Seanem44

Looking forward to see what you drum up. This has been very helpful and enlightening.

Wow. This is really awesome looking! Yeah, if anyone else wants to add their input, that would be great!

Wow! I really like what you have done here! I can always add a triangular piece to that corner so the tracks don't pass too close. This is actually really cool looking and I think if I do purchase a corvette or a Fletcher Class Destroyer (my favorite and I'm sure they docked in the UK) it will add even more visual interest. I could probably even forgo the lock facilities and build out a town or some scenery in the top left, as the empty space isn't that bad. Do the color codes on the turnouts indicate different size? Thank you so much!

A turn table would definitely add operational interest. How should I incorporate that? Should I work the track leading to it off of the dock goods tracks? I suppose adding an engine shed is in the relm now. Yes sir indeed!

Heres a quick sketch of kind of what i am envisioning.... Whether this will work in my space constraints is a story only railcad or whatever I've been using for layout can tell. I think I need to "flatten" it out a little bit. Again, critiques welcome.

Sorry... the fiddle yard it 2 ft by 8-10 feet. My mistake.

Good point. The fiddle yard will be about 8-10"x2 so yeah, a scenic area is likely not a good idea. It is at a right angle, so the main line will be curving in that direction at some point. That was just a thought. I can remove that spur from the goods yard.

This is a somewhat quick mock-up. Not to scale, but just an Idea I have had floating around. Thoughts? Feel free to tweak it. I am still a novice on British track layout and procedures, so I might have some headshunt and point placements wrong or reversed.

Yeah, I have been going through all my old layout design issues of magazines and his own books. Freezer was a genius in layout design, no doubt. I think ultimately my final design will be tempered between something I can finish (simplicity) and something I can enjoy. It will not be a carbon copy of any one location, and it likely won't be 100% protypical. Someone has mentioned GWR wartime being hard with RTR stock. I purchased the new Hattons 14xx in wartime black. Also the same for a SR S15 which is on loan to the GWR (this, I have read did happen). My other GWR stock has the G W R lettering, which is accurate for '42 and onward, though I am sure they were turned out in black as opposed to the green mine are in. No biggie. My Castle has the Crest which would be accurate. So for the most part, as accurate as can be without constraining myself. I plan on blacking out the windows of my Hornby Autocoach. I'd prefer not to do this to my Hornby Colletts. Just because of their cost and my not wanting to experiment. As I come up with track ideas, I will post them for critique and maybe someday soon Ill have a plan I can move forward on.

I'm starting to think that a cross between St. Ives and Kingswear might be a good approach. I can tighten it up as much as I need to. This won't be an exhibition layout, so it is purely for my enjoyment. Nor do I think there is much interest here in the states for a GWR layout. When I told my wife I was going to build a GWR layout, she and her family for Christmas bought me American West items. Bless there hearts, they just didn't understand.

That would be AWESOME. So I guess 1:72 is the workaround.... I guess no one would really notice. Another good option I've seen are the Arifix Whaleback RAF rescue boats.

Minehead offloaded tanks as the area was used as a fairly extensive tank training area on the coast. That is the reason I originally gravitated towards that plan... I have thought about that. I have has issues finding any 1:76 ships anywhere. I had originally thought of that and having a small patrol boat docked.

You bring up a very interesting point, and one seriously worth considering... Hadn't thought of that but it makes perfect sense.

I plan on building a WWII era GWR layout. However, outside of that, and the stock I possess, I am having issues creating a layout I am content with. The problem is expectation versus reality. I have 14 feet of scenic length on a wall. I can go as wise as I want, but would like to limit it to between two and three feet. The fiddle yard will be on an adjacent wall. The problem is I keep waffling on the size of the station and design. I originally intended to do a truncated version Minehead. Then I decided on the designed but never used restructuring of Minehead. Then I decided on not doing something similar to Minehead. Now I am starting to realize that 14 feet, while it seems like a lot, is not a lot of space. So now I am back to the clichéd GWR terminus with a few sidings. I know I want the station capable of holding four coaches, so I can run the odd Castle now and then. (No, not prototypical, but its war). I also want a siding where I can have an excuse to offload tanks on the three warwells I purchased. Really, I need inspiration and to make a decision, but that's proving to be a daunting task, more so than I thought. I decided I wanted to use the new peco bullhead track, but the limitations in large radius points will eat up even more room, so I don't even know if I want to go that route. Really, I need some inspiration, or at the very least direction. Do I simplify and focus on scenery, or do I stay with a larger station (Minhead like) which afford little scenery. This is like the modelling version of writers block.

Well, that pretty much answers it Thanks.

Sounds good. Sounds like I will go with the bullhead and use the large radius points for ALL points.

Hi all... I am creating a Minehead-esque terminus station with a 14 foot scenic area. It will obviously be condensed. I am looking at the new PECO Bullhead track and really like the look. I see that there are only the large radius points available. Is this a problem? If room allows, is it fine to only use large radius points, even for the goods yards, etc.? The track looks good, but I don't want to limit myself on account of the track. Thanks.

Hey all... I had some questions on bullhead so it looks like I'm at the right place. For a new OO layout (14 feet scenic end to end station terminus), is it a good route to go right now? I see they have finally introduced some points, albeit large radius. Would it look too odd mixing and matching bullhead and non bullhead points for goods yards, etc., as I am assuming the only offered points are really too large for good yards (or are they?) Or should I just stick with the tried and true peco track readily available? Thanks

You know I'm hoping!!!

Yeah... a packages set would have been nice. Oh well. I bought the Hornby one for now. Not perfect but it will pass from a distance.

I feel bad now having authored the autocoach one

So then basically I can run any set of coaches I want, not even conforming to the usual train formations through creative license and an "anything available for the war effort" excuse it appears. Thanks

Having trouble finding any information of troop coaches during WWII. Would these just have been the coaches from every region requisitioned to move troops? I know there were ambulance trains which had large crosses painted on them. Does the same principle apply? Or were there olive drab variants? Any help or the pointing to a good resource would be appreciated. Thanks!

We have not been immune to the price increases over here in the states despite having large companies with thousands more in the hobby. It seems like what I was paying $10 a decade ago is now easily $20. The quality of the models have gone up and so too have the prices. Though it does seem there are tradeoffs. I have always found British steam engines to cost much less than US engines of same quality. Though I think this is attributed to the more industrial look the US went for which resulted in much more outside piping, etc, which costs more to create. British steam engines kept theirs clean and graceful, save for Ivatt. Still, even my large N scale collection would cost me a 1/3 more than what I bought it for these days. The same Engines as well. But I agree with you. Most US Modeller don't know how good we have it. I suspect small run commissions may be the way forward to achieve limited profits.

This. I'm not looking for a bargain priced model. I just spent $100 on three warflat wagons (pardon my Americanism). Never imagined paying that for three freight cars, and that's before the tanks I have to add. I am willing to pay what the model is worth. I highly doubt it would come in at over 100 pounds. I don't think it would cost 80 either. Though if it was 80, I would spend the money on it because I know it would be the highest quality available. And judging from the warflats, no stone would be left unturned in its development. Nor am I looking for an update of the current A30. I don't model the BR era. I don't want to, and I prefer to not take a BR era Autocoach that I need to cut, saw and paint to look like a 1920s-late 30s era variant. Understanding we can't always have what we want, this post started as a feeler to see if there is sufficient demand out there and hopes that Hattons (or someone else) would take notice. As mentioned, if a Dynamo car that has much less utility can make it into production, surely an item that might have much more widespread appeal and utility can. I suspect that those in need would be willing to purchase more than one. Just my two cents.