BobM Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 New to this an after a gap of some 40 years without a layout.....returning to modelling...is this the correct section of the site to keep you guys amused....hearing the sharp intake of breath at my pitfalls, mistakes and is this the place to ask for your (kind and helpful) advice....I have started something in the modellers blog....if this isn't the section I'll remove this topic and sorry for the mistake if it is incorrectly posted.Thanks Bob M Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobM Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 Here's my initial drawing of what I am intending, it is a very poor photo sorry.....comments please guys....but be gentle,,,,Thanks Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire2865 Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Looks to be a terminal station. Im no expert on passenger workings, hell, Im a purely freight person, but looking at your plan, it WILL be a large layout. As a start, how much room do you have to work with. What era are you modeling? This tells a lot about what kind of trackwork you can expect to find. What will you be doing with this. Will it be straight to a fiddleyard or will you have some sort of mainline stretch? A great example of a terminal layout is the fabulous Liverpool Lime Street station. It usually hangs around on the homepage. Or a quick search on here will find it. Some points seem redundant, the track layout definately needs to be questioned. In railway design, its more important to ask why a point or a siding would be somewhere. Remember, points are expensive in models as well as in the real world. Finally, where exactly does the mainline come in? I see one line coming in. Overall, a good start, room for improvement but hopefully another member more versed in passenger workings will come by and give more help. The questions Ive asked here are what youll get from most any member when asked about a layout, so dont take my questions the wrong way. We all want to help. Good luck! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobM Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 Cheers Spitfire.....I don't mind what anyone says or comments as I am open to anything. comments are much appreciated and thanks for the concern......I love to take onboard any comments and suggestions.....The plan is rather squashed and I do have points (paper and peco) laid out and it does look quite smooth in real life, I will post when the images are resized to post.....I am intending mid 60's Midland Western Region terminus......up and down line with relief / goods coming in from a fiddle yard to which I would wish to attach a stabling / engine shed and turntable....plat 1 and 2 will take 'King + 5 coaches...along with room for uncoupling and pull back to buffer stops.... Plat 3 and 4 have access to main up and down and relief.....the goods line accesses the headshunt and the propells into goods shed and or sidings..... Cheers Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobM Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 Just removed the 'unnecessary' points between p3 + p4 as I can see they are not really needed at all......it is strange that until someone from outside seeing this something for the first time say 'hang on a bit'...and then you see the mistakes.....thanks Spitfire......much appreciated teo points saved for elsewhere... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin@gorleston Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 That's a pretty good starting point Bob......another layout to check out is "Bradfield, Gloucester Square". It's an inspirational piece of modeling. I'm sure the other more experienced guys will give their advice in due course. Regards Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobM Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 Cheers Colin..much appreciated...every comment is taken onboard and is all 'grist to the mill'....this is as ever a 'developing' project....a long way from track laying....placing points (paper and real) to get a feel for waht things may look fitting....I am intending have a fitting model station rather than 'modelling a particular station' if that makes sense? Cheers guys Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobM Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 One thing that is 'rattling' around in the copious space that exists between my ears is how operationally a light engine would exit or gain access to the station from the stabling yard......on my first plan it was to run along the 'up' in the correct direction and cross into platform one via the single slip hence it's inclusion, more simply would be dispense with the slip and have the lines 'bi-directional'....more of a signalling challenge but simpler trackwise perhaps...or am I being silly? Brunel never seemed to have this problem! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kazmierczak Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Could you scan a clear picture of your intended plan please? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobM Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 I'll have to see if I can 'do a foreigner' at work... Thanks Peter. Although the plan is drawn 'straight' the platforms will have a smooth slight curve too....not too sure about the bay platform looks strange on this drawing but with paper points looks okay.....did have anyrail on previous computer until it 'went to the Cashmoors Scrapyard for cutting up'! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobM Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 Could you scan a clear picture of your intended plan please? Any better Peter new picture,,,help much appreciated Thanks Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kazmierczak Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Thanks Bob, much clearer. As I read it, you have a five-platform terminus approached by a double-track main line with a reversible relief line. There's a separate parcels platform and a goods yard with complex track in it. The passenger station seems well laid out, though I'm wondering why access to platform five seems to be via the goods yard. Can't quite get my head around the goods yard. The proportions between it and the passenger station don't seem quite right. I'd be more inclined to have the goods yard serving a larger warehouse; perhaps for van load traffic. Coal traffic and more general merchandise might be at sidings further away from the station "off scene". Good to see you've resisted the overworked cliche of every station appearing to need an engine shed. Again I'd imagine this would be "off scene" further down the line. