Karan Warner

Thanks everyone!

Thanks for those links. As far as era is concerned I don't think it is all that important. As far as I believe the station was altered very little during its lifetime, though I wouldn't bet on me being right. However, I don't know if that also applies to the period after the station's closure, when it was converted into a depot. If the plan remained the same (or recognisable) then that would be suitable as well.

Greetings, Many months ago I remember coming across a track plan of Leith Central station, which immediately caught my eye. I saved it to my computer which has since corrupted, and I can no longer seem to find it on google images. I have used old maps and other such websites to reconstruct the array of scissors crossovers in the approaching tracks, but none of the maps reveal the layout of the platforms/sidings under the overall roof. Would anyone happen to have a full plan that they could share, or point me in a direction where I might have more luck? Thank you in advance, Karan

Thanks for the speedy replies. Very helpful, and equally as interesting!

Firstly, Merry Christmas to you all. Secondly, I hope this is the right place to post this. I came across this brilliant photo online. I don't know much about pre-grouping stock, and don't recognise the style of coach immediately behind the loco. Would someone be able to identify the type it is, as it looks very smart, and worth acquiring in model form. Thank you!

Thanks for these, I especially like the first

If it isn't too much trouble, I would be very grateful if you could. Thanks for clearing things up! Thanks for the pointer, I'll get right on it.

Apologies for my tardy replies gents, I've been away on holiday and haven't been checking the thread. Pacific:- thanks for the extra information regarding Fort William. It does seem to be the best prototype for a busy west highland terminus. Regarding the platform road that led onto the quay, you mentioned how it was utilised during periods of heavy traffic (perhaps summer); was it regularly used for terminating/reversing passenger services during periods of normal traffic, or was it left clear for access to the harbour? You mentioned that the harbour was seldom used, so perhaps this wasn't necessary in practice, but demanded by protocol...(?) Ejstubbs:- Kyle does have a lot of the features that I was envisioning; I shall conduct some further research. I recall there being an attractive rendition of it in a RM a few years ago; I'll try to dig it out. Lovely photos by the way.

Thanks Harlequin, -Yes I suppose it would be neater to have imaginary off stage facilities than to cram them in. -That's just the new way I decided to use to represent the exit off-stage; I very much doubt it would be a tunnel in reality (i should have specified this, apologies!) -I'll try and introduce a but of variation to the right hand side of the layout and see if it improves the overall look. -And that's good to know, thanks very much.

Here is the amended first design. As suggested, I have widened the platform, extended the shed road to mask the exit (and included facilities), and dispensed with the useless headshunt in favour of a 60' TT, which also helps fill the gaping void that existed before. The grey colour of the sidings on the quayside signifies hardstanding. I think this is much neater. PS, the screenshot function on my computer doesn't seem to work with the track planning software, so I am having to take photos with my phone, hence the the nasty shimmery reflections.

Righto

Right, I did some more looking into Fort William and found this thread, where people had shared some maps that were good quality, and the OP had produced an interesting scheme. Inspired by this, I have produced a new design, which is quite different in flavour to my previous plan, but there is an elegance to its simplicity which I really like (as well as the fact that fewer points means fewer pounds to spend), and it still retains its waterside west-highland setting. There is a 60' TT which gives access to a stabling road with coal and water facilities. The run-round can just about hold 5 Mk1s, which I think is more than generous. I am aware that in the prototype, the lowest line extends beyond the station to a harbour, but I do not have space for something like that. Therefore, I have imagined that this road (the orange one on the diagram) could be used to handle parcels traffic and some general goods, (un)loaded via the platform. I have also added a second siding that runs along the quay (the green), most likely set into concrete, which will handle fish traffic. There is a building (anything from a cottage to a boathouse) in the lower-left corner which disguises the exit to the fiddle yard, as people suggested, and by having the route off-scene lower down than previously it provides space for a conventional traverser to be used. The entire front of the layout is bordered by water; a sea wall on the left and then a quay further towards the right, along the siding. There is still a good deal of empty space above the throat, which could be filled with something. Perhaps a small coal yard (cf. Railway Children), and some generic lineside buildings (mess room, toilets, offices...). Having said this, I do think having a bit of empty space helps to reinforce the setting; lonely highland harbour town with surrounded by nothingness. Finally, I produced two alternatives station throats. The one currently in place is marginally shorter as it makes use of a three-way, which currently is not available in bullhead, although does look rather fancy. The standalone one below the plan uses only standard left and right turnouts (thus bullhead track can be used throughout), and has the added benefit of slightly gentler radii, at the cost of length. I'd be interested to know which one people think looks better. I would welcome any feedback, be it positive or negative. Edit- Upon closer inspection, the throats appear to be more or less the same size, so the only difference is to do with appearance.

