Acton North - Modern North London 00

[js1975]

Work hs begun on the McDonalds next to the TMD.

Midnight MicMac Munchies

[actonnorth]

Well, hello!

Been a long time since I've updated this thread.

Well, it's been a long period of inactivity rail wise due to the birth of our son, thus rightly so, no time to do anything in the loft.

However, with him getting bigger and more independent, now have some time to go back in the loft.

So, after a bit of playing about, I came to the conclusion that the layout still isn't quite right. I have to duck under the station board to get to the TMD board, which, while I'm still young, I'm not getting any younger to keep ducking. The station itself is too big and doesn't work for me either, with a lot of my stock being freight but little emphasis to play with the freight wagons.

Also, one of the corners is too tight for my liking to the north of the station, so the solution? Yep, starting it again!

The layout will now have a much smaller station in one corner, with 2 through platforms and 2 bay platforms. I've lowered a baseboard near the station to have an embankment scene. The TMD will still be in the same place it is now, but, it's enterance will be from the opposite side and have better sheds. The McDonalds scene from the last page is staying exactly where it is.

Lastly, a container terminal will sit where the current station is now. The main line will loop around the back of the container terminal, with a 'branch' going to a hidden fiddle yard at the top of the layout.

I'm doing this to have shallower corners for the stock and reduce de-railments and better track joins, and to have more emphasis on shunting rather than a large multi platform station. Modern day passenger stock is quite 'boring' in terms of operation and variety, so putting the focus on freight with its multitude of wagons makes sense for me now.

Pictures will follow in due course, but, for now, big changes are happening.

Thanks for reading.

[skyblue]

It's good to see you posting on this thread again - it's been too long (but I admit you had a valid excuse ). I look forward to seeing the big changes and I hope they improve your enjoyment of the layout.

[actonnorth]

So,

I've had a good 6 hours in the loft since my last post, and, I've made a fair bit of progress.

The main loop is almost completed, as is the container terminal trackbed.

next in line after those 2 are finished will be the TMD and fiddle yard.

The TMD has a shed awaiting to be unwrapped at Christmas. My wife has purchased 2 peco train sheds that will be joined up, which in turn will be placed along side a Hornby TMD shed and Bachmann wash plan to give a 5 track complex as well as a couple of sidings.

The fiddle yard needs a couple of new boards, but, I'm holding off for a short while whether I decide to either just run some tracks behind the back scene or whether to run them down an incline and have an under layout fiddle yard.

The good thing about this layout is the fact there is still a lot of room for scenery, which is a good thing as sometimes home layouts can suffer the curse of being too 'track based' which takes away the realism of the layout.

Pictures will follow, once I work out why the picture hosting site keeps flipping the pictures 90 degrees, no matter what I try.

[actonnorth]

Hi guys,

Finally worked out how to get my pictures loaded, and the right way around. I'm going to upload the photos in a series of posts, because, if I minimise the screen to upload the next photo, the page seems to re-load and I loose the post.

So, picture 1. Description below the picture.



This is the new station area. There are 4 platforms, and is a much more compact station to my previous endeavour.

The platforms to the left are the 2 bay platforms. To the far left will be the station forecourt scene, with a small car park, bus station and roads.

To the right will be the 2 through platforms, about 5 coaches long in length. Most trains for these platforms will be non stopping, so, a long length is not a huge requirement. I'm quite pleased on how I have managed to make the use of this space in such a big way, previously this was a fiddle yard in the last incarnation.

[actonnorth]

So, onto photo 2:



This is just around the corner from the station, which is in the top right of the image.

Bottom left to the picture is the continuation of the loop, as well as entry as to what will be the entry to the TMD section, which, is going to be a work in progress.

The centre of the picture is an embankment and town scene. There are 2 main lines, with a set of points to access the bay platforms, and also a siding for either network rail or just an engine stabling siding. A more detailed image of the scene will follow.

[actonnorth]

Photo 3, the embankment



This shows where the main road will be, there will also be a junction to the car park for the premier inn. There will be bus stops, trees, a path, traffic lights and the railway passing overhead.

[actonnorth]

Moving around from the embankment, this is the TMD scene.



There will be 2 peco sheds attached together, which will also be attached to the Hornby TMD to make a full complex. The actual design is still yet to be decided, along with sidings and the engine wash.

The 2 main loop lines can be be seen in the foreground, and to the left, the McDonalds scene from the previous layout has remained fully in tact.

In terms of the previous layout, the station scene used to be here, on a baseboard at the bottom of the photo. This baseboard has now been removed. This gives an idea of what I have done differently.

[actonnorth]

And onto the last photo for now.



This is where the station used to be. It will now be a container and goods terminal.

It contains 3 lines, 2 lines will be concrete staged, and one loop line. There is a turnout at the end, as well as a signing with a fuel depot. The terminal will be long enough to hold 8 wagons.

Out of shot to the left is the 'branch line' which will lead to the hidden fiddle yard. I'm still not decided on exactly how I will integrate the fiddle yard yet, but, this can be added much later so not integral to the layout. The branch will lead into a tunnel which will then head into the fiddle yard behind the back scene (photo to follow at a later date to show what will happen).

Overall, I am extremely happy with this new layout. I feel I have gotten a lot into the compact space without 'complicating' things or putting 'too much track in'. There will be plenty of scenery and I'm looking forward to putting my new skills into practice.

My crowing point is going to be the embankement scene, it's going to give the layout a lot of depth and a busy town environment.

Thanks for viewing....

[actonnorth]

The is the photo of where the line branches off from the loop to enter what will be the hidden fiddle yard.

There is also a 'by pass' line coming in from the left to allow faster trains to pass slower ones. There are 2 lines for the main loop, and then the 3 lines at the bottom are the goods terminal.

Happy new year all.

[Dad-1]

Hi actonnorth,
Dunno about thanks for looking, it's more a case of thanks to you for posting.
glad to see you back.

Geoff T.

[actonnorth]

Small update from me:



As you can see, the embankment now has grass.

Need this bit to dry, and then some shrubs, trees and other scenic bits 'n' bobs can be added.

Work has also started on making the car park at the bottom of the embankment. However, I need to buy more paving slabs to continue. After the paving, I'm adding some street lights, a billboard next to the embankment near the bridge and just generally more 'urban street scene' items such as cars, people, buses, taxis, bins and so on.

Also arrived is the plastic and to top out my platforms, the peco sheds and a container crane.

After months of inactivity, it's suddenly all go!

[actonnorth]

Just some obligatory progress shots:



Some more work don't to the embankment.

[actonnorth]

The station starting to actually resemble a station at last.

[actonnorth]

Town embankment scene coming to life now.

<a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=20ffhhd" target="_blank"><img src="http://i68.tinypic.com/20ffhhd.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>

Have to follow the link as for some reason I'm unable to post the actual photo as it says 'size cannot be determined' despite using the same camera and following same process as every other picture I've posted.