hayfield Posted January 15, 2014 Author Share Posted January 15, 2014 Hi Hayfield, I believe that Ian Futers had a circular layout around the late sixties or early seventies, I'm assuming from the sole picture I saw of it that it was '00' and Scottish steam. It doesn't though seem like it's the layout you're referring to, though I don't recall seeing a track plan to confirm, yes or no. Someone will hopefully put me right and tell you which layout it was. It was quite large as it had several scenes as one line left the visual part of the layout another emerged at a different level Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted January 15, 2014 Author Share Posted January 15, 2014 Have you come across this one currently under construction on the boards? http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/67894-star-lane-hooley/ Thanks for the link, it was certainly as large if not bigger, and perhaps a bit wider. but as a 15 or 16 year old anything looks large when you have 2 4' x 1' boards Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Holliday Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 The big circular layout you saw was almost certainly the Southend Circle. That was a proper layout which was fully scenic for the full 360° and 20 feet in diameter in OO gauge with a couple of mainlines and at least one branch line weaving in and out of the continuous backscene. I suspect that it was maintenance issues that forced them to build the oval and smaller Curate's Egg as a replacement - baseboard construction was in the bronze age then, and I seem to recall that the track was all hand-made by the various members of the Southend club, and many cut their teeth in the process. The majority of the worthy examples cited by others are at the opposite end of the spectrum, with generally a single station as the focal point and reduced in size to the point where I have heard of one which hung from the operator's shoulders! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted January 15, 2014 Author Share Posted January 15, 2014 Nick Thanks for that, are there any photos of the layout about?. It would be lovely to see it again. I must admit I don't remember much about it other than it was very impressive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satan's Goldfish Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 I'm a big fan of circlular layouts too. I can remember seeing the n gauge 'taunton sands' when I was young which I was very hooked on watching. A few years ago I built 8 boards which fitted together as an octagon, so not strictly a circular layout but the track plan was mostly just a big sweeping curve. Outside diameter was 10ft, inside space 7ft, very awkward to find the space to set up and was unfortunatly destroyed by flood a year or so ago. I still toy with the idea though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dagworth Posted January 15, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 15, 2014 (edited) There was a lovely little 00 gauge circular layout at one of the RMWeb member's days at Stafford. I think there may have been photo's on here; it would be nice to see it again. Ed This one was at Stafford, but certainly can't be described as small http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/3288-ravensclyffe/ This one also seems to qualify for the thread, 360 degree viewing http://www.flickr.com/photos/85606644@N06/8104070289/in/photolist-dm8tKP-cmP65q-ewQLgL-bYM7nQ-bYM4Eu-bYM6qm-bYM655-bYM5mL-bYM5LY-dm8pfB-dm8phi-dm8tCE-dm8pep-dm8tEw-dm8yc9-dm8tDA-dm8pgi-dm8tBW-dm8pii-dm8tzN-gzYZFL-bmPTCX-gik5BD-dbdYM2-8UxcD7-8J4j1K-bj4B7p-afdtmt Andi Edited January 15, 2014 by Dagworth Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium t-b-g Posted January 15, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 15, 2014 Ian Futers did a few circular layouts way back when. The ones I recall had a fiddle yard so were not strictly 360 degree viewing. I always though it was a really nice design and gave the opportunity for running trains continuously that a fiddle yard/terminus or end to end layout doesn't give. Does Alan Whitehouse's Mini MSW count? Again, the scenic section is one half of the circle but that one truly is a circle rather than a "donut", which is how the Ian Futers layouts were referred to. There was an American layout at Nottingham show a few years ago where changes in level and a bit of a spiral enabled really long trains (longer than the circumference of the boards) to snake their way around and back into a hidden fiddle yard on the inside of the curve. Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasatcopthorne Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Check out 'Eight Dollar Canyon' at < www.csmrc.co.uk > 16ft diameter. Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted January 15, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 15, 2014 Striving. For those who knew it - 'nuff said. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium t-b-g Posted January 16, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 16, 2014 Striving. For those who knew it - 'nuff said. Superb layout! As is the follow up Striven. Can anybody remember what size they were (I think the both used the same fiddle yard and were probably the same size)? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted January 16, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 16, 2014 Superb layout! As is the follow up Striven. Can anybody remember what size they were (I think the both used the same fiddle yard and were probably the same size)? 12' x 10'. Only semi-circular with the fiddle yard on the straight boards. But the general design principle applies with regard to the trains looking so much better visually and getting a lot of movement and action into quite a small space. Definitely right up there with the best ever layouts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted January 16, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 16, 2014 Found Portchillun on here too that was one of my inspirationsal layouts. Not sure what diameter it was though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglian Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 (edited) The Ashdon and Midport mk6 in the August 1986 Railway Modeller (and some of its circular predecessors) always appealed to me. Perhaps others on here might remember it. Regards, That was the layout that immediately sprang to my mind. I think the continuous curvature appeal to me, even real stations that have straight platform roads always seem better with some curvature when modelled, to my eyes at least. I think it might have something to do with transitional curves not being modelled well, perhaps? There's something about straight model railway track that I'm not so keen on. A&M felt so railway like in a relatively small space and it wasn't cluttered. Was it EM or P4 – or am I thinking of the wrong iteration of A&M? Three Chop at St Albans worked so well… Where I live there is an oast house type building that I think may have been a dovecote. Every time I see it I think it would be fabulous