wasdavetheroad

I will try experimenting with AnyRail for that idea. There is the restriction of very limited turnout geometry. Currently only 867mm radius with a 10 degree diverge or 490mm radius with a 25 degree diverge, new 550 rad are in production soon. It could be expensive as well, those 867mm points include built in motor and other track sections but come in at £60 a pop! Maybe one day they will introduce a 'Y' point like they have in their N-scale range. I calculate I would need 112mm between track centres to fit the signal box. Also the large space in the yard near the red box is where the cattle pens and loading dock are located. BTW the mineral run around loop has 2 x 490 rad points at one end and I cut down the curve to about 21 degrees to narrow the track separation.

Yes there are lots of compromises due to available space and my choice of KATO HO Unitrack for this my 3rd layout. Age related hand and eye issues have led to me choosing the simplest approach which gives the project its working name of the '16 foot train set'. I don't like wiring anyway and the baseboards are 3 layers of 50mm blue foam screwed together. I changed to wireless control and battery power with the last layout and it has worked well for me. I took delivery of the final 3 points last week so hopefully will start track laying in a couple of weeks once some building work is completed. Back to the signal box. This morning I modified the yard layout and the plan shows in red where I wanted the box to be and in green where I will try it first. Some of you might recognise the layout from my signalling forum question and note I took the good advice to put a run around loop in for the mineral exchange sidings. This will allow for the little 0-4-0 to run around 6 wagons which is fine for me and even an excuse to make 2 trips to fill the sidings.

I could do that but there is no site width restriction in the real world site which is a country area. The maximum baseboard width is 36'' which is just about reachable as I am less than 5' 5''. Overall design constraints on the layout mean I can't find an extra few inches here without causing even worse problems elsewhere. The Metcalfe box is being recycled from a previous layout as well.

Thanks for the info. Due to the inevitable depth constraints with baseboard depth it looks like there is not enough room. My alternative is to move the yard track closer to the running line and locate the box behind it whilst maintaining the line of sight to the various signals if possible. I suppose it is OK to have the point rodding etc running under what is the access road to the yard. When I get round to the rodding in a year or so.

I am trying to squeeze an old style signal box between a main running line and a goods yard track. Is there a specified minimum clearance between the box wall and the centre of the running line allowing for the point rodding emerging from the box etc. The model is a 00 scale Metcalf kit with a width of approx 13 feet plus a 18 inch walkway for cleaning the windows

large or medium radius point and what makes of wagon? Medium radius points can have issues with some wheel flanges 'picking' facing point blades. There are measures you can take to lessen the problem. Have a read of this https://ntrak.org/resources/Documents/tNt/T-TRAK TipsNTechniques/TNT Unitrack Turnouts.pdf

Not absolutely as the C,K&PR did have some signals replaced with upper quadrants. I have 4 lower quadrant and need 2 more of LNWR or LMS type.

Thanks Mike for the comprehensive reply. I think I understand it all. The only problem is the DOWN signal at B. Dapol do a bracket home signal but with both arms full size although the left hand version has the arm set lower. I do want to operate the main signals but ground signals etc are beyond my old hands capabilities. edit, just found some images, it looks like I will have to add a non working miniature arm to a normal signal

This is the current track plan developed in AnyRail, just under 5 metres wide and using Kato HO Unitrack Feel free to add signals to it

Good points, unfortunately as we all are I am constrained by the available space and the point geometry which has a 10 degree diverge angle. If I had another metre that double track curve at the DOWN end would not be there. and the idea of two stop signal less than 100 yards apart worries me. I like your idea of a run around loop somewhere on the quarry line as DOWN wagons could go in the right hand siding and UP wagons in the left. I will get the topic moved but may start again with a plain track diagram ask for advice on signalling given the constraints of the model.

This is getting interesting and I need to explain the quarry line working. The quarries are at a lower altitude than the station and there is a steep graded section somewhere off the layout. I imagine the company loco as a 0-4-0 saddle tank propelling several small groups of wagons into the exchange sidings with those for the UP goods going into the left hand siding and those for the DOWN goods being left in the exchange loop. There is enough room for 6 wagons in the loop without fouling the left hand siding. The loaded wagons are collected by the evening goods trains and the empties arrive in the morning. The company loco collects the wagons and pulls them down the quarry line in larger groups because they are empty. Still problems with the sequence though as I did not realise the company loco would not be allowed to run around.

Thanks, how do get a topic moved?

