Brian D

A decent amount of work completed in the shed today. Firstly, I remade the station throat board - the previous miniboard made recently was too narrow to fill the gap as it was designed to mate with the existing railway now moved to the other side of the shed. An existing set of legs were also modified so I now have a complete set of boards, 4 in number, to create a level L shape wherein the main station area and loco shed curve is accommodated. Thoughts then turned to possible over bridges at the station throat. An hour or so's research and recourse to TurboCAD created the following possible structure. Glue gun and some packing cardboard was used to create this mock up. The new baseboard is just visible under the "2/6" book, a favourite reference of mine. There is a large area here for road/landscape possibilities. Regards, Brian.

Hi Andy, Not so much "thorough" or "methodical" - more fitting stuff in around family commitments, of which there are many despite being "retired". I sometimes think how I had time to go to work . But thanks for your kind remarks. Regards, Brian.

I spent an hour or two out in the shed sticking yet more full size AnyRail A4 sheets together to complete the station area - see below. It is looking quite good I think. But on further reflection, the dropped baseboard in the station throat area will be too troublesome to engineer and the view from the operating well partially blocked by the adjacent station board. So I'm now looking at putting this small board back at datum level and incorporating an over bridge at this location as indicated in the revised layout plan shown in the previous post. Regards, Brian.

Hi Les, I attach below the latest iteration of the layout plan. I've added a couple of roads "south" of the turntable. Regards, Brian.

Absolutely superb photographs of immaculate modelling IMHO. Brings it all back. Well done Gilbert! Regards, Brian.

A bit more faffing about in the shed this afternoon basically to revise the paper AnyRail track plan in the loco depot area and to determine how far to drop the baseboard at the station throat to accommodate an arch bridge. So using TurboCAD I drew a quick mock-up of how it would look - a simple curve placed centrally within the 18 inch gap between the main board printed onto two A4 sheets, cut and hung in position. After a bit more work on the PC, I think this arrangement might look OK. What I intend is to use Scalescenes textures (probably Ashlar) glued onto card to create the bridge edge "facades", the track being supported on plywood. The various vertical features in the abutments will help hide the joins between the brick papers. Regards, Brian

Not a great deal of physical work done in the shed today but quite a lot of head scratching. I decided that I didn't like the loco depot's visual appeal. I much prefer to have a 3/4 view of the shed from the operating well, rather than the side on view shown in post#273. So I moved things about as follows. I then revisited the AnyRail plan to try to replicate this arrangement. The only way I could get this to work is to use the short Peco Y points in the shed area which have a radius of 24 inches, tighter than I'd like but probably OK in a yard. The upside to this is that there is now a lead in of approx 12 inches to the turntable alongside which might be accommodated coaling and watering facilities. I could also add a couple of storage roads "south" of the turntable. I have also been figuring out how I might drop the baseboard in the station throat area - see the "back of fag packet" below. Regards, Brian.

Hi, I did a lot of research on the web before buying my shed because I particularly wanted to purchase a pressure treated shed of that size - see post#1 for details of the supplier. Whilst an 8 x 12 would have been grand, the postage stamp back garden would not allow. I agree, the branch (twig?) off the branch is probably the shortest branch in the world but gives enhanced operating potential for me and will be separated from the main terminus by the viaduct which helps in terms of visual separation. Not for the first time on this thread I will mention "quarts into pint pots". I'm probably guilty of trying to cram too much in. As with most things in this hobby, compromises have had to be made. I simply do not have the room to model a real location that will give me the operational potential I need. Your other suggestions give me pause for thought - thank you. Nothing is set in stone yet. Regards, Brian.

Hi William, I hope the snow is being pushed back by the Spring weather where you are . I know what you mean. There are some amazing threads on here that go on for many pages. It is difficult to resist scanning instead of reading and invariably missing something already discussed. Thanks again for dropping in. Best Regards, Brian.

