John Hubbard

Thank you for the helpful feedback Harlequin. Agreed, the bay platform should really go. Traffic would not really have justified it, and it allows more scenic treatment too. Trap is back in, and I've altered the sidings a little to allow more capacity, but shed line will probably get shortened a bit more, it does not need to be as long as the holding siding. I've added a 45' table, which I think Moretonhampstead used to have, and it seems so large (relatively), but I guess that just shows how much we compress things. Some gentle curving added, but it certainly will NOT be parallel to the board edge (not my personal taste). I'll also need to adjust all clearances to broad gauge even though the BG will have been lifted by my time frame, the buildings Train, goods, and engine sheds will still be to that gauge I think.

Thank you for the advice about a straight run in. The extra space was for the scenic elements, but I take your point, I'll redesign and add at least another 12" into the loops. The location of the shed is as per Moretonhampstead, but I did not want to copy the station exactly as it has been done so often. I suppose an alternative would be to move the engine shed to the west and the goods to the east but that would mean shunting through the train shed. Would the cattle dock be more likely in the bay platform (1), or behind the engine shed (2)?

Can I take advantage of your collective knowledge please? I want to build a BLT but to be a little different it will be circa 1890-1910, to help justify some small loco's, and coaches along with a limited track plan, as you may already suspect it will have a west country feel with train shed. The east end will have a two road bridge (the owners thinking ahead to busier times and they will be expecting to extend to the west eventually. Would the track diagram be conceivable for the time? Is the crossing likely in a small space? Would cattle trucks be run through a good shed or should this be moved to the end of the head shunt, and the shed line shortened? Should I include a catch point at the end of the goods area before the crossing? Any other advice on getting this compact, GWR-ish and a little more prototypical?

Looking at the track plan suggested, and given you like modelling can I suggest an often forgotten location... Peterborough East? PBE was on the south of the river, and curves into PB North under the East coast mainline and in an earlier time would also have a junction for Northampton (current NVR trackbed). The meadow the line passes between the bridges most of the year is a car park but for four weeks holds a fairground (as seen in this map). The ECML at this point crosses the river in a series of viaducts and impressive bridges. The station itself was a little unusual in that the tracks had platforms both sides and an overall roof. An overall roof would allow you to model part of the station and use licence to lead in to you FY. http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/p/peterborough_east/ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peterborough_iron_bridge_with_train.jpg With regard to turntables, PBE did have a turntable on at the East end in the MPD, but if you limit the right hand scope this would go. BTW the turntable is now at the Nene Valley Railway, and as described is a 70' version which I think the NVR extended (?). A little detail I discovered recently is that in the late 60's Peterborough put in a bid to retain PBE to serve the proposed National Railway Museum which would have been between the station and the river. As the NRM went to York PBE was fully closed in the 70's. If you build a "might have been" around this you could include a NRM with turntable and pretty much any type of rolling stock esp if you really stretch the point and allow a link to the NVR at Peterborough. Check Google for this location. The history has potential, but you'll have some interesting compromises to make, there is almost too much to choose from. https://www.google.com/maps/@52.5671519,-0.2396437,550m/data=!3m1!1e3 https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/519500/299500/13/101329 you'll need to lose some of the sidings but it can be made to work. Just one more thought - you could alternatively move the station west to the land between the bridges and integrate the NRM and call it "New Peterborough East for the NRM". The idea of a train on the bridge held at a signal for PB North would look good imo