stivesnick

David Looks an interesting layout. I would be tempted to move the crossover to the end of the platform. At present the signal to protect the crossover would be under the station building and part of the platform unusable . A relocated crossover would allow for a train to be in the platform on the top through line, whilst another train passed around it using the crossover. Regards Nick

The round round tracks are very short and not really suitable for modern wagons. The plan on your 18 September post looks the most realistic and would provide a good amount of shunting. I woudl suggest that you try adopting this to suit the reduced width, by shorterning the diagonal tracks or turn it into a flatter design by having the loop parallel to the board edge. It would be worth looking at the lengths of typcial wagons that you might use against the standard lengths of track to see what will work. I suspect you may be limited to 4 wheel wagons rather than say modern bogie tank cars or container wagons. Hope this helps Nick

Simon Looks an intresting idea - good luck with future progress Nick

Hi There are many examples of small layouts of the type you are looking for in this Forum. This can help select a track plan, and you can then change the industry to suit your wishes. If your looking for prototype examples - how about these, although you may need to imagine that the traffic lasted a few years longer to keep with your time frame: Workington docks - Used for local paper/board industry - tank cars of chemicals in, vans for finished product. Has also been used for coal, steel and perhaps nuclear products (although most went via Barrow docks) - its your railway. Waterloo Goods - Aberdeen or Raith Farm sidings just up the road in Dyce. China clay slurry but other general traffic as well. A good selection of photos from these sites on the internet. Nick

Would it be possible to support the "underground" section on a L shaped bracket that would allow you to lay the track on the trackbed and then slide it into position? There would still be the issue with the connection to the track on the ramp, but it would remove some of the problems. Nick

Been working on the cliffs and platforms this week. As mentioned in a previous post, the cliffs are formed from Chooch Enterprises rubber sheeting. I brought them at at exhibition some time ago, I can't remember which stand. They are easy to cut with a sharp blade. A bit of best Poundland interior ready mixed filler was used to hide the joint. Painted grey as a base colour then other colours added later. The platfroms are based around Peco stone platform edging. I assumed that the platform was extended by a coach length at some time to cater for the holiday traffic. The extension was assumed to have a sleeper front (2mm Slaters planking sheet) held together with sections of rail (plastic C section). The platform itself is 1mm card. Finishes to be added later. The road surface has been added, again from 1mm card and some filler used to start to blend everything in. Progress photos enclosed. The space for the signal box is looking a bit tight, was there a minimum distance the signal box should be from the running rail? I need to allow space for a Dapol signal between the platform end and the signal box.

How does the Class 17 loco run? Hopefully more realiable than the prototype! Nick

Go for option 1 Not all businesses had their own siding even in the 1930s. The lack of track, will enable you to create a more extensive yard outside the warehouse with sheds and more clutter etc. Regards Nick

Hi The goods shed looks great. Just one problem, how would users get the goods out? The back of the shed is very lose to the main line, so it appears little or no space for a delivery vehicle. In a way, it would be better to swop the goods shed and engine shed around to give more space around the later building. Nick

A productive afternoon with some sheets of polystyene, a saw and a hacksaw blade. With the most of the buildings underway, an opportunity to get a impression of the finished layout. There is room for another set of workers cottages to g behind the pub. The large white card block will be another hotel. Regards Nick

David That is a very impressive station building and I like the concept for the layout. Thinking about the baseboards, did you consider some additional bracing? The boards look quite large and so coul dbe subject to twisting in the long term. Regards Nick

Hi York Modelmaking produce stained glass windows for OO scale ( and other scales as well) £4.00 a sheet. They also do a range of church windows if you need them. https://yorkmodelrail.com/shop/00-scale-ho-scale/church-windows-00-scale-ho-scale/printed-acetate-stained-glass/ Regards Nick

Whilst waiting for Colbalt point motors to re-appear I have started work on the scenic side. First up is the high level road at the back of the town. The basic frame was created from off-cuts of wood. To add interest, the road is on a gradient, so additioal bits of MDF were added to create the bases for the buildings. Steps up to the houses are cut from the Kestrel / Gaugemaster footbridge kit. I have also added stone walls using Slaters embosed sheet. The original walls followed the line of the road but didn't look right, so were replaced by walls with the tops parallel to the houses - I think that looks much better. The walls need to be painted. The next part of the mock up is a cliff face using Chooch Enterprises rubber molded sheet. This also needs painting and will be cut toto smaller sections to allow for some ledges and gullies etc. Any recesses will be filled in with more stone work to create a more even surface for the road. Finally some views across the town to asses the overall effect. Nothing stuck down yet but happy with the progress so far.