Good Morning Andy, I trust you are well. I really must firm up the track plan to make sure the boards retrieved from the loft are usable in the sense that point motor positions don't clash with baseboard cross members and, if they do, whether I can use above baseboard motors hidden inside structures or scenery, though I haven't yet ruled out mechanical point control (wire in tube or similar). Also, I need to decide exactly how to go about dropping the baseboard where the station throat bridge is located, what the bridge is bridging (a river or a town scape) and how to build it to accommodate the point motors, if using these. Once I've got my mind around all that, the baseboards can be levelled up, screwed together and back scene boards (mdf probably) added - I want to experiment with photographic back scenes (I am no artist I'm afraid and I envy your wonderful talent) as I have seen some of these at shows and they can look very effective, adding considerable depth. I also need to buy a new controller for the layout - I fancy a Morley - before I can start laying the track. As you can see, a lot to think about. I'm trying not to rush and plan out all the potential problems before I start. Thanks again for your interest Andy. Best Regards, Brian.

Hi AireValley1962, You are correct in your assumption... I think . The English language can be a b*gger at times! The shed currently contains a fold up, demountable layout I previously had in a bedroom (which I refer to in this thread as my "Existing Layout"), This layout, as soon as the shed was delivered, erected and insulated etc., was relocated from the bedroom to the shed and erected in its unfolded usable position in early December or thereabouts. It has since been subjected to a make over as described above in previous posts. Alas, the "Existing Layout" was inadvertently erected on the wrong side of the shed with regards to the current proposed plan for the "New Layout" and the decision to use existing baseboards retrieved from the loft. At some point in time in the future the "Existing Layout" will have to be removed from the shed to enable the completion of the "New Layout". The existing terminus therefore will form no part of the new proposal (unless I change my mind ). The existing terminus has merely been shifted out of the way to enable the new one to be built. I hope that clarifies matters. If not, please come back. Regards, Brian.

So, considerable progress today. You may recall the shed used to look like this. As mentioned earlier, the existing layout has now been moved to the opposite wall and the "loft" boards erected in its place thus... ...and thus. At this point I could not resist printing part of the AnyRail plan full size (lots of A4 sheets glued together) and laying it out thus... ...and thus. Getting there - slowly. Regards, Brian

Hi Joseph_Pestell, Thanks for dropping in and your comments which I will address in the order raised. The shed is a nominal 11 ft x 7 ft measured externally as all sheds appear to be. It was the biggest I could dare get away with in my very small back garden. After insulating it and lining out, the internal usable space ended up 10 ft 6 inches x 6 ft 6 inches. I would advise anyone buying a shed to knock 6 inches off the quoted lengths and breadths when considering the internal usable space. Not all arrivals will "run so far wrong line". Those arriving at the two upper platform faces will run "right line". Those arriving "wrong line" are destined for the third platform face and the goods arrival road - can't be helped but the length of apparent "wrong line" running is not too long and within the station confines in my view and therefore acceptable. The branch junction was the subject of a redesign following contributions from fellow RMWebbers in earlier posts - see above. The secondary station is meant to be a terminus. I may yet look again at the junction configuration once I have printed the plan full size and laid it in position in the shed. I have also yet to consider acceptable means of masking the fiddle yard at its entry point. My initial idea was a skew over line bridge at the fiddle yard entry, the road it carries giving access to the secondary station but I'm not sure there is room. Regards, Brian.

Thanks, Andy. I'm just about to post some pics. Regards, Brian.

Well, the bedroom has now been fully decorated by yours truly with some assistance from SWMBO and the sun is shining here in Thameside Essex. So, the shed has been partly emptied so I can reconfigure the current arrangements. This morning, the existing layout and (new) fiddle yard have been broken down and re-erected on the other side of the shed. This afternoon, I'll check that all is well on the existing layout and erect the (loft) boards on the opposite side of the shed. Hopefully, a photo or two to follow later. Regards, Brian.

