12'x18" terminus - 60s/70s

[jamest]

Hi all,

 

I've just sold my 6x4 OO layout and I can now start on my next project - a 12 foot by 18 inch OO gauge terminus with medium and large point peco code 100 track. I have constructed the two baseboards out of 9mm ply with 44mmx18mm bracing - each one is 6 foot long and will fit in my car. I've also build four trestles and everything seems to bolt together very well.

 

I had some invaluable help here before Christmas on ideas for my son's N gauge Christmas present - and I find myself staring at Anyrail every night - so its time for some impartial advice.

 

Now the plan.....

 

I have a selection of BR blue diesels and I have recently started to acquire some green and two tone green stuff too - along with some maroon coaches.

I have:

3 large r/h points

4 medium r/h points

3 medium l/h points

and a medium wye or 'Y' turnout

to play with but I have funds for some more - but there isn't much room for anymore in the area I have without it looking a little crowded.

 

I'd like the layout to sit in a very rough era from early diesels to BR blue and although the traditional branch terminus with a goods shed might be a bit rare in the 70's I still want to go that way. But one other option I had considered was maybe a fuel/oil offloading facility instead of the goods shed (probably more suited to the second plan).

 

So here are my two efforts so far - heavily influenced by what I see on this forum.

 

 

I like the idea of a bit of scenery here - the fiddle yard limits me to two coaches and a train.

 

 

This one is based on a layout by andrewp (Deesdale road) which I like very much. It has allowance for three coaches and has a scenic element across the whole length. I would run around in the fiddle yard and this one offers the possibility of a fuel or oil instead of the goods shed.

 

I'd welcome any advice.

 

Cheers,

James

[Katier]

Personally I quite like the second one better, however I would probably pull the goods yard forward slightly and instead of the sector board ( that actually doesn't do much ) change it to a 3 road ( or 4 if you can squeeze it in) angled traverser.

 

In addition you need a crossover so the train on the upline can crossover to the platforms then leave down the down line. Also gives you a runaround loop.

 

 

[jamest]

In addition you need a crossover so the train on the upline can crossover to the platforms then leave down the down line. Also gives you a runaround loop.

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

I'm still learning on the track layout side of things - hence this post! But would I need another crossover? I was assuming a point existed 'off scene' taking the track down to a single line running away from the station - so I was just saving a point by using the sector plate/traverser. So there isn't really an 'upline' just a goods train that has chosen to enter the run around loop.

 

But like I said - I'm no expert.

 

P.S. please don't think I'm being rude if I don't reply to anything over the weekend - I'm off with the family with no access to this forum.

 

Cheers,

James

[Flying Pig]

Assuming that you intend to operate the layout mostly at home, I prefer the first plan as it gives you easier access to the fiddle yard. Your station layout also looks better suited to a single track line to me.

 

But I'd have to question your choice of a layout that doesn't quite match the era you want to run. Since the number of branch termini that survived into the 70s was quite small, it shouldn't be too hard to do some research and discover how a typical one would have changed since steam days. Your idea of a specific traffic (oil) instead of general goods seems appropriate for a start.

[Kris]

No reason at all why you can't have the run round off scene. I would say that there are good bits and bad bits in both plans but one thing with both is that It strikes me that the platform might well be too small.

[Kris]

Just had a quick play, and in the space that you have you could fit the following in.

 

 

 

This plan would require 1 more LH medium radius point than you already have James. The blue lines could be either cassettes or a traverser.

[Karhedron]

But I'd have to question your choice of a layout that doesn't quite match the era you want to run. Since the number of branch termini that survived into the 70s was quite small, it shouldn't be too hard to do some research and discover how a typical one would have changed since steam days.

Barnstaple springs to mind as a good prototype to investigate. Unlike many rural termini, it retained loco-hauled passenger services into the 1980s as well as freight traffic.

 

http://northdevondiesels.webs.com/exetertobarnstaple.htm

[jamest]

Thanks Guys,

 

Knew I could rely on some honest feedback and useful information.

 

I will look again after the weekend and have a play on anyrail again. As you can tell I was wobbling on the goods shed - I might have to serious consider a single industry/facility instead.

 

I do like the idea of Barnstaple junction - I'm only 6 miles away from Barnstaple but alas I was not interested in model railways in the 1980's so I have no memories of the old goods layout. I'll try the link above when I'm at home (my work internet retrictions don't like it!)

 

Cheers,

James

[jamest]

Hi all,

 

Nice weekend away - now back to work, on the layout anyway.

 

Here is an attempt at Barnstaple with some slight adjustments. The real thing had a siding in the middle of the station run-around, but I've omitted it. I've also decided to stretch things a bit and add three feet to give me 12' ish of scenic board. But I could enter the fiddle yard just after the red crossover if I wanted and have the head shunt disappear into the fiddle yard too.

 

On the real thing the run around loop extended beyond the station to the right and under the road. I could achieve this using a small sector plate that holds a loco under the 'road' - plan to follow. The yard is simple at the moment and in not set in stone with regard to layout - that will depend on my choice of industry.

 

On the subject of the red crossovers - can anyone explain their use? It looks to me like they'd only be used from the loop or yard head-shunt if there was a train in the station?

 

 

Regards,

James

[jamest]

On the real thing the run around loop extended beyond the station to the right and under the road. I could achieve this using a small sector plate that holds a loco under the 'road' - plan to follow.

