TravisM

After talking with a friend @class26, who’s having a helix built into his layout, I’ve decided to abandon the Cockickle station idea, due to the lack of space. If I want the helix to go underneath the St Bees/Whitehaven line, I’m going to need to start the decent earlier, which either means moving the station nearer the lifting hatch or abandoning it. It was felt that it would be better scenically not to have the station and have the trains run through the Cumbrian countryside.

I had a rethink about the plan, and decided to keep it as much as the original but lose the track in front and make it a roadway for trucks going into, and out of the docks, with the main gate just off scene. Also straightened the two right hand sidings to give some extra length, as well as removing the old loading platform, turned the siding slightly and added a Bachmann Scenecraft 44-126 single road servicing shed which I have. It can be used not only to park the Class 08, but used for wagon repairs as well. To hide a noticeable space, I've added two non rail connected oil storage tanks.

It would have been great to have modelled the line in the 70's and 80's, but I'm dictated to by space, that's why I'm going for 2017-18 period.

Slightly off topic but with aliens abducting Jacob Rees-Mogg, it reminded me of this.

I thought I'd add Corkickle station into the plan as I thought the tunnel mouth is a excellent scenic break, and I'm also aware that the real station is on a slight reverse curve to the one shown, but I'm either invoking Rule 1 or modellers licence. Also, before anyone jumps up and down, foaming at the mouth, pointing out on the plan that the track for the helix goes through Corkickle station and the tunnel mouth covers two tracks, it doesn't. The helix will go underneath the station and tunnel entrance but as I'm using the trial version of AnyRail, I can't show the helix descending/rising.

Because the grades on both sides will be too steep, as @Harlequin pointed out in a earlier post.

To be honest, I hadn't noticed but as I plan to take a trip to St Bees in either March or April (hopefully staying at the old station building), I'll be taking loads of pictures and try to capture the essence of the station and local area. I might even drive to Corkicle station and photograph that, as I might include it into the plan, even though it will be on a curve, but I can use Whitehaven tunnel entrance as a scenic break.

The beauty of the design is that I can have two trains depart the hidden sidings within minutes of each other, each taking a different track up the helix and then meet at St Bees, facing in opposite directions. After waiting (as per the prototype), they can set off and then will arrive at the hidden sidings, again via different tracks on the helix. I think it makes it far more interesting operationally, and can give up to three operators something to do, though it designed be operated by just one person (me).

After much jiggling about, I think I've come up with the final plan for my layout (famous last words). Rather than doing along the Cumbrian coast, as scenic as it is, I don't have to split the baseboards to get the depth of the beach and the track level I needed, and get rid of the need to get the helix to do several more revolutions down to reach the hidden sidings. I've decided to do St Bees station as it gives the layout a focal point. I can also do the single section that heads towards Whitehaven. By having it double track around the helix, I can get rid of the point and more importantly, start the gradient earlier, so it goes underneath the single line to/from Whitehaven, saving space. Also I can run more than one train up/down the helix if I so desire. It's a shame the Corkickle station isn't on a curve as I could use the tunnel entrance as part of the scenic break as the track heads towards Whitehaven, but I suppose there's always modeller licence.

Maybe this is a better plan, and I can use my Bachmann single road servicing shed. I can also put a road along the front and the ship moored up on the back scene, behind the low relief warehouses.

It would mean that some, or most of the point work would be over the joint, not a very good idea.

This plan might be better.

I thought I'd expand the track plan if I wanted, but it makes the whole layout 18ft x 30ins. The main reason the layout is as wide as it is, so it can fit onto my Wicks steel trestles, which are 30 ins wide.

Hi @Schooner, thank you for your input and you have some valid points, but I thought I'd answer your questions; As pointed out in several posts, though it's designed to be extended on either side, I don't plan to at the moment. The front track is primarily for use as a programming track and to place loco's and stock to be photographed Yes, your correct, the layout is mainly to find a use for my BYA's, of which I have 21 as I had planned to model the Wolverhampton/Bescot - Boston steel train but I've abandoned that idea because of limited space at home. What do you do? I'm not going to sell them as I've spent too much on them. I'm using Kadee's and the Class 08 will go into the warehouse to collect the BYA's As I've also put, the track plan is based on a US based layout which works very well, so I think it should also work well here.