to have a layout in the roundhouse! One other thing I like: with dumbbell type layouts is that trains return from their destinations. I'd really like to see that more on roundy-roundy exhibition layouts where you do seem to see the same trains running either up or down but not up and down… Edited January 16, 2014 by Anglian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted January 17, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 17, 2014 One other thing I like: with dumbbell type layouts is that trains return from their destinations. I'd really like to see that more on roundy-roundy exhibition layouts where you do seem to see the same trains running either up or down but not up and down… I like dumbbell type layouts. However, if you are interested in train formations rather than just the loco, the snag with a return loop is that the carriages are marshalled the wrong way round on the return journey. Not that many trains had a totally symettrical rake or indeed exactly the same consist for the return journey. Even today with an HST, first class usually remains at the same, usually London, end of the train. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Always fancied modelling a circular layout, there are some superb examples on this thread. For those layouts with pure 360 degree viewing, it does make you wonder how the exhibition manager copes with fitting it in a place where people can properly view all sides, bearing in mind most hall plans are to fit around layoits to be viewed on one or 2 sides at most? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium skipepsi Posted January 17, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 17, 2014 Personally I was thinking a layout for myself not about exhibiting a layout so the problem would not arise. Exhibiting a circular layout effectively means they would have to consider either a room it would fit in with a suitable clearance all round, adding barrier space to the diameter and treating as a square for floor space or limiting access to the front and rear only. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted January 17, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 17, 2014 One other thing I like: with dumbbell type layouts is that trains return from their destinations. I'd really like to see that more on roundy-roundy exhibition layouts where you do seem to see the same trains running either up or down but not up and down… On Widnes you will see the same units shutting around on all the lines - depends what our MILF chooses as the units next working. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Border Counties Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Greetings All I constructed four circular layouts in the 1970s-80s. The first was in 'Glen Douglas' was a OO layout based on the actual location along the West Highland line. Strange enough, I have just recently completed a 4mm scale plans of the signal cabin and cottage. The second layout was in EM - 'Longwitton'. A next attempt was 'Deadwater' also in EM. Finally in 1985 I produced a 'might have been layout' called 'Glen Falloch'. The final two circular layouts were never written up and only had a couple of shows. No photographs exist either (at least by me). Would love to have a 7mm circular layout, but the spare room is too small ! ! Mr F. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Would love to have a 7mm circular layout, but the spare room is too small ! ! The new Peco setrack curves will allow you a circle in about 8ft or thereabouts. Is the room still too small? Failing that, you could consider one of the narrow gauge 7mm scales to get away with tighter than normal curves to fit the space but still have that 'presence' of 7mm modelling. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted January 17, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 17, 2014 For a circular layout, even a branch, in 0, I reckon that at least a 16' diameter layout would be needed. That equals about 50' of run so 12 boards at about 4' long. Not impossible to accommodate in a small spare room on the basis of working on only two or three boards at a time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satan's Goldfish Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 There was a circular OO9 layout doing the rounds too at one point, divided into 3x 120 degree sections each modelled differently and representing a different season of the year. This was a circle rather than a doughnut, but the cream on top was that there was a motor underneath and the whole layout slowly rotated to show all it's sides so there was no need for it to be 360 viewable at shows. Operations on it were all automatic to make control easier. That concept does make me wonder how much you could fit on a 4ft diameter circle in T scale? The demo layout i saw at Peterborough last year had 3 trains running all off the same controller but on their own individual tracks and could be left to just run. A 2 track mainline running around the edge of a 4ft diameter circle would be just over 1 scale mile, plenty of space for a couple of HSTs to stretch their legs Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted January 17, 2014 Author Share Posted January 17, 2014 The thing I can remember the most (I may be wrong) about the Southend layout, is that whilst one line vanished into the back-scene a different line emerged to replace it. Not the same loco doing the rounds. That happened with both layouts at St Albans, but they were far more compact in size. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglian Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I like dumbbell type layouts. However, if you are interested in train formations rather than just the loco, the snag with a return loop is that the carriages are marshalled the wrong way round on the return journey. Not that many trains had a totally symettrical rake or indeed exactly the same consist for the return journey. Even today with an HST, first class usually remains at the same, usually London, end of the train. Yes, very true – I'd not considered that. I guess then the answer is that trains don't go round and round but locos are uncoupled, turned (if appropriate) and the train then returns. The fact that the track arrangement allows roundy-roundy running being immaterial, if this style of operation was in practise. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Happy Hippo Posted January 17, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 17, 2014 The Wrekin AG of the EMGS are in the process of building a very small group layout on boards which create a 10' diameter circle. As for where to put it....in the corner of a room so you get about 270 degrees of viewing. not such a good idea with a really large one. Debs: I remember 'The Curate's egg' in MR. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave47549 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 (edited) . Edited October 2, 2021 by Dave47549 Removed pointless guff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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