TomJ

I drew up plans for an N gauge Barnstaple inspired layout in N. Fitted in about 9x3ft and imagined the line to Bideford and Torrington survived into the mid 80s, perhaps even for passengers. Based on a continuous run with fiddle yard behind. Never built it.....

I’ve just dug out my copy of John Vaughan’s ‘The Newquay Branchline and it’s Branches’ - my go to for inspiration. The line used to carry on past Ponts Mill up the Luxulyan Valley - part of which was the route of the original Treffy Tramway. It carried on to quarries and to Trevanny Dry, which was shut in the early 60s. At one stage a petrol loco took the wagons to BR at Ponts Mill. As it wasn’t very powerful loaded wagons were often run down under gravity. Later lorries took the clay to a loading wharf for transshipment.

I struggle with getting a straight cut!! Which is ironic as my day job is as an anaesthetist. So happy manipulating tiny needles into small spaces under ultrasound guidance with a very steady hand. But give me a saw and a piece of wood and it goes all over the place.

Not sure if my woodwork is up to this anyway!! Thanks for the suggestions though - something I'll look into

I wasn’t sure about the junction for the reversing loop either. I did wonder that if trains only ran on way round it (from the anti clockwise) circuit then it could still serve its purpose of turning trains but avoid the need for that crossover. No idea how prototypical that might be?

That is simply amazing. Thank you so much. I was sure it would fit somehow but couldn’t work it all out. I like the fact that it’s no longer straight track at the front, and 3rd/4th radius curves in the visible areas

That’s a good idea - could use it for auto trains or DMUs that don’t need to run round. Or to hold another train then swap them round looking at the plan above I wonder if the reversing line could actually come off the fiddle yard loop - so giving one longer loop? thanks again everyone

It’s superb and is so obviously Lapford without even needing to be told. N gauge gives you a bit more space, like the real thing

I was inspired by this great N gauge layout - and planned to stretch it a bit In a space of just 4x2ft he’s made a very impressive layout and it got me thinking about something similar

Thanks for everyone’s comments. I should have added a few more details. I was looking at using 2 and 3 radius curves for the continuous run and so allowing for the setrack curved points to make a cross over. The ‘fiddle yard’ is just a couple of loops off the main track to store an extra train or two and I don’t plan for any handling of stock there at all. And the return loop is single track. - so using the curved cross over. My thinking regarding operation was that trains would leave the terminus, do as many laps round as I want before returning. Whilst shunting in the terminus I could run one of the trains stored in the fiddle yard round and round. The whole thing is DCC. happy to compromise to 6 or 7 coaches so if using the terminus over fiddle yard plan I can put the curved outside and get a bit more length for the gradients. Thanks again

The more I read and think about it the more I fancy an cramped urban terminus based on Minories, using my 50s/60s WR stock. I’ve been thinking about the fiddle yard and would prefer to avoid handling stock wherever possible So in N gauge this was my first thought A simple reversing loop with some turn back sidings for units or auto trains. But this takes up a lot of non scenic space, which got me thinking about alternatives, including a continuous run. This of course allows me to run different stock, including freight. Juggling the furniture around in my box bedroom I can squeeze either 8ft x 3ft or 9ft x 2ft 6. Both have been mocked up with templates and left over track pieces, just don’t have access to track planning software right now This was my first idea - based on the premise of Birmingham Moor Street, 8x3, a small terminus for local trains alongside the mainlines. Should keep all curved to second radius, and wider on the visible sections. A reversing loop allows trains to return to the terminus without running round However I wasn’t sure how prototypical this was, aside from Moor Street, so in 9 x 2,6 this was the alternative, putting the station above the layout. Gradients work out at 1in50 and I ‘think’ most of my locos will cope with this Not sure which of these two will look best. Both will be set in an city location, so can disguise exits etc with bridges, tunnels and retaining walls. Both should allow through trains on the continuous run of loco + 8, and trains of loco + 5 in the station Thoughts please? Thanks

There is a cafe at Hellifield. Never been in it but got yelled at by the staff when my son used their toilet thinking it was part of the station

Sorry for the thread diversion but this reminds me of something I’ve pondered. How did stations with different OHL cope? Like Man Picc with 1500v DC and 25kv AC. Do the two systems have to completely separate? What about points or lines crossing each other. I can imagine OHL and 3rd rail but can’t work this out.

I use solvent free UHU. It seems to work. Don’t use normal UHU - it dissolves the foam!

Thabks for the comment. I’m assuming you’re involved with the SVR. Perhaps you might be able to answer a couple of questions about it. There seem to be two wooden lifts on the yard side, one huge and one derelict. Are they both original or is the large one a SVR addition? Also are the end doors original or recent? Are they rollers or slide doors. Or do they swing open - inwards or outwards? Thanks

I can imagine it’s a superb carriage works. Can’t wait to visit again when we are allowed. I didn’t quite realise the scale till I measured it up on google maps. It seemed to be about 250ft

Having assembled the four sides and a platform two things occur to me... Firstly it’s massive! Far bigger than I imagined, but I think it’ll have that urban ‘presence’ Secondly with the number of windows and large door openings the interior is too clearly obvious, even if painted black. So I need to fit brick interior walls, if only roughly

After my station based on Kidderminster SVR I am addicted to Scalescenes! I love the fact that you get all the arches and decorations that really enhance a building. A discussion about parcel handling let to a pic of Kidderminster goods shed, now in use as the SVR C&W workshop. I was looking for a large urban goods shed so this was ideal (photo from geography.org with permission to reuse) I used Google Maps to estimate the size - I didn’t realise how big it was. It’s almost 250ft or 50cm in N. That’s considerably more than a printed A4 brickwork sheet. So it’s scaled down a bit. Finding photos of the rail side was really hard so it’s a bit estimated. Its my now usual method of construction - brickwork printed onto Matt photographic paper, layered for the arches etc and mounted on foam board. So far I’ve made all four walls and starting on the windows. This is testing my sanity so doing a few at a time The yard side - with the first windows fitted The rail side which shoes the scale of this! The thing I love about this is it’s all made from stuff I have at home so needs no special equipment. Work as an ITU dr has been rather hectic recently so a few minutes on these when I get home is a great antidote. Almost mindfulness!

Perfect. Thanks everyone Warship it is then

If you could pick one as representative which one would it be?? My proposed layout is a city terminus and through route in a fictional Devon city (cross between Exeter and Plymouth) set towards the end of WR steam in 1960. I’ve got most of the steam fleet and a Dapol 22. I have the funds (and authorisation) for one more diesel. Which one should I go for? Hymek, Warship or Western? Which one would have been more commonly seen? Thanks - you can tell steam is more my area of knowledge

Loving seeing the progress on here. Great photos. After all the years of prevarication there’s actually track laid and everything!

A bit of a bump as I’ve actually built it now. Pretty much finished except for detailing like chimney pots and so on. That’ll have to wait till the model shops and shows open. I’ve really enjoyed detailing the concourse Thanks for all the help and suggestions. With plenty of photos, google earth and the drawings from the planning application I had a pretty good idea of the dimensions. It’s not a scale model, I’ve shortened the wings where the refreshment rooms and shops are and the canopy is a representation. But I’m happy with it More importantly my toughest critic (my 10yr son) said it was awesome!!

Thanks so much for all this information. What is also equally astonishing is that my station building is inspired by the SVR at Kidderminster, with the canopy roof and all! So this is really useful information