If I wanted to extend the layout with a similar baseboard at each end, with holes at the ends for dowels and bolts to hold them together if that's the direction I want to go, then all the tracks could be extended, except the one into the warehouse (though could be extended with opening in the back to a hidden siding) and the one where the overhead crane is situated. I wanted to go with the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid) and also somewhere interesting to photograph loco's and stock, so I will keep it as it is for now.

Unfortunately, I'm well aware that there's only enough length for a single BYA and Class 08, but I thought that would be half the fun, moving a single wagon at a time, running around it, so the layout is more a 'time saver' layout, rather than prototypical.

People bemoan that the Warley show has been cancelled, but fail to mention that show's are hard work to organise, as @AY Mod will affirms with the BRM shows, mainly done by club members who are retired as they have the time (and usually the organisational skills) to get sorted. We in the East of England have lost two big shows recently, the BRM show at Peterborough Showground because the owners put the site up for sale to build houses on, and the East of England show, put on by St Neots MRC, scaled back because the older members didn't want to do it anymore. Is anyone up in arms, no. As for Hatton's, I understand their reasons to close, things can't go on for ever, but I do sympathise with those who no doubt lose their jobs, but as modellers, we will continue, find other dealers. People should just move on and enjoy their lives, no matter what they do, as I pointed out to someone the other day, were here on this ball of rock for three/four generations then die, so we only rent or borrow stuff, we don't own it, and 100 years after our deaths, no-one will remember or care about us.

Two reasons, firstly I have a back scene already printed out of a merchant ship which I had photographed, tied up at the dock, behind the warehouse, secondly, the baseboard has been produced flat, so to produce water, means either butchering what I’ve got or paying to have built in. As this is meant to be a ‘cheap’ modelling exercise using what track I already have, I picked the first option.

The track is as you say, for display or programming only and though the layout can be extended, I don’t really plan to. It’s main purpose is to give me something ‘play’ with until my Cumbrian Coast layout starts to be built. It’s designed to not be straight forward as I want the layout to look like the were other industries that used to be rail served, but now gone. The old loading platform will be largely overgrown and it’s track and others are mainly used to store BYA’s, so the Class 08 has to run round to get them into the warehouse. I hope that makes sense?

While I'm still in the planning stage of my Cumbrian Coast layout, which will probably be at least 18 months - 2 years before wood gets cut, so I thought I'd build something in the meantime, so at least I can play trains for awhile. I bought a 6ft x 30ins baseboard from Tim Horn and build a shunting layout based on Robert Smaus 'Port of Los Angeles' layout, but relocating to somewhere like Boston, Lincolnshire, but it's not based on Boston docks, hence just the name 'The Docks'. I have 21 BYA covered coil steel carriers, of which some can be shunted around into the steel warehouse by the Class 08 I have. I can also put my DB Cargo Class 60 and several BYA's on the spare track (which can also be used as a programming track). The layout is planned to be portable, so exhibitable, and can could be expanded if need be. I'd also like to hear what others think of the plan.

Not sure about gradients, is that good or bad?

I've just had a sudden realisation that the helix is going to need to have more than the 3 revolutions (4-5 maybe) than I originally planned as I need to drop 2-3 inches from the scenic section track bed down to the beach. I think I'll put the coastal section bench work deliberately lower, and raising track bed to the correct track height with Polystyrene sheets, as those made by Woodland Scenic's and others. The hatch and benchwork to the scenic breaks and helix will be at the higher level. I hope that makes sense?

I've had a little redraw, eased some of the curves to a minimum of 3rd radius. Ideally, I'd like from the toe of the point to the helix to be slightly longer and straighter, as well as the helix to dive under the scenic mainline at a sensible angle, but space limitations get in the way, Let me know what you think.

Personally, I'd use a 3-way point at each end of the fiddle yard to save space.

I could but then I’d be stretching instead of bending as the hidden sidings would be above the scenic part. Also if something derails, I’ve less chance of seeing and stopping it, before it comes completely off and gets damaged.