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kazmierczak Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Currently trains can only arrive at platforms 1,2 and 4 from the down main, and depart from 1, 2 and 3 to the up main. I've rearranged things a little, whilst still retaining the flavour of your original plan. What do you think? I've relabelled your up and down lines as (unless this was a London terminus), the lines would be the other way round - generally up to London. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobM Posted January 28, 2015 Author Share Posted January 28, 2015 Oh Peter.....How brilliant is that......thank you for this.....spot on with ideas I'd had for the general arrangement.,,,,, platform 5 a i originally thought was only intended as a bay light parcels but I see your clear reasoning for its access from the main lines, I do appreciate the help so much from yourself and all the guys on here it is so rewarding to message with a common interest .I will have a play around with the points I have on the layout and let you know how it goes.......can also see the rearranged good is muc better layout and space use...will also have a play with the layout..... Cheers Peter and everyone.... Regards Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobM Posted January 28, 2015 Author Share Posted January 28, 2015 Re the engine shed thoughts..... yep I've always had the thought that as I have space I am looking forward to maodelling a station scene with a speparate loco stabling yard or engine shed and turntable that locos can run into or off the mainlines / relief attached to the station.....two seperate areas to model but interlinked in some way..... I am no expert but I always imagined that at larger stations the locos ran in to the terminus, and under some circumstances where there wasn't a runaround...the loco would uncouple and pull forward to the buffers and the pilot loco would couple up on the rear and pull the coaches away to the carriage lines releasing the loco...or even the next loco coupling up and starting off with the coaches..hence the idea of platform 1 being possibly bi-directional.... Does this make any sense? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David C Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Another member's two pennyworth ...... Revised track plan looks OK, but your comments about what happens to incoming locos just ain't prototypical. The loco would uncouple from its train and possibly draw forward a foot or two. The pilot or outgoing loco would couple up and then leave with the carriages when signalled. As the departing train heads away, the incoming loco would follow it up the platform to the outer end, where it would stop, the signalman having restored the signal to danger pretty sharpish. I remember seeing this at Liverpool Street in the 1960s with diesels and also at Munich Hauptbahnhof in the 1970s with electric locos. The reason for this was to avoid signalmen forgetting locos hidden at the bufferstops and routing another train into the same platform with the consequent risk of a collision. If a train was intended to be sent into a platform where there was already another train (or van or coach), the signalman had to stop the train just outside the terminus before allowing it into the platform. As an aside, a few years ago I was on an EMU just as it entered London Bridge when the driver slammed on the brakes for the simple reason the platform was already occupied by a train. The one I was on had to reverse and then advance again into another platform. Slapped wrist for the signalman responsible, I imagine! There was a fascinating series in MRJ many years ago written by the late Frank Dyer (of Borchester fame) on correct operation which is well worth getting hold of if you can. I'll look them out when I have a moment. David C Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kazmierczak Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 By a "Midland Western Region terminus" I imagine Bob, that you're thinking of an ex-GW station set in the Midlands, rather than a joint GW/LMS set up. The West Midlands was as much a GW stronghold as it was the LMS, and something set in the Birmingham / Black Country / Wolverhampton region would get away from the surfeit of GW picturesque branch lines one often sees. Just an idea, but as this is a large station, I'd set it in a real town in the district that maybe the GW didn't serve directly. Somewhere like Walsall, for example. This station could be the terminus of a line which joins the Wolves - B'ham route at West Bromwich, with perhaps another link to Wednesbury, to allow trains to arrive directly from Wolverhampton, Shrewsbury and points north. Regarding working the station, I'd be inclined to not put release crossovers between plats 1/2 and 3/4 as they'd be little used. The station might predominantly have departures from plats 1/2, with arrivals in 3/4. Empty carriages for up departures could arrive via the down main, whilst empties off arrivals could head for the carriage sidings further down the line (maybe by the engine shed) via the relief line. Anyway, just a few thoughts..