently working out some sort of operating sequence as the combination of sidings and loops in the fiddle yard means a days running can me organised with careful sequencing. All this means now is just identifying a selection of appropriate trains to run.

[TT3]

Time for a topic bump, after doing stock of how many projects are on the go and those that have stalled, it is time to revise shillingstone and run some trains.

 

First job is to remove the upper deck and remains of the N test track and get some basic scenery and platforms to make it more station like. The layout hasn't run for about a year so hopefully will revise OK. Second plan is to see how portable it can be made as I will need to move house in the forseeable future and I sure like this layout so would be a real shame to cut it up and send it to the skip.

[5BarVT]

Thank you for the 'bump', it gave me chance to see your photos of the LED strip. I too am fed up with working in shadow and was thinking along similar lines. Did you use warm white or cool white LED strip?

Paul.

[TT3]

Warm light LEDs give that nice yellow light but you can of course mix them up. I ended up using multiple 5 meter strips but it s to personal taste. Now the top level is being dismantled there is nowhere for the strips but sure will find a use somewhere.