Thanks for the info Sorry, I think I was too vague in my previous post; it would not be a full train shed (that would be too obtrusive as you say) more like a platform canopy made of ornate ironwork and glass, so as to leave the trains unobscured. Edit- found a photo to show the sort of thing I was thinking; if it still looks odd then please say so

hmmm, my first attempt to reply to these seems to vanished, so I shall try again... Sadly, I thought what I was imagining was too good to be true I had come across FW in my reading and it seemed like an interesting prototype, but try as I might I could not find a track plan that was either legible or gave enough detail to be of any use. I know Ian Futers produced a rendition of the station in 7mm years ago, so I tried to find a plan for that instead but was equally as unsuccessful. Would anyone happen to have one that they could share? Oban and Ballachulish both seem interesting, I shall look into them

Some excellent ideas; I especially like the idea of a schools train, and I had forgotten mail traffic from my initial design. What length, either in the real world and in 4mm, would a turntable of that size be? If one fits then I'll be sure to add it

Thanks for the feedback. -Yes I thought it looked too small, I think I could extend it through the scenic break if need be. -The engine shed idea is good, and I was thinking that the line would bend round a (possibly quite sharp) corner into a ladder yard, as I have little flexibility for a traverse given that the access point is nearer the back of the plan as you said. -The bottom line functions as both a kick-back and somewhere to leave a couple coaches in-between duties; it's around 5 feet long so I think(?) there is room for both -Joseph_Pestell raised this point as well; I really like the look of the island platform, so am eager to keep it. Do you think that if I widened it it would make it look a little more natural? It would have a glass canopy providing shelter to passengers at the station end (I remember an article in Railway Modeller a few years back about a seaside LNER terminus with a lovely glass canopy, I forget the name) -I tried to incorporate a sort of flow to the plan instead of keeping it all on the same plane, and whilst I like the curved throat it produces you are right that it leaves the back of the layout rather empty. I shall have another go at shuffling things around, although I am limited by the free trial; I'll post whatever I come up with

Sometimes leaving out a run round loop adds to interest; it would allow the operator to use a larger loco to bring a train on scene, and then a small shunter to split it up and sort it. Seems like a good way of getting fun out of a small layout

Looks good! I have seen lots of small layouts incorporate small scrap yards, with excellent results. You could fit a tiny one in on the right hand spur of the double slip, or make the two sidings in the yard area into a larger one, and use the spur as a headshunt for it. Both would allow you to run wagons of scrap as freight, and the scrap heap would fill space and create shape, as well as provide ample opportunity for little cameos of workers and such.

Salutations, First of all, given my current financial situation, it is impossible highly unlikely that I will be able to construct anything of this nature in the foreseeable future; this is just speculation. As such, anyone who does not wish to spend their time discussing something entirely abstract, please feel free to ignore this post. However, for those of you who don't mind discussing designs for fun without expecting to see any actual modelling, I would welcome any feedback/discussion. I have been toying around with various designs for a quayside terminus set somewhere on the west coast of Scotland (a la Mallaig) for quite some time now. However, for the sake of interest, I have imagined a comparatively busier branchline, with regular (is 3-4 an hour pushing it?) trains of around 4 or 5 coaches each, hauled by Black 5s or K1s, taking passengers too and from a mainline connection. I am not too concerned with choosing a particular period, but pre-nationalisation would allow me to run trains of both LMS and LNER stock (the updated Hornby teak coaches are gorgeous!). Goods traffic is comprised of coal, perishables, and livestock, as well as lots of fish traffic from the quayside. I have attached a track plan, which is a bit barebones (the number of pieces available was restricted as I am using a free trial), so I will do my best to describe whatever is missing; please ask if anything is unsure. The fiddle yard is to the left of the plan, and the large black arrowhead denotes the route off-scene. Above the mainline is the headshunt to the goods yard, which consists of a goods shed and a siding serving a coal yard (this isn't depicted; it is the uppermost siding). There are two platforms, each long enough for a nicely-sized train. I have intentionally omitted a loco release from the lower platform, thus creating the need for a second loco to draw the train out and shunt it to the other platform; hopefully this will add operational interest. The engine shed and associated amenities (the left-most of the brown squares) allows for engines to top up coal and water in between services. The two sidings below this serve a quayside, with fish vans receiving crates from boats in the water. The grey bulge protruding from the top of the station area is a cattle dock. A sea wall would run along the lower-right edge of the layout, and, if space is available, I should like to model some of a beach. I have used measurements from the Metcalfe and Ratio websites to ensure that the buildings are the accurate size. All points are Peco large radius code 75, as I would use their new bullhead range should I ever be able to actually build this. I would be grateful for any feedback anything, from the concept (is it plausible/not absurd?) to the track plan (does it look interesting to operate? are there any obvious problems/improvements that could be made?), and I invite anyone else who is playing around with a similarly-sized/themed design to share their musings. Thanks, Karan