PL8180RM

I'm absolutely not tied to London, Greenwich park was just an example I was putting forward as a somewhat legitimate semi urban terminus. 37's and 27's on mainline and pilot duties sounds great at Glasgow Queen Street!

My big thing has always been the end of the Greenwich Park branch line in Lewisham. Diverging from the Victoria mainlines via Peckham it shot across the bow of the LBSCR and into a tiny cutting just a stone's throw from the Maritime Museum. I've been tempted to model this countless times, but despite being a south Londoner through and through, EMUs leave me very cold - and I do want a bit of pizzaz! This has drawn me to the pacific's, and onwards to plans that could possibly support their usage without being wholly out of character. The only other prototype relation I have is being blown away by a Class 37 thundering past Lee station one sunny afternoon - so I'm happy with organising the former into a layout, I've no real clue about whether the latter would work! The reason this question is for here, is that I'm wondering if there were any similar cutting/viaduct type urban termini which would have seen early diesels acting in a fashion similar to late steam operations suggested by a plan like Minories. A simple 'no' would suffice, should that be the case!

Many A3's on the local parcel train? @chimer exactly that in some permutation or another, it could certainly be a scenicked programming track for DCC if all else fails! Having around 25' in length my desire for O is competing with my desire for broadly prototypical operations and train lengths It would appear the solution is to stretch out a 4mm layout rather than squeeze in a 7mm one. Or try my hand at knocking it all up in S. Thanks all,

Yes indeed, iguess the problem with a truncated platform is you're going to see the tiny train lengths as they arrive!

I'm sure this kind of thing goes on for exhibition layouts, but I really like the purpose you have with your operating sessions. One of the reasons I was drawn to American model railroading was simply because there's always a purpose to what you're doing, defined ahead of time. The challenge find in the executions. So, how are you doing this for Hope Street? Or, are the annotations ex post facto? Question two is also one close to my heart - I too only have a loft available for a layout of the dimensions, and like you it would need to be much lower than I'm used to. In your photos it almost looks knee- high. Is that a problem? All the best with your lovely layout!

Sorry, I didn't specify any there would be a view block. In the above case it would be simply the interior of the end of the station and the rest of the train notionally outside, a passenger foot bridge giving a break. Other layouts which use this method in multiple places like the Amalgamated Terminal ( http://www.carendt.com/micro-layout-design-gallery/passenger-lines/ ) Use it a few times to break up a board into three micro layouts (platform, throat, and running line) which seems like it would only work when viewed at a side on angle. This isn't really intended to be an exhibition layout but I don't want to rule it out.

I'm looking at putting together an LNER A3 in scale7 quite soon thanks to the generous advice gleaned here. When Carl Arendt's site was pumping out content monthly I even submitted some ideas for compact station plans. All of them however, were reliant on not being able to see the whole train. One such simply showed the final island platform of a large station with a runaround and a pilot loco pocket. Train lengths need only be enough to show the loco and a coach and a half or so. To me. It seemed like a witty workaround to the quandary of building express, mainline steam and running tiny trains. Operation on such a layout would be various consists arriving and leaving, with the pilot either releasing the loco, or clearing the (a?) runaround loop. However, none of them ever got past the 3D model state! So, does this actually work in practice? For what it's worth either way I'm looking trying to find a way to operate my large locos that is both urban, and not a train shed! If you have any other suggestions I would gladly gear them!

Thanks Graham! I gather I'll want to widen the chassis possibly? I hear good things about Finney kits and I'm lead to believe there is an A3 one coming soon.

Look into gloss gel medium to add some texture to the water if you don't want it millpond smooth. You gently stipple it on (it comes out like PVA, but dries totally clear).

Building survey picture before they move out

Understood, after a small bit of investigation it would appear around 7' is the minimum. I'm very much oriented around a single display model that COULD run, so I think it'll have to be a modular out and back, possibly as a slice of a larger station. If it were modular I could think about exhibiting. I do have a local club who are broadly supportive but with no current 7mm scale projects.

Also just had a massive brainwave that the attic in the house I'm buying is both finished and unclaimed by spousal authorities. Maybe a spot for a Pacific to stretch it's legs, assuming it would fit around the radius required: https://i.imgur.com/H3AQDHy.png This is the vendors picture, the Alex is only about 7' tall and around 20' deep from where the photo is taken, another 5' behind. Maybe 6 or 7' in width where the crossbeams sit?

Thanks Ian, I did give it a go before but a piddly 0-4-0 is quite a different prospect to a 4-6-2 beast. I agree with your sentiments entirely on the look. Can you elaborate a bit more about the slop? As per John's mention on moving wheel splashers, that doesn't to be with confidence if it's going to be repeated a dozen times all over the model! Thanks too to Rosspop, I've joined the firm and found a cheap building the same kit. Is it all S7 or is there just good representation there?

In the past I out together a simple Jim mcgeown 0-4-0 and a few freight wagons in ScaleSeven, and build a nice long point for them to run over. I didn't pursue any further but now I'm thinking about getting a slightly larger kit as a long term project and need to consider my options. I'm looking at the DJH LNER A3 and really wondering whether S7 is a good choice - I'm not clear how strong the society is, I can't seem to find anyone to reprofile commercially available wheels and I'm sure that the valve gear is going to be hard enough without worrying about even tighter clearance. If it doesn't sit entirely on my shelf then it MAY feature on a small shelf layout in my garden office (maybe representing the buffer stops of a larger terminus). I don't think I'll be taking it to meet and greets or shared layouts. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.