garethashenden Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 (edited) As described in my Canonbury Good thread (http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/111629-canonbury-goods-edwardian-nlr-in-p4/) I have become dissatisfied with the operating potential of the layout and have made the decision to start again. While casting about for inspiration I came across Hepton Wharf in Iain Rice's new book on Cameo Layouts. This immediately struck me as an excellent trackplan that could easily be restaged in grimy North London. Hemmed in on three sides with warehouses and factories and Regent's Canal at the front it offered the scenic elements I was looking for as well as more interesting operation. The trackplan allows for a train to arrive at the back of the layout, run around, do the shunting, and then leave in the direction it had come from. It was this ability to have a complete train, as opposed to a few wagons, that really appealed to me.I'm not going to get too specific about the exact location, but the concept I'm working with is that the NLR built a short branch bellow street level to reach a basin on Regent's Canal. The canal and the railway are very close together in Camden, but this is probably somewhere a bit east of that, maybe even east of the Great Northern's mainline.I've drawn up a sketch of how I envisage things looking. The windows in the warehouse are wrong, there are too many and they're too small. Road access to the goods yard and canal basin is via a tunnel under the right hand side of the warehouse, although that may get rethought and or the warehouse split into two smaller buildings. There is a road on the right hiding the fiddleyard entrance. On the other side of the road are two buildings, they may get joined by a high level walkway, I've always liked those. The right side end will have another large brick building hiding the back right corner of track and the possible future fiddle yard entrance there. I have Templotted the layout and laid it over the existing layout. I was able to test the concept further by using a 0-5-0 to do some shunting. A train arrives, collects outgoing wagons and leaves the incoming ones. The location of the canal basin can be seen in cross hatched pencil in this picture. One other thing. On Canonbury Goods I tried both steel rail and 3 link couplings. I didn't really get on with either, so this will see a return of nickel silver rail and Alex Jackson couplings. Edited July 19, 2017 by garethashenden 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
drduncan Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Even P4 modellers can see sense (sometimes)!!!. I'm sure going back to AJs is the right decision for operation. D Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Smith Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 (edited) So is this the same dimensions as the last layout? If so it certainly looks more interesting but always (for me ) is deciding when a scenic diorama with limited or no operating potential becomes a mini working layout with some operating interest. I thought I had it pegged when moving from a very scenic but simple terminus in P4 with a loop and two sidings to a continuous layout with through running and some shunting potential in On30. I planned the layout to have maximum movement interest with Kadee couplings and magnets for hands-off operation but having finished it quickly got bored with playing with it. I guess I am a 'builder' not an 'operator'! Just a thought here - how about moving the basin to the left and having a kick-back siding along the wharf from the front siding (spur) on the right - obviously with roughly equal lengths so you can shunt in and out of it. This would put some interest on the left side of the layout and balance it to prevent the crowded right hand end with three tracks and the basin all stacked together. I would extend the second siding to the same length as the spur so that it can hold empty wagons ready to be returned or shunted into the wharf siding - this would require a run-round in the loop to add movements. Edited April 18, 2017 by Jeff Smith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mark Forrest Posted April 18, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 18, 2017 Looks good, surprising how much shunting can be done with a relatively simple layout like that. If space allows you could make it even more of a challenge to shunt by making one of the sidings face the other way, bringing an element of awkwardness to the shunt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John lewsey Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 Hi Gareth your stock looks superb John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethashenden Posted April 24, 2017 Author Share Posted April 24, 2017 Hi Gareth your stock looks superb John Thanks John! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethashenden Posted April 24, 2017 Author Share Posted April 24, 2017 (edited) The baseboard has been rebuilt with a cutout for the canal. The track by the canal will be inlaid in setts, I quite like the look, but I've learned my lesson and won't be using chairs. I've ordered some copperclad sleepers from Wizard models, they should be here soon. The other 2/3rds of the layout will be chaired. Unfortunately, C&L have sold out of the 4 hole chairs I need, although I have managed to salvage most of the ones from Canonbury Goods. I've ordered new sleepers, rail, and rivets from Stores, so once everything gets here I'll be able to make a start. Edited July 19, 2017 by garethashenden Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
drduncan Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 Are you putting it in for the MRJ cameo competition? it might be able to go on as hand luggage! D Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethashenden Posted April 25, 2017 Author Share Posted April 25, 2017 (edited) Are you putting it in for the MRJ cameo competition? it might be able to go on as hand luggage! D I think it would definitely need to be checked, or just sent by air freight. But yes, it will be entering the competition. Edited April 26, 2017 by garethashenden Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
