Full garage plan - new plan update!

[jamest]

Hi again,

 

Been looking at other options this evening but I think the plan in post #25 above is the way to go. I like the size of the passing station and the flow of the main point work and curves.

 

The one thing that still needs sorting is the goods area and sidings - I might look at reversing the sidings on this plan too to see how it would look - maybe even extend the short siding into the up platform completely along the back as a loop. There is scope to fill in with wider boards at the end over the car bonnet if the goods plan would benefit from it.

 

Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

 

Regards,

James

[Ray H]

That looks better to me.

[jamest]

Hi again,

 

Been agonising over my options after honing the previous plan - I love Wellbridge - even more so after reading the latest Model Rail - but it does not really suit my space. I've looked at options for filling the gap where my car door opens - possibly another removable section - but it is not really practical and I will have horrible acute angles to cross and point work to fit around it (I have built all the surfaces shown already).

 

So with all the things I've learnt from playing with plans, and the advice on here, I've gone back to the plan that pricked my interest first. I think what I like most about Wellbridge is the sweeping curve and scenery - not necessarily the track-plan. So I'd like to put the following plan up for comment. It comes from a Hornby mag plan book, and is slightly adjusted, but I like the look of it. It also leaves me room to develop scenics on the bottom right and left - with a possible bridge within the orange section.

 

The Hornby plan uses a double slip and allows access anti-clockwise through it. The goods loop does not rejoin the loop and three lines exit top left (there is also no cross over top left). But I like the idea of keeping the single slip at the bottom of the station to mean anti-clockwise trains have to reverse into the loop from the top. I probably should have a catch point up there - I think I will 'make' a cosmetic one.

 

I realise any preference between my ideas is down to me, but I'd appreciate any comment on the workability of the plan.

 

oh yes....I've added a couple of red extension lines as board extensions that are easy and more practical and permanent - I know .......thats cheating!

 

 

Obviously another option would be to not have a loop joining the main line at the top and have all the goods lines terminating only accessed by the single slip - but I like the flexibility of this.

 

Regards,

James

[Chimer]

Looks good, but (assuming north is up) I'm not sure you need the runround loop to the west of the platforms - I think you could reasonably leave any train (goods or passenger) in platform 3 and run round using the main lines as appropriate.  This would slightly simplify the pointwork at the south end, avoid the awkward-looking (to my eyes) point near the north end of platform 3, and make the goods yard look a bit more roomy (unless you put another siding in, which you then could).

[jamest]

Hi,

 

Good advice - I'm always open to more sidings!

 

So rather than save space I've used it to have a new siding - and I've lengthened the head shunt a little.

 

I've definitely learnt a lot about operation of main line stations - I was working on the assumption that you kept away from the main running lines if possible - but I notice some yards had no head shunt and a lot of shunting was onto the main line. That said I would like to have two trains circulating and be able to play in the yard. I think this suits that nicely:

 

 

Regards,

James

[Ray H]

James

 

I think I'd be tempted to investigate having the access to the headshunt direct from platform 3 to void the double reverse after running round otherwise you'll need to block the main line to run round and then block it again to move the train into the goods yard.

 

You could leave the siding that was formerly part of your goods loop as an extra siding for shunting or you could remove it and swing the yard nearer to the station.

 

You may then be able to avoid the need for the infill piece opposite the pillar that seems to protrude into all garages and reduce the width of the infill where you've currently got the goods shed.

 

Do you have plans for a fiddle yard/hidden sidings/staging yard so that you can swap the order of trains and perhaps reverse them? You don't appear to have much room to do so.

[jamest]

Hi Ray,

 

Thanks for popping back and steering me back onto the right......track.......(sorry!)

 

You are, of course, spot on with that - when it was a loop it would have ok..ish but as soon as I re-arrange it to a single road without the point I should have looked at the head shunt too.

 

That leaves me with two options - I like the idea of utilising my large radii points in the goods throat now - I can maximise the sidings with a three way (which I already have), or more points - or cut it back a little as with the second example below.

 

After saying I like to maximise the track, I think the second plan looks a little better.

 

 

 

As for reversing and storage - I have to admit it has not been at the forefront of my plans up to now as my scenic ideas keep swapping boards! I don't think I will have a traditional multi-road storage area for obvious space reasons. I'm happy to have a lot of scenic run for now and swap out stock when necessary. Perhaps even have a fold up or temporary fiddle yard that I can offer up when I want to change things up a bit.