Trying to set up youtube account.... Nick

The first train ran into Porthallow this morning. A BR green 45XX plus B set. Unable to run around as the wiring to the end baseboard not yet connected, but it's a start. Will try to upload a video later. Nick

Like the track plan idea. The station building over the tracks is a bit like Richmond, Wimbledon or Ealing Broadway stations, but not sure how far the paltforms would extend under "the town", although there may be examples from other places. Nick

Hi A question on how the layout will operate. Once trains leave the terminus, where do they go? Some trains can do a few laps then travel up the branch line, but what of the others? Did you consider a return loop or perhaps a reversible line in the fiddle yard and some crossovers? Regards Nick

Hi Robin I have marked up the station area with the comments mentioned in above posts Nick

Hi Robin Welcome to RMweb. There is nothing wrong with being ambitious, but many on this site will say start with something simple to get something done. The plan you have drawn does allow you to build in different stages, and getting things working on one area before working on another. For example you could start with the main line, then add the branch and the freight line, and finish with the depot. Some thoughts on the track plan. For the main line, you could put a fiddle yard under the main station. There are ohers on RMweb who have devised hinged upper tracks to allow access or you could put the point work outside the main station under some scenery for easier access and less wordworking!. A fiddle yard on the branch line is more difficult, although a simple passing loop on the branch somewhere would allow trains to run between one set of bay platforms at the other. Same applies for the freight branch. I would maintain two tracks on the bottom bit of the layout with some crossovers between the barnch and freight route - that would allow th two routes to be operated seperately and perhaps could include a passing loop on both lines to ac t as a small fiddle yard. As you mention there is a need for some more crossovers to link the various lines together. If you want to exchange locos on the main line, then some loco holding sidings at each end of the station would be required. Perahps for the time period, you could imagine that the line was being electrified and that the station was the current extent of the wiring, so a loco change would be required on through trains. More of a West Coast layout than an East Coast where that didn't happen. For a 80-90s layout the MPD looks extensive, unless there were major sources of traffic locally, a smaller stabling point would be more typical, but this could create space for some freight sidings. Hope this is helpful Nick

Wiring work on hold due to a shortage of Colbalt point motors, so on with the buildings. The next building under construction is MacDonald' s Steam Laundry part of the edge of town scene on the right hand side of the layout. This rather bleak industrial building uses a Modellbahn Union kit. The basic shell is made from 1mm thick card and is covered with textured thinner card. The whole building looked a bit too grey, so I painted the roof in a cream colour to represent asbestos sheeting. I have then added some flues , signs anda few dummy external bulkhead lights. Gutters and perhaps some roff vents to be added. Pictures enclosed.

The £500m Ely project is now much more than work at Ely North Junction. It has become a route upgrade between Cambridge/Soham and Peterborough. The scheme will likely include resignalling, double track through to Soham and no doubt work on Level Crossings (of which there are many) along the route. Details will be announced later this year hopefully. With regard to the Wisbech re-opening it has a number of things in it's favour. It is linked to large housing growth, possibly 14,000 new homes is Wisbech which the local authorities are keen to do. These homes are also part of the general Cambridge area growth. The business case shows a positive number and scheme is ready to start the design work leading to a Development Consent Order or Transport Works Act application. The Combined Authority Mayor also has a big pot of money to spend on infrastructure. These are things that overnmant iike to hear: something ready to happen, new housing, new jobs, local support, rail industry on board . I think it will happen. Nick

This is looking fantasic - the spread out nature of the layouts really helps create a realsitic scene. Perhaps the "unofficial security guard" at Cook Construction could be moved from the pond and deployed closer to the fencing to deter damage! Nick

At it's Transport and infrastructure Committee meeting a few weeks back, the Cambridge and Peterborough Combined Authority signed off the business case for the re-opening of the railway between March and Wisbech. The plan is to run an half -hourly service berween Wisbech and Cambridge subject to works at Ely North Junction to improve capacity. There has been a campaign to re-open the line for many years and the re-opening is iinked to major new housing is Wisbech (10,000+ new homes) The re-opening would involve bringing back platform 3 at March station and using the existing Ely direction platform 2 as bi-directional. A passing loop would be provided at Coldham and there would be a single platform at Wisbech. Overall cost is £230m including £44mm contingency. Most of the cost is for road diversions including the A47 trunk road at Wisbech. The aim is to remove all of the 22 crossings of various sorts, road, farm, footpath. Although increasing the capital costs will ensure a safer railway and lower running costs. The new track through platform 3 has a curve that is sharper than NR requirements, so special approval will be needed. In model terms it is still a R10 if using setrack curves! Proposed trackplan at March below. New track shown in red. Nick

£45m - bargain! The reopening of the March to Wisbech line is costed at £200m for slightly longer route! Figures in the latest Rail magazine (issue 910) or read the full 900 page report on the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority web-site. Most of the cost is associated with dealing with the level crossings, farm and footpath crossings. Either build a bridge or close completely. If re-opened the line would have no crossings at all to improve safety and reduce running costs. The rail industry may adopt a similar approach for this line. Regards Nick

Some more work on the station building. Roof added. I found a Ratio station canopy parts and these were added to the main building, and used some different material for the canopy for the luggage store. The posters are from Sankey Scenics. Cruel close up photos show a bit of touching up still to be done. Nick