Ray's new layout - based on North Wales' Coast line

54056 Views 250 Replies 45 Participants Last post by Doug, Oct 22, 2012

Rhiwderin_Ray

Discussion Starter · Apr 6, 2012 (Edited by Moderator)

Hi folks,
Well as I am going on holiday for 3 weeks, I thought I would commit myself into building a new layout on my return. My last effort was a 9ft x 4ft point to point with continuous run, but the curves were too tight and lots of locos can't run properly on it. So it will be ripped up in the near future and a new continuous run 10ft x 5ft (or 10ft x 6ft if I can squeeze it in) will be built in my garage.

The new plan will be a purely fictitious station, MPD and goods yard somewhere on the North Wales Coast line.

This is an 8ft x 4ft version designed by S. Jay that I will slightly modify.

There are several reasons for choosing the North Wales location (even though you won't glimpse the sea on this layout!).
First I am a LMS man even though I was born in GWR country (Hereford)
There was a large amount of traffic on the line, freight and passenger, especially with summer holiday traffic. Crack expresses like the Irish Mail and small local trains, it's all there!
I can run just about everything the LMS used from small tank to pacific and still be prototypical (except perhaps for the Coronation Scot - I have no record of that - but it won't stop me!)
There was some interesting architecture to be seen on the line.
In BR days, some unusual visitors were seen including B1's and even the Gas Turbine GT3.

I have a large loco stock so I wanted to include a MPD, just to have a few on display and operational.
The design is interesting enough to operate three trains (2 passenger and one goods), with plenty of scope for exchange of engines and also some shunting.

So that is the plan. I will take this thread all the way from baseboard construction, to track laying, wiring (DC not DCC) and scenics (mainly urban).
I will try to salvage some stuff from my old layout but there will be a new LNWR station building, Bangor style footbridge and other interesting bits and pieces. Other bits, like Engine Shed and Signal Boxes, I have already prepared (see Ray's Building Site thread below).

That's all for the moment, will continue in May, all being well.

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Chinahand

· #5 · Apr 6, 2012

Good luck with the new layout Ray.

Not sure about the Turntable/Loco Shed arrangement though which is not prototypical as locos would be trapped 'On Shed' if the turntable broke down.

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Chinahand

· #10 · Apr 6, 2012

Yep. That sounds better

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Chinahand

· #21 · Apr 6, 2012

That's better Ray but I would move the access road to the turntable to between the 2 sets of points in the MPD. It's a bit isolated where it is and makes the pointwork unnecessarily complex. I also see that you have a set of facing points to the right of the station which should be reversed.

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Chinahand

· #32 · May 13, 2012

Hi Ray,

On first view it looks a very good and clever plan but, as others have suggested, there do seem to be gradient problems.

The return loop has to fall and rise by 2 levels over approx. 26ft of track length. Assuming 3" between each level that means a 6" fall over 13 ft (1 in 26) and the same climb back up again. This is without making any provision for vertical transitions and, once these are taken into account, even by squeezing the levels to a minimum I think the gradient will be 1 in 30 at best. This is typical of the gradients on many CJF Plans and is much steeper than anything longer than a loco plus 3 or 4 carriages will cope with.

It may be possible to ease them by also putting the through station on a gradient but this will create its own problems so I think you need to get this plan into a computerised track planning programme of some sort to identify and hopefully resolve these potential problems and identify any others that may be lurking.

Good luck.

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Chinahand

· #39 · May 14, 2012

You could, of course, build it in N Gauge which would halve your gradients and double your track length in terms of scale miles.

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Chinahand

· #43 · May 15, 2012 (Edited by Moderator)

Hi Ray,

Though it wasn't intended to be taken seriously the thought of converting the Fore Street plan to N gauge set the old grey matter going and I have come up with an N Gauge plan which is based on Fore Street but with a few added embelishments.

The exact CJF point configuration as shown in his original plan just can't be done but with a bit of playing around I've managed to get it pretty close. With some careful gradient building, including rising & falling gradients to provide the necessary clearance under the main terminus station, the maximum gradient is 1 in 50. The overall size is 8ft x 6ft so it's certainly quite buildable in a 3rd bedroom.

I've left out the terminus platforms to better show the hidden (grey) trackwork. I've not shown any scenery or buildings at this stage but there is plenty of scope for individual interpretation. The only draw-back is the lack of storage sidings but I reckon there's enough space in the exposed siding to hold a reasonable selection of locos and rolling stock.

Anyway, here is my interpretation of it which I'm also going to post in the N Gauge Track Plans thread

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Chinahand

· #58 · Jun 2, 2012

Hi Ray and I hope we can let bygones be bygones,

That looks a very interesting plan and it will certainly keep you on your toes with it being end to end. I'm guessing you will have to duck under to get to the centre well as a lift-up access would be very complicated to construct.

I don't know if you have any additional space available but the only way I can see of getting a continuous circuit in is to take a twin track branch off from the right hand side of the low level station at the top of the plan and take it right around the outside to rejoin at the left hand side of the station.

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