 

Regards,

James

[Chimer]

With apologies for repeating myself .....

 

 

For storage, how about double-track cassettes, say 3' long, forming part of the main run down the left hand side shelf?  Obviously there would always have to be one in place, but if you had 3 or 4 of them you could ring the changes on stock quite well.  You might even be able to disguise them as bridges ....... 

 

....... or have a bridge that can be lifted out and replaced temporarily by a cassette.  For new locos, you can just drop a locolift on any old foot of unobstructed plain track.

[Ray H]

James

 

I think that looks better.

 

Prototypically I think you would require a trap point between the heel of the point off the headshunt and into the bay and goods yard and the first of the two points in the goods yard itself to deflect any runaways. Consequently the two points may need a little separation to accommodate this even it is only a cosmetic one.

 

I calculate that you probably have a maximum capacity in the yard of seventeen conventional four wheel wagons. Realistically you probably not have more than about a dozen. Is that going to be enough for you?

[jamest]

Hi Gents,

 

Thanks Chimer - I haven't forgot your earlier suggestion!

 

Ray,

 

My stock is limited in numbers at the moment, and at today's inflated prices I'm reduced to looking for second hand bargains at my excellent local shop (he says he makes more money out of second hand stuff too). I have some flexibility on the format of the goods yard so I can lengthen the roads or rearrange them a little.

 

I think I'm happy with the main line and station throat - I have to order a few points and buy my box of flexi-track now!

[jamest]

Hi again,

 

Tweaking the plan a little to match my, mostly medium radius, point stock I get the following. I've ordered two more curved points for the North end and the single slip.

 

I'm going to leave the narrow west end with some straight for swapping out stock and the bottom left corner will be non-scenic. The rest will hopefully flow through countryside, level crossings, river crossings, etc.

 

One other question - would a branch service leaving the bay be ok running 'wrong line' (when it returned) to the other side of the famous pinch point before branching off the outer line on a left hand point? If it returned it could terminate or cross over through the single slip. I thought it might add a little extra interest and terminate in the hidden bottom left corner and crossing a river on a parallel bridge to the main line at the bottom?

 

 

Regards,

James

[Ray H]

The amount of wrong line running should be kept to a minimum but otherwise I'm sure others will reveal a number of locations where it happened.

 

You'll need a siding that's about 2ft long (and some precise stopping in that siding in order to keep the "hidden" section as short as possible!). Then you'll need the point. You appear to have room for that but I wonder how you would disguise the disappearance of the branch after the point - and that could make the siding even longer.

 

(With DC) You could fit a diode across a rail break at the end of the siding to stop the train when going in but allow you to drive it out as normal.

[Chimer]

If the junction to the branch is immediately "south" of the pinch point, so the point is effectively part of the station throat, I would think so (hope so - my plan for my last great layout has that arrangement  ).  But you've not got much scope to differentiate the branch from the main - maybe if it climbed or (easier to lose it) dropped away after the junction?

 

Assuming you're thinking of using a DMU or push-pull steam on the branch, another operational option (as you say) would be to come down the branch cross to the inner loop via the slip and carry on "north" instead of going to the bay - you would then find a crossover in the hidden section useful, so it could come back on the outer loop and carry on up the branch without any visible wrong road running.  And another hidden siding facing the other way so it doesn't have to return immediately .... and so it grows ....

[jamest]

Hi again,

 

Thanks again for your help and invaluable voices of reason!

 

The branch is a maybe at the moment but taking on your advice above - I see perhaps a run into the A/Clockwise loop in the throat as described - run around the loop and return much later via the hidden crossover. The set-track curved point could enable you to run A/Clockwise and appear on the branch again, but that obviously seems wrong from a reality point of view.

 

I've also looked at an arrangement with no curved point removing the ability to cheat!

 

I could raise the branch around the bottom - but I like the idea of a double and single bridge over a river on my removable board - the branch would perhaps disappear behind a watermill on the river bank between the lines - or an overbridge - etc etc

 

 

 

I'd like to separate the branch and main lines more on the bottom but I'm mindful of the transition between temporary board and narrow shelf - Its impossible to get a perpendicular track crossing here - I might end up inserting a piece of set-track curve track every time I set up to avoid the need to line up/solder/cut the join.

 

P.S the top of the layout is missing because I'm too tight to buy Anyrail and I'm limited to 50 pieces.

 

Regards,

James

[sub39h]

Give SCARM a go - it'll allow you to have a 3D view of your layout as well. 