Hi Andy, I am so sorry that you will not complete this grand project. However, I am sure you are taking this decision for all the right reasons. I learned yesterday that your Trebudoc layout will appear in the June edition of Hornby Magazine - well done, you must be pleased. You are an inspiration and I personally have learnt a great deal following your various threads on here. I wish you well with the next project, whatever that may be. Best wishes, Brian.

Decorating almost complete. Wallpapered this afternoon - just a few bits of paintwork to be touched up. Hopefully, later in the week, I can start to reconfigure the shed Regards, Brian.

Hi Rich and thanks for taking the time to check out my ramblings. I also apologise for the late response - see my following post. Your's is an interesting suggestion and has given me pause for thought but I'm not sure I have the space to generate the gradients required to develop the changes in relative levels required, given the need to potentially stack cassettes one on top of another which I have been experimenting with - see below. Regards, Brian.

Thanks again Les. Yes, I think there is still a little wriggle room in that corner. What I'll probably do before committing to actual track laying is to print the AnyRail plan full size (lots of A4 sheets to glue together), lay it out and put locos, stock, structures, etc on the plan to see how it looks. Regards, Brian.

Ray, Clive, Les & "mightbe", Thanks so much for your comments. After a hard days decorating (ceiling painted one coat of matt white emulsion (finished) and woodwork painted two coats of gloss white (hopefully finished)) I have spent the last hour or so tinkering on AnyRail to try to address some of the issues you have kindly raised. The single slip has been eradicated and the principal structures and baseboard configurations added - thank you again for taking the time to read my ramblings and make keen and sensible comments. The traffic into the "branch off the branch" terminus will be (passenger) a tank engine hauled two or three coach train or a dmu and (goods) pickup goods. The passenger service will be a shuttle from the main terminus and the pick up goods will also arrive from that direction and take wagons back to the main terminus for shunting prior to a goods departure to the fiddle yard. The platform at the small terminus will indeed back onto the backscene separation to the fiddle yard. I will obviously have to lean over this small terminus but I may devise some sort of protection for use when "fiddling the yard". Here therefore is the latest version. Regards, Brian.

Thanks, Les - still some tweaks to be done around the loco depot. What I'm also considering is lowering the small board I made recently (this board is located to the immediate left of the corner loco depot board shown in red on the plan and extends to the thick red line) to create a bridge over either a river or a townscape. The bridge would have to be an arch to accommodate point motors for the two points at this location. By creating this "valley" there would not be much room for a kick back from the turntable. The single slip is a space saver - not sure if there is room to leave it out without reducing fiddle yard length (and therefore train lengths). Quarts into pint pots as usual. Thanks again for your keen observations. Regards, Brian.

There will now be a short intermission. The smallest bedroom (approx 9 x 9 ft) recently vacated by my eldest daughter requires redecorating to turn it into a guest bedroom and sewing room apparently. This was the room I had hoped to turn into my railway room about 10 years ago. How did this happen? Oh well, at least I've got my shed So reconfiguring the shed might be on the back burner for a few days but I'm still using the AnyRail software to design the new layout, the most recent variant of which designs is as follows, having reverted to a double track arrangement, perhaps justifying some bigger engines (A1, A2, A3 etc) albeit with not many carriages in tow. Got the paint and wall paper and the new bedroom carpet is being fitted Friday week (the key end date for all redecorating activity). So, hopefully plenty of time to sort out the new guest bedroom and a bit of in between work on the shed reconfiguration and layout design as well. Regards, Brian.

Interesting suggestion, Les. Something to ponder. Thanks again for your interest in my ramblings. Regards, Brian

Hi Andy, I trust you are well and not forcing the pace too much. Thanks again for the earlier prompt to fit these arrestors - it had been nagging at me despite no accidents so far. All the very best, Brian.

Hi Ray, Yes, part way through I thought of that and searched my spanner and socket collection for something the driver bit might fit. It transpires that an 8mm spanner is too big and a 6 mm too small and I don't have a 7 mm. Anyway, job completed this afternoon. Thanks again for your comments. Regards, Brian.