stivesnick

No! Ragtag, please don't do another not really required diesel depot! If you want to add some operating interest, how about assuming that the route is being re-opened in sections and that some sidings are still needed for some engineering trains to help complete the works. You could base some track machines or short engineers trains for signalling cables etc. Just a thought. Nick

I like the idea of this layout and look forward to see how it develops. When the line does re-open, it will be interesting to compare the real thing to your model! One aspect to consider is how disabled access would be provided, even 5-10 years ago this would have been a requirement. On one side the existing ramp would likely be used. That might form the only access to the platform, although a new stair could be provided from the footbridge. On your proposed station building side, the double flight of stairs would make putting in a lift more difficult. One option would be to extend the footbridge around the corner of the brick building and then provide a new stair with lift. The brick building itself almost looks like a lift shaft so perhaps that could be taken over and the stairs modified to suit. Hope this is useful Nick

Richie My understanding is that the Peco sleeper spacing is not correct for American railroads. I can not say if other makes of track would be more realistic. I use Peco code 55 on my N Gauge layout and once ballasted I am happy the results. I would consider finetrax for future layouts, because I feel it would look better. Not sure if it would be correct. Regards Nick

I was at the Beaconsfield Show yesterday and this was one of the highlights. It is a great layout. Nick

Thanks Mark Having looked at some photos of the 1000 series stock on that line, I see what you mean. Nick

Some new layout photos Hope you enjoy Nick

A few people getting some publicity in the local media is no sign that anything is about to happen or indeed should happen. As others have pointed out, the new rail underpass north of Peterborough means that freight will use the existing lines so no need for a new route. Nick

Hi Looking forward to seeing how this develops. Found a video of the previous layout - great stuff Nick

Really nice idea and some good modelling - look forward to seeing the next project Nick

Hi Many of the layouts featured in this forum are portable, in that they are designed to be taken to exhibitions.I have also come across layouts in modelling magazines where people have used elements from a previous layout into their new layouts, so it is possible. A 4 foot wide layout is likely to give problems with access reaching across such a distance, so I would be tempted to go for narrower boards which would also be easier to incorporate into a much larger layout in the future. You mention that you may have 14 feet in length to play with. This suggests the following options: 1. Fiddle yard - scenic board - temporary fiddle yard. In the future the temporary fiddle yard could be replaced by another scenic board or a longer fiddle yard or a terminus layout based on 2. Scenic - scenic - temporary fiddle yard. Again the layout could be extended with more scenic boards or a larger fiddle yard in the future if space allows. You don't mention what era you want to model, but there are many prototype examples of through routes becoming terminus stations. Perhaps in your case you could do the reverse and start with a terminus and convert to a through station when space allows. Hope this helps Nick

Tom Thanks for the information - I have used the Dapol magnets on several layouts with Peco Code 55 and found they uncouple well, but the pre-uncoupling is not so good. Have also used Neodymium magnets located in the cork track bed, a group of 4 on a metal plate works OK but can also expand to 6 magnets if a larger "uncoupling zone" is needed. My current and past layouts use longer ( and heavier) stock so magnet length is less of an issue. The next layout is likely to have a lot of 10 foot wheelbase wagons so will need to decide if I want to shunt individually or in groups of 2 /3 wagons. Thanks again for the quick response. Nick

Tom The scenic work looks great, the layout is coming along nicely. A question about the Dapol magnets - how easy do they fit within the finetrax? Did you have to dig out the baseboard to get the top of the magnet below track level? Regards Nick

Do people think that if enough Devon and Cornwall modellers buy this loco and use of their layouts that people might start to think that they actually did run in the area and railway history will get rewritten? Or will the GWR modelling mafia stamp out such an uprising with great force? Nick

Hi Ian Welcome to RMWeb . A few thoughts on your proposed layout. As a keep it simple and watching the trains go by no problem with the design if that is what you want to do. As you note, at present you can only change trains on the outer loop, so a crossover (on the left hand end would allow trains to reach the next track. There are many layouts around where there are no points in the storage area, and trains and just stacked up one behind the other. There are options for some sort of automatic control which would send a train out into the "viewing area" and then move the trains behind up a little and then dispatch the next train after a suitable delay once the first train has returned. This is not something I have done, but there are others on RMweb who can help. Hope this helps Nick

Was not intending to go this year as I had seen a large number of the layouts before ( some several times already this year) but went anyway. Agree with previous comments about the free bus from the station and the lack of layouts set in the present day. Some overseas layouts would also have been nice. I enjoyed the cameo layouts, not normally a fan of very small layouts, but there were good ideas on show as well as excellent modelling. Newhurst was the best layout, combining good running and an excellent town scene, something not often seen on an O Gauge layout. Regards Nick

Class 66 with what looked like 2 x class 385 units passing through Stevenage on Wednesday around 06.45 with a collection of barrier wagons. Realtime trains says train from Dollands Moor to the Hitachi factory. Did not see unit numbers, but could they be the units noted above? Nick

Enjoyed seeing the layout at Ely on Saturday - look forward to seeing how the layout develops. Nick

To clarify my previous comment about small shunting planks - I have no problem with such layouts as they are very often highly detailed and well presented. It is having 4-5 of them at one show. This is down to the show management to consider what each particular layout adds to the mixture. So unless the exhibition has a theme, I would not be keen to see 4 similar double track mainline layouts in OO all running the same stock through similar scenery. Nick

As a regular visitor to one of my "local shows" it is one that I always enjoy. Arrived late morning and there was parking available. Good to see a couple of new "roundy-roundy" layouts in Aviemore and Wickham Market - some of smaller shunting layouts although well done, were a bit too similar. There was a good range of trade stands and the cake was excellent. Nick

Great to see this layout in the flesh at the Ely show today - excellent stuff and good to watch a steady flow of trains passing through. Nick

On some branch services, there will be opportunities to run with the pan up. For example the Cambridge to Norwich run under the wires between Cambridge and Ely, and those from Ipswich to Cambridge / Peterborough can run on the juice up to Stowmarket. My understanding is that branch trains from Noriwch would still depart as electrics even if for less than a 1 mile as there would still be benefits for passengers in terms of less noise and fumes at the station. Nick

There is a requirement in the franchise for some through services from London to Lowestoft - likely to be 2 x 4 car units from London with one unit splitting at Ipswich to run to Lowestoft - what happens to the other unit is not clear - could run to Norwich as the third London-Norwich service each hour. Nick

Thanks for this Very impressive locos designed for a Class 1 railroad - I was trying to find something smaller, but I could always assume that this loco had transferred from a larger railroad. Nick

Been 6 months since the last post... I have repainted one of the interurban car sets into an orange livery, which was much more common that the brown livery of the original Japanese model. Also much easier to photograph - compare this with photos on previous post. A new locomotive arrival at the SRTC, this is a Microace JR 41-1 box cab. Have spent ages looking for pictures of American interurban box cabs with coupling rods, with nothing found to date, so this is very much going to be a Rule 1 loco. (like the rest of the layout) It appears to be a very good slow runner so ideal for shunting. Pictures below: Nick

As others have already said, sad to see the end of the very impressive layout. Best wishes for whatever you decide to do in the future modelling wise. Regards Nick