[bgman]

Hi James

 

Just a quick question please, how do you save the layout image in Anyrail and post it as an image in your topic ?

 

 

Cheers

 

Grahame

[jamest]

Hi James

 

Just a quick question please, how do you save the layout image in Anyrail and post it as an image in your topic ?

 

 

Cheers

 

Grahame

 

Hi Grahame,

 

You select the File tab - then 'export as' and then pick picture. I always accept the default values it gives for size but you can adjust it before you save.

 

Regards,

James

[jamest]

Hi all,

 

Been agonising over the plan and certain tweaks but I think the branch line is a little too much.

 

I've now got the single slip and two more curved points from hattons so I just need to get a pack of flexi and remove any doubts about the plan!

 

So here is the latest iteration - I keep playing with the goods yard - and it would be nice to move the goods entry slip down to create more room - but that is difficult with the transition to the folded section as it is. The slip's left hand point needs to be with it on the fixed section.

 

 

Regards,

James

[Ray H]

Have you thought of replacing the two back to back points - one is the three way point - at the entrance to the goods yard with a double slip to give you a bit more room in the yard?

[Memphis32]

You'd then have a siding aimed at the platform though...

[jamest]

Hi again,

 

I had thought of a double slip to help but I'm not keen on that option.

 

I bought a plan book at a show the other day and one of the plans in there caught my eye - adapting it to this a little gives me a plan that I like.

 

It is supposed to be a single track plan but I'd like to adapt it to become a place where the line is singled after the station with a double track approach. This could provide operational options on splitting or terminating trains. It provides two loops meaning ongoing trains can avoid the shunting movements and removes the need for so many points to accommodate an additional headshunt. It might not be strictly prototypical but I think it would be interesting.

 

I'm also leaning towards large removable cassettes on the bottom left thin section as the fiddle yard area.

 

 

 

I've added the bay - but I'm still not sure about that - As anything small enough to use it would probably be going on down the single line and not returning across the points anti-clockwise.

 

The storage siding bottom right is from the plan.

 

This plan would mean I need a few more left hand points - and leaves the newly acquired single slip redundant!

 

Best laid plans and all that.

 

James

 

[Ray H]

Is the crossover at bottom right necessary? The yard headshunt probably doesn't need to be much longer than your longest cassette, in fact the shorter you make it the more interesting the shunting will be.

 

Without the crossover you may be able to ease the curves at bottom right slightly, maybe enough to avoid the infill piece.

 

Could you bring the single line round at the bottom until it is parallel with the wall then add a point that will enable trains to regain or leave the double track section. You could then use double track cassettes - or with possibly slightly wider track spacing adjacent single track cassettes.

 

I wouldn't recommend cassettes long than about 4ft or they start to get unwieldy as you have to lift them up above the track bed rather than being able to slide them towards you.

[jamest]

Hi Ray,

 

No the crossover is not strictly necessary - and they say as much in the plan book. But it does enable goods traffic to leave onto the single line, shunting the yard, and the ability to pass this on approach from the single track or either platform road. There might well be a neater, maybe more realistic, solution to this - but I quite like this.

 

Take your point on the head shunt, single line continuation, etc though - thanks.

 

Regards,

James

[jamest]

Hi again,

 

Using the previous plan idea of moving the cross-over down.......

 

 

I know its down to me and what I like - but I've got to admit I like the idea of two trains circulating to ease the stress of the day!

 

I could connect the goods loop up but I like the access to the south only. The goods will have to go a lot further clockwise to back into the yard but I don't see a problem with that.

 

To me it seems a better 'spread' plan and not too compressed into the top right corner.

 

Regards,

James

[jamest]

Hi all,

 

I'm back - and I've been looking through layouts for more inspiration before I commit to laying any track.

 

I came across an n-gauge layout called Blueball summit in layout topics and was immediately impressed - not too complicated - but a wonderful setting to watch the trains go by.

 

I had to compress the design a little as it is 10' long scenically in 2mm - but it certainly floats my boat for now. I also like the solution it has delivered with the storage sidings. The freight/shunting is obviously more limited, but with my physical constraints within the garage I like the idea of not compressing too much action into the top right area. I can then develop the scenic sections and incorporate a bridge/viaduct in the bottom area. The inspiration for this has a magnificent viaduct and is well worth a look.

 

Overall a very nice running in track that I can develop at my own pace.

 

Once again I've elongated a few flexi-lengths to keep within 50 pieces:

 

 

regards,

James