 

Hi - here are two more options both incorporating a small sector plate to run around off scene on the right. Quite like that.

 

plan 1

 

plan 2 - incorporating the middle siding (without trap point!)

 

Really starting to like the look of this - and nice to 'base' it on something local.

 

Cheers,

James

[Flying Pig]

I like the middle siding: I've no idea what it was used for but it adds character! Any chance of incorporating the curve of the real thing, or does your 18" of width not allow that?

 

BTW, there's a signalling plan on signalbox.org here.

[jamest]

I like the middle siding: I've no idea what it was used for but it adds character! Any chance of incorporating the curve of the real thing, or does your 18" of width not allow that?

 

BTW, there's a signalling plan on signalbox.org here.

 

Hi flying pig,

 

I have that signalling plan - thats what I've based my plan on.

 

I'd like to know more about the yard - but the little I do know is that it fans out too wide for my restrictions! I've looked at videos of approaching trains on youtube but you only get a glimpse.

 

You're right about the curve on the station - I'm finding it hard to fit it, and the yard behind it, in. I suppose I could alter the position of the yard but I like it as it is for now. Another option could be to extend one board to 24" wide - not sure yet. I plan to place a few points on the boards tomorrow and see how it all looks.

 

Cheers,

James

[jamest]

Hi again,

 

I've put in a bit more curve to the platform - looks a bit better - especially with the centre siding.

 

 

Cheers,

James

[jamest]

Hi all,

 

On holiday this week and the kids were at the grandparents today - so I had a few hours to put up the boards and have a play with my track.

 

I'm so hooked on the Barnstaple plan that I am going to explore the more curved platform and expand the goods yard by adding more width on one board to make it taper out to 24" at the end. To enhance the curve in the platform I've replaced the left hand point at the platform edge with a 'y' and used the left hand point in the yard.

 

Bit like this - I still haven't nailed down my goods yard industry yet but I like the look of the new scenecraft wagon loading tower.

 

 

cheers,

James

[Kris]

I think that you have a good plan there James. How are you going to work the fiddle yard?

[Rivercider]

I like the middle siding: I've no idea what it was used for but it adds character! Any chance of incorporating the curve of the real thing, or does your 18" of width not allow that?

.

 

 

Some of the pics I have seen show a parcels van stabled in the middle siding,

that would be up until the mid 1980s I guess.

 

cheers

[jamest]

I think that you have a good plan there James. How are you going to work the fiddle yard?

 

Hi Kris,

 

I'm going to have another 4 foot board on the end. I have the frame work done but I haven't added a top surface yet. I'm not sure whether to go with traverser or cassettes. I plan to have a good look at exhibitions over the next few months while I work on the scenic boards. I had hoped to keep it to 12 feet as I don't want to keep walking up and down all the time! But I have two basic select DCC controllers that can be linked so that trains can be handed over to each other.

 

I'd love to exhibit some of my work one day - but thats a long way off!

 

Rivercider,

 

Thanks for the post on the middle siding - I think it is definitely worth adding for operational interest - as well as keeping it reasonably 'real'.

 

Cheers,

James

[Rivercider]

 

 

Rivercider,

 

Thanks for the post on the middle siding - I think it is definitely worth adding for operational interest - as well as keeping it reasonably 'real'.

 

Cheers,

James

 

As Kris says, the plan looks good,

To me it does capture the spirit of a reduced Barnstaple.

There is plenty of info to be had about the location and its traffic.

 

cheers

[Flying Pig]

Here's my take. I've shifted the points about to lengthen the platforms and as well as introducing the curve, I've tried to retain some of the overall shape of the prototype. This means the lines remain parallel under the bridge so the runround will need to be a cassette or traverseling. Most points are large radius apart from the Y and the ones for the goods sidings which are medium.

 

I'm not convinced by my attempt at the yard: I'm trying and failing to make room for the characteristic goods shed right against the platform. Probably better to leave it out and get a better arrangement of sidings.

 

[Ramblin Rich]

Hi - just stumbled on the thread, like the look of this. I've had ideas around the Barnstaple line & got loads of information on goods services when I started this thread - including various websites for inspiration. Hope to see this progress...

[jamest]

Hi - just stumbled on the thread, like the look of this. I've had ideas around the Barnstaple line & got loads of information on goods services when I started this thread - including various websites for inspiration. Hope to see this progress...

 

 

Hi,

 

some useful info there - thanks very much. I'm not sure how true I am going to be to the real thing and how much I will adapt to my own needs and skills. But it's always good to learn from the real thing.

 

Flying pig,

 

Thanks for the suggestion on the plan - but I want a bit of a 'run up' to the station and moving all the points off the station board shortens this. There's not too much point making the station too big as my fiddle yard won't handle too many coaches anyway.

 

Cheers,

James

[jamest]

Hi all,

 

Actually laid some track down over the weekend and I am very happy with how things look. I think its probably time to transfer to the 'layout topics' section as construction progresses. Also bought the aforesaid scenecraft wagon loading tower at the Ilfracombe show yesterday.

 

Sector plate under Sticklepath road end:

 

Station views (class 37 was all I had to hand!)

 

This shows the proposed yard extension in width to 24"

 

Cheers,

James

[Kris]

You seem to be cracking on with this as quickly as you did with your son's. Seeing the track down like that does give a better feel to how it will end up.