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobM Posted January 28, 2015 Author Share Posted January 28, 2015 Cheers Dave C and Peter..anything said is much appreciated...I live in South Staffordshire and altough I was only the tender age of 8 when the BR steam ban was placed in effect....I have quite vivid memories of Wolv. Low Level...Bham Snow Hill in its sad declining years and West Brom was where I cut my teeth as steam enthusiast in those last few years....how I give myself away eh? Thanks guys keep the advice coming please...thanks Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Sheep Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 By a "Midland Western Region terminus" I imagine Bob, that you're thinking of an ex-GW station set in the Midlands, rather than a joint GW/LMS set up. The West Midlands was as much a GW stronghold as it was the LMS, and something set in the Birmingham / Black Country / Wolverhampton region would get away from the surfeit of GW picturesque branch lines one often sees. Just an idea, but as this is a large station, I'd set it in a real town in the district that maybe the GW didn't serve directly. Somewhere like Walsall, for example. This station could be the terminus of a line which joins the Wolves - B'ham route at West Bromwich, with perhaps another link to Wednesbury, to allow trains to arrive directly from Wolverhampton, Shrewsbury and points north. Regarding working the station, I'd be inclined to not put release crossovers between plats 1/2 and 3/4 as they'd be little used. The station might predominantly have departures from plats 1/2, with arrivals in 3/4. Empty carriages for up departures could arrive via the down main, whilst empties off arrivals could head for the carriage sidings further down the line (maybe by the engine shed) via the relief line. Anyway, just a few thoughts..... Look at Snow Hill? For how the station might have looked, you'll have to look at old photos or just use your imagination to loose the shopping centre. Could have a traversor instead of crossovers to release engines Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Mmmm, looks interesting, but to add to a few comments, yes Peter the GW was a stronghold in the West Midlands, but not quite as vast, or varied, as the LMS. But indeed the original Snow Hill station was a magic place, a veritable cathedral to steam, the echoes of loco 'barks' was , at times, unbelievable. I'll be keeping my eye on this one, if only for nostalgia sakes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phatbob Posted January 29, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 29, 2015 Hello Bob.I've just been enjoying reading through this thread. It looks like it's going to be my kind of layout. I do hope that you'll be able to take it a few exhibitions when it's done.I was just pondering a name. Something evoking the Midlands and suitably memorable? Well, if the Blackcountry suits you, how about "Dudley Moor"? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobM Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share Posted January 29, 2015 Cheers guys...I do so much appreciate the help here.....as an aside it is 50 years ago this May that a nipper of 5 years, with my mom. dad and elder brother....we docked in Tilbury having travelled on the P & O Himalaya from Sydney and then travelled on the Blue Pullman from Paddington down to Snow Hill and then on to West Bromwich to meet back up with family.......so hence my bond with Snow Hill.....so much so that I am proud to say that I now own the iconic platform '7' sign that hung from the roof at that fine station.....if anyone recalls that sign and spotted from beneath it, viewing the departures and arrivals through the adjacent cavenous tunnel...you can see that big black box '7' sign and stand beneath it again by visiting the Engine House on the Severn Valley Railway....Regards Bob Oh I so wish now that I would have been able to afford to purchase the 00 Blue Bachmann issue a couple of years ago...hope they re-issue it sometime soon. Attribution: Ben Brooksbank Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobM Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share Posted January 29, 2015 HeeeHee...Phatbob...that's a good name....living as I do just a few miles away from the boundaries of what many would condsider 'The Blackcountry'...they'll be a few suggestions I am sure that could be doing the rounds for a suitable name....it'd have to be pronounced in the correct dialect so read 'OKCER BONK' for Oker Hill (a power station now demolished...So yours would have to 'Dudlay Mooer' .I hope to post pictures as and when things come together for sure...it'll be a long project but hopefully a fruitful one...it is heartening and so appreciated to receive such kind information. tips and encouagement from all sources...just shows if we all pool resouces what can be achieved......Thanks again guys for all the assistance here...Regards Bob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobM Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 Hello Guys....Peter, I have rearranged the points incorporating the ideas you've kindly laid out in your plan and the layout looks so much smoother and flowing....and fits in nicley to the space that I've alloted to the station on the boards....I have begun just to cut templates for the platforms too, which'll be placed in between the lines to see how it looks over all but even at this stage from my somewhat inexperienced modelling eye it looks okay and I am comfortable with it.......with the goods yard I do have quite a bit of space to the 'south' of the crossover shown below the warehouse, wondering whether I could use the space for a goods shed with the warehouse site as sidings? This has really sparked my imagination with all the so kind and constructive comments on this site....it is good when guys who have had the experince pass this on to us novices...it is not easy for us beginners to see the error of our ways until someone points it out and only then does the light switch on.....have a great weekend guys....with much appreciation for eveything said on here....regards Bob,,,,(will post photo's - when and as I hopefully progress so....please shout loudly if anything seems incorrect or foolish) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobM Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 For added information I am contemplating station buildings which are in the same style of Birmingham Moor Street or a GWR theme.....or BR Western, of the early 60's....as a volunteer on the SVR I am surrounded by GWR style buildings, so have many examples to view eh? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.