CaptainBiggles

Thanks guys.

@Missy. Really appreciate the time you've taken to give me the feedback and suggestions of 2mmFS. I am glad you mentioned it and maybe one day I shall. But my point re: timescales is not that I've set myself one or that I intend to rush it, but I have to draw a line somewhere and making my own track / changing wheelsets is, on this layout, where I'll draw that line. Otherwise I'd never get anything done! I too am the kind of person who'll never say "stuff it" and I know what I'm like.

@Rhys. The bridge is there to hide the exit to a fiddle-yard, not because I WANT it in, if you know what I mean. If I could fit just the station in I'd be happy. The lines for the fish sheds etc were all used up until the end, as far as I'm aware.

@Everyone who's commented on it looking cramped. I'll go back to my pen-and-paper version of the layout and look at it all again. But I am surprised that something that looked so sparse "real-size" (i.e. on paper) looks so cramped digitally.

Missy,

It's not about timescales per se, but about how best to spend the time I do have. 2mm finescale looks stunning, and maybe one day I shall, but (I suspect) in the time it'd take me to do the trackwork in FS I could be sharing my layout with my young nephews, driving trains & taking a scenically developed layout to exhibitions.

I guess I'd sum up my feelings thus: remember i am just rediscovering the hobby, if I was starting out in 4mm, would you be so keen for me to do so in EM or P4?

Edit: Totally agree that this hobby is about enjoyment, and for me, part of the enjoyment comes from seeing progress & feeling like I'm getting somewhere. That said, I do also enjoy the detailed "engineering" side of things too, so maybe I'll build a yard crane to super-detailed standards!

Thanks for the comments and reading list Andy, I'll take a look. I like the thought of 2mmFS, and consider myself a modeller's modeller, but until I retire in 35+ years time my hobby time is finite! :-(

With regards the fiddle yard, tbh that's only a rough layout but I ran out of "bits" in the free version of AnyTrack so that's as far as the design got. Comment about turning trains round duly noted. Tbh I may well put something like a sector plate or cassette system where that kick-back is. There's plenty of playing still to be done with the fiddle yard layout for sure.

Missy, Rhys, Thank you for your feedback, it is always read with genuine interest. What follows, then, is my reasoning for having come to the conclusions / design I have, for it is through debate that I learn and my thinking is converted. No need to apologise for being blunt Rhys (I'm off to Lords to watch Eng vs NZ in the cricket in a few weeks time so I'm hoping we'll get our own back then!)

Anyhow, to address your points:

Firstly, who's saying I'm ignoring 2mm fine scale? ;-) I'd like to know more, however as I said in my previous post, my time to spend on the layout is limited, so I need to achieve maximum progress for my time. That's not to say rushing anything, or only using ready-to-plant buildings etc, I fully e intend Tom build a model railway, not a train set, but is there enough difference between 2mmFS & Peco code 55 to warrant building my own track & changing wheelsets, etc? I await your opinion / experience here.

With regards to the comments over space etc, I'm fascinated by your comments. If I can work out how to attach to this post I will, otherwise I'll do another blog entry, but I have a Padstow Harbour Council drawing of the station and you will see just how close to the prototype that track layout is. As Mr RedgateModels will know / see when he visits for the 'Obby 'Oss festival, there is a cliff that runs the whole length across other back behind the station and yard area, leaving a very finite space between it and the sea / harbour. This is one of the reasons (childhood holidays notwithstanding) that attracted me to model the station, as it can be modelled relatively accurately because its depth is constrained.

I could, if need be, lose the middle of the 5 sidings without losing too much authenticity, although I think that that was where the spare coaching stock for the ACE was held between return trips if the station needed to be cleared for a local train. There is in fact a good length headshunt that runs across the girder bridge that is a good 2' long, double that if you measure from the start of the sidings themselves. Ideally it'd be longer though, I agree.

Sadly the space available in my garage is rather fixed Rhys (various doors & a lathe that I don't fancy moving!) so no chance for a separate fiddle yard. I could of course reduce the size of the one round the back, but really the design process was fit the station on, and fit the fiddle yard round the back. An alternative could be to use a spiral and have it below instead.

With regards to running at home, I can work on the layout fully assembled in my garage, but as you point out I'd not have access to the fiddle yard. I could do a limited running session in there, but would obviously have to remember what was where. With careful negotiations with the household authorities I could get temporary running rights in the dining room, that would allow all-round access. The two boards would probably be 4' & 5' long, due to where the point work has ended up.

Thank you though, both, for the reassurance that if anything I have gone too far the other way, and I'm unlikely to have trouble with too much space!

Chuffs away!

Cap'n Biggles

P.S I can't upload the pic from my iPad, so will make another blog entry instead. Give me 5...