Harlequin

Thanks. That's really useful. Unfortunately, the restricted width and shorter than expected length mean my idea probably won't work in 4mm but I'll have a think and either post it in it's failed form or post something that does work later on.

With such a large layout (potentially) is it realistic to scratch-build/kit-build everything? I'm not familiar with what's available for Proto64 but I guess that it's not so well covered as 4mm and so would be somewhat slower to build. Consider how long the build period will be before you can start to operate. You've got a good long space so I think S7 might work with a simple end-to-end design along one side - but there might not be enough headroom to allow you to stand beside a usable width of baseboard. Depends on the dimensions.

And the moral is: To produce a great model you have to be an artist, like Kevin. At the very least think like an artist. Think about the colours of things in the real world. Think about light and shade and texture. Think about materials. And think about age. Then think about the best techniques to portray those things and go for it. (Not that I'm any kind of authority because I haven't modelled anything for decades! But that's just what struck me from the exchange above. Sorry everyone, I'll fetch me coat.)

Does anyone know what make/model of DCC decoders will be supplied in the Locomotion Dean Goods "with sound"? And is there any info about the sound project that will be supplied? (I had a search around but couldn't find anything.) Edit: The Oxford website says about their model: "The Dean Goods is DCC Sound fitted and comes with a ESU LoksoundV4.0 decoder, speaker and sound chamber. Sound supplied by Coastal DCC" So can we assume this same configuration will appear in the Locomotion model?

I have an idea based on my rough drawings above that would give a reduced but recognisable (hopefully!) representation of Purley junction + goods yard track plan, double track branch through Kenley halt and double-track Caterham terminus but I don't know if it would fit. If you're interested I could try to lay it out and post here or PM you privately, if you prefer. Do you have accurate measurements of the space and maybe some photos? On the other hand, if you'd prefer, I won't push my ideas any further because it's your project. Out of interest, what do you find unsatisfactory about British RTR products?

+1 for a track plan with every layout article. Track plans provide clarity and technical details that photos and real-world maps can't. They are an art form in themselves, which are (usually) a pleasure to look at. They also allow layout designs to be compared and assessed against each other more easily. Witness the popularity of track plan books through the decades.

While I was searching the 'net for info about the GWR diesel railcars I came across this wonderful period film:

Kenley station building: (from Google StreetView) How could you resist?

I think John Betjeman wrote about ladies like Jill in his poem "Agricultural caress". ;-) https://poeticresolution.wordpress.com/2015/03/18/agricultural-caress-by-john-betjeman/

If the topic were about placement I'd agree. But it's more about how to make and install the uncouplers rather than where to place them.

It sounds wonderful! :-) I imagined the lines disappearing behind a false backscene behind the terminus, Caterham, and if you did that you wouldn't really need to commit yourself to what that line / those lines actually are. They could be the Tattenham branch or mainline or whatever you imagine when you were operating. Because you have the circuit where trains periodically disappear and can run for long durations you can imagine that having left station A in the model that it passes through or stops at imaginary stations B, C and D before you finally bring it to a halt in station E in the model. So you can leave things out - "less is more" ;-) Edit: Having done a bit more reading about the Caterham branch I realise now that you had already done some judicious editing of stations in your description! Sorry. Here's a small update to my previous drawing: I joined all the scenic sections together with a continuous backscene, hid the reversing loop behind the backscene and added some width to the terminus and junction boards. BTW: If your roof pitch is 45degrees then for every 100mm you can lower the baseboard you get 200mm extra width...!

Suggestion for basic topology: Total size 35ft by 6ft. Continuous run, reversing loop, through station/marshalling yard, terminus, fiddle yard. Min radius ~825mm (~32in). The removable boards are all 1220mm by 460mm (~4ft by 18in) to make more efficient use of the standard 1220*2440 sheets of ply, mdf, etc. In reality you'd probably try to make the curves and straights in the scenic areas a bit more interesting.

I joined their forum, intending to ask the question there, but after several days they still have not allowed my account to post. Hence I have posted here instead. If I do get an answer from them through any other channel I will report back here.

Furthermore, here's a Dapol photo of No11 (amongst others) on the Dapol forum: https://digest.Dapol.co.uk/forum/main-forum/gwr-railcar/project-managers-blog-ae/474-oo-gwr-railcar-opening-post?p=6031#post6031 It has horns.