Thanks, those diagrams are useful Here is a more complete track plan. OO scale, 16 foot baseboard, Track is Kato Unitrack HO, not laid yet as railway room under refurbishment. I am trying to keep things as simple as possible as my old hands just can't deal with the fiddly stuff anymore. I am going to try Dapol GWR square post home signals, at least they are lower quadrant and I can mod the finial. Maybe I can get away with just 4 of them. BTW the UP and Down are reversed. Penrith is now in the DOWN direction

Thanks for the info and yes, the yard would be shunted using the UP platform road as well. However as there was several miles of steep hill to the west apparently mineral trains hauled by the small goods engines would sometimes split the load and use a long siding in the goods yard as a refuge while they went back down the bank for the other half. Because of this there was also a water tank provided. I am going to use modellers licence to include some pre war trains for operational interest. I need to provide another diagram showing the complete layout with the quarry exchange loop and sidings behind the down platform

Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith 1950's ITG - I have not included all the track and the goods yard has 4 sidings plus an additional head shunt which is not on the inspirational original Troutbeck. . There is other track on the DOWN side but I wanted to clear up the UP starter position first

This will be part of my next layout. A passing loop on a single track branch line. The loops contain up and down platforms. There is also a small goods yard with maybe 3 pick up goods per day. My question is where to put the up starter semaphore. 'A' looks logical and 'B' probably dangerous if there are trains awaiting to depart the UP loop and the Yard. Maybe 'A' and another stop signal at 'X'?. The Yard will need a signal at 'C' and could this be a ground signal? I have now added a plain image of the current AnyRail plan. OO scale, just under 5 metres long and Kato Unitrack

If you find the Faller onboard batteries work well and are easy to charge I would consider just replacing the onboard speed control system with a RC one. This would mean the overhead wiring would be purely cosmetic, IMO avoiding a lot of hassle!. Question - what type of batteries are the Faller ones and what voltage is the motor? Question - how does the Faller system steer the vehicle? is there a continuous magnetic strip under the road and what about junctions?

Somewhat similar to Troutbeck on the CKPR. In the middle of nowhere but with a bigger goods yard than you would expect, sited where your refuge siding is. There is a long steep bank to the west and in the olden days the small locos tasked with heavy mineral trains would split the train and run 2 portions to Troutbeck. There was a long siding in the goods yard that could be used as a refuge. There was also a passing loop added and 2 platforms. Dualing to the East came later. This is my inspiration for my new layout, present name the BIG train set. For play value (operational interest) I have added another loop and some simple exchange sidings for the fictional 'mineral branch'. Historical bridge weight restrictions allow for double heading on long freights and excursion trains. I am also planning on turning the fiddle yard into a terminus/exchange station, again to increase play value. Two layouts in one.

You just use the same procedure as the original binding of the Rx to the Tx Switch off the Tx Select the Selecta number you want to bind to Switch on the Rx, the LED flashes for about 15 seconds followed by rapid flashing Switch on the Tx whilst holding down the bind button The Rx should flash slowly a few times and then come on solid, The Rx is now bound to the new Selecta number

There is a way of getting a true consist for 2 locos with a Tx-22 but only one consist per Tx. Basically you need 2 Rx's which are factory fresh, ie not bound to your Tx or with a software reload also works. The Rx's are set to the Selecta with Tx change option. For the consist you must set both locos to Selecta position 6 as this overwrites the position used in the 'factory' for testing. Then after speed matching you set each loco to a different 2nd Selecta position. for example I have 2 Hornby 2P 4-4-0's. One bound to S4 and S6 and the other bound to S5 and S6. The locos are controlled independently with S4 and S5 and S6 controls both locos as a consist. Obviously S6 can only be used to control the consist and no other locos should be bound to it.

You might try a small dab of Copydex on the underside here and there plus a track pin or two. If your layout remains level it should be OK and the track is easy to lift. I have 'blue foam' baseboards and drill 0.8 mm holes in the track (Kato HO) then use Sainsbury's finest Korbond dressmaker pins, they stick surprisingly well to the blue foam

That's what I found as well so all my tension locks are being converted to bogie mounted and all freight stock to Hornby wheels and medium tension locks if possible. Medium type tension locks! I like the train set look

All the control signals to the loco are via Bluetooth link. the loco power can be from the rails or a battery or a combination of both. I tested an earlier BlueRail board and it even switched automatically from rail to battery power and vice versa. the battery was in effect a giant stay alive but retaining full control of the loco. ps - as I do not need sound so I use Deltang equipment plus some Lemon receivers for radio controlled uncoupling.

Thanks everyone, I think I understand it now and I don't have to add the extension leads etc until the new garage side door is fitted

That's an interesting suggestion. I have tested the output of the PSU's and they are stable at just below and just above 12V. I will have a go at extending the 12V output with good capacity wire, probably cable and check the voltage drop and whether it will still fire a pair of point motors. Thanks again