drduncan Posted April 26, 2017 Share Posted April 26, 2017 Good Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethashenden Posted April 26, 2017 Author Share Posted April 26, 2017 (edited) Good The only reason I haven't submitted a form yet is that I don't have a good name for the layout. In other news, I have decided to fill the space to the left of the canal with a small factory/workshop. I found some excellent 1952 pictures of Camden Locks on Britain from Above. These show that one of the buildings that now makes up Camden Market used to house a company that made wooden packing cases. This resulted in large piles of lumber on the quayside. I've decided to use that as inspiration for this section of the layout; smallish two storey building and piles of wood all around. I knocked up a quick building frame today to check the size and feel. So far I like it and think it adds a lot to the scene. Edited July 19, 2017 by garethashenden 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted April 27, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 27, 2017 On my small 0 gauge layout I had a similar idea of a line to a riverside wharf. I had two sidings facing opposite ways and that made for a lot more moves during shunting. But that depends on how much you like operating . Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethashenden Posted April 28, 2017 Author Share Posted April 28, 2017 My problem with putting one of these sidings in the other direction to create "deliberate awkwardness" is that I can't imagine that any real railway would do that in this situation. If they could get a significantly longer siding, sure. That makes sense. But here, I see no reason why the siding at the front should be turned or have a kickback put in it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mark Forrest Posted April 28, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 28, 2017 Yes, know what you mean about the deliberate awkwardness thing. I'm at a similar position with a plan I'm working on. I've come to the conclusion that when working in a small space you can choose between either prototypical track layout or operational interest, but it's very difficult to get both. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethashenden Posted May 8, 2017 Author Share Posted May 8, 2017 (edited) Bit more progress yesterday. I have laid all the wooden sleepers, some with strategically located rivets, most without. I have also decided to go with full sized continuous checkrail on the inlaid track. I like the look and it's quite easy to do. I've got two crossing Vs made up, two more to do and the rest of the trackwork should be straight forward. Edited July 19, 2017 by garethashenden 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
drduncan Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Gareth, Be honest, you still haven't forgiven me for the deliberate awkwardness inbuilt into Empire Mill which had you cursing my name in at least one occasion. It clearly scarred you mentally.... D Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethashenden Posted May 9, 2017 Author Share Posted May 9, 2017 Gareth, Be honest, you still haven't forgiven me for the deliberate awkwardness inbuilt into Empire Mill which had you cursing my name in at least one occasion. It clearly scarred you mentally.... D You could make a case that the Empire kickback could have been prototypical. However, this layout is half the length. I just can't see it happening here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
drduncan Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 It could be a kick back into a building / shed etc that also acts as a view block D Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethashenden Posted July 18, 2017 Author Share Posted July 18, 2017 Finally getting back to this. I don't like tracklaying and I've been procrastinating, well time to stop that! I've finished all the check rails for the inlaid section, laid the rails to the fiddle yard and set out along the back track. I've only got three "large" pieces of rail left to lay, then some closure rails and all the point blades. The end is in sight! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
drduncan Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 Watching with great interest to see how this layout develops. Duncan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethashenden Posted July 19, 2017 Author Share Posted July 19, 2017 I've finally picked a name for this layout. Near the area I've imagined this layout there is a road that crosses the canal. It's Queensbridge Road, so the layout is Queensbridge Road Wharf. Bridge-Road-Wharf might be a bit much, but I think it sounds good. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
drduncan Posted September 16, 2017 Share Posted September 16, 2017 Any updates? D Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethashenden Posted September 17, 2017 Author Share Posted September 17, 2017 Any updates? D Kinda sorta. I bought point motors, Tortoises, but have yet to install them. I've been distracted a bit by a N scale project and more recently by the Park tank. It is starting to look like a locomotive... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethashenden Posted October 15, 2017 Author Share Posted October 15, 2017 There is now a fiddle yard for the layout! The next step is to fit it to the layout and add the tracks, so it's not done, but progress is progress. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium DLT Posted October 16, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 16, 2017 Looking good, thanks for sharing. Cheers, Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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