OK, so after a bit of reading: This photo of No10 (built in the same batch as No11, to the same design), shows horns: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/64529-Dapol-streamlined-railcar/page-6&do=findComment&comment=2304087 This drawing of the No11 model by Dapol shows horns: https://digest.Dapol.co.uk/forum/main-forum/gwr-railcar/project-managers-blog-ae/474-oo-gwr-railcar-opening-post The horns may have been fitted later in the life of the vehicle but the same applies to the lamps, which Dapol supply as accessories (* on some variants), so I'd hope to at least get horns as optional accessories for the model of No11. I realise that the differences between variants when they were first built, and then over their lifetimes, are quite complicated. I'd just like to know for certain what accessories should be supplied with each of the Dapol models, as retailed now.

Is there a list of what accessories should be supplied with the different versions of the Dapol GWR railcar model? I know that some versions don't come with lamps but what about the horns? My railcar (no. 11) does not have horns but they are shown in the line drawing on the box. I realise the box is probably common to all the variants so might not reflect the details of a particular version but the fact that they are shown on the line drawing and there are holes in the undercarriage where they would fit suggests they might be missing... So it would be great to have a clear list, for all of the variants, that owners could check against their purchases.

How wide is the space at your estimated baseboard level?

It looks like those would take a long time to stick on neatly! How about something that would do a whole tread at one go, maybe based on rubber or granulated rubber? I searched for "anti slip treads for stairs" and some good possibilities turn up, such as these: https://www.selfadhesive.co.uk/3m-general-purpose-safety-walk-trade-anti-slip-cleats.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAu4nRBRBKEiwANms5Wz4ixJUIiailn55CvSD9ztrDIVC7G25TpsBNjp4oowzk_NgrforoSBoCifgQAvD_BwE http://www.seton.co.uk/anti-slip-rubber-stair-treads-self-adhesive.html#JUP182 GRY

FYI: You can get post-focus apps for SmartPhones. I can't say how good any of them are - haven't tried them properly yet.

It sounds like you need two (or more) separate scenic locations so that there's a reason to marshal traffic at one location, send it to the other and vice versa. (A scenic location connected to a non-scenic fiddle yard alone wouldn't be satisfying because you wouldn't have to follow prototype practice in the fiddle yard. The fiddle yard's track layout would be designed to work efficiently in model terms, not prototype terms, and you can just reach in and move things by hand instead of shunting.) So, bearing in mind your worry about overdoing it, perhaps something like this: A terminus station with goods yard. The feeder branch line(s) eventually connect to a double-track circuit of the entire space at a major junction (scenic) A marshalling yard alongside the mainline double-track circuit, maybe with passenger facilities (scenic) A fiddle yard (non-scenic). A less busy area of the layout where passenger and goods traffic simply runs on the double-track circuit through countryside, through cityscape, alongside the coast (whatever you like!). (scenic) Those four features could perhaps be mapped onto the four areas of your loft space. The suggested double track circuit of the entire space allows trains to run for more realistic distances between the locations, rather than departing one and almost immediately arriving at the other. Doing it in 4mm would help achieve the sense of openness that I think you're after and I think it would also give you enough space for a reversing loop so that "up" traffic that had departed from the terminus could become "down" traffic and arrive back at the terminus. P.S. Those two cross joists might become a major annoyance so it might be worth investigating ways to remove or replace them.

Regarding crossovers between two parallel lines: Yes, you could wire the point motors together so that the points are either both in the normal running position or both in the crossover position. Regarding the noise: The old Hornby/Peco point motors are basically simple electro-magnets fed by a pulse of alternating current. It's that current that makes them buzz and their simple design also makes the points snap from one side to the other with a loud click. There's a more modern alternative these days: DCC controlled servos, which move the point blades in a more gradual and quieter movement. Examples are Peco "PLS-100", DCC Concepts "Cobalt" point motors. I think I'm right to say that these devices usually also have built in electrical switches that allow you to power the frogs of points correctly - very useful if you'e using "Unifrog" points. Edit: Sorry, I should have read the thread properly. Pete and 34<IsItAC?> already said most of this above!

Hi Kevin, I made a little video of my railcar with sounds running on my dining table: The sound recording is not great but it's the best I can do just now. It sounds much better in reality.

I made a little video of my railcar with sounds running on my dining table: The sound recording is not great - it sounds much better in reality.

Ah, I see... I was thinking that the gasworks was deliberately built next to the line so that coal could be unloaded directly and I thought I saw the hint of a coal stage platform on the maps. But maybe the position is just coincidence and the line on the map is something else entirely. Fair enough.

My point was that, since the gasworks did not have it's own siding, coal wagons being unloaded would get in the way of other goods shunting activities were it not for the goods yard access from the other side of the runaround loop. That is to say, while the goods yard access appears odd at first, and not strictly needed by good practice or Board of Trade rules, there may have been a very practical reason for doing it that way.