First Avenue - Modern OO Freightliner - Now with sound

[Rammy]

Hi all

As some of you may be aware, I have been building my loft layout (on and off) for 3 years! Whilst I am still enjoying doing this, I do find it hard to spend enough time up there to make any real progress. So whilst cleaning out the shed recently, I have cleared my worktops and this has given me space to think about a small layout 8ft x 2ft approx consisting of 2 x 4ft long boards. At least it would be easier to nip into the shed, and during the summer months I would still be in the garden if the kids are playing outside.
So what should I / could I create in an 8x2 space? Well, as most of my stock is Freightliner stock, I started thinking what I could fit this in with. The obvious choice is a modern depot - but obviously this has been done a million times before. But I have to say I love them all!
I then started looking around on Bing Maps and came across the Freightliner Maintenance depot at Southampton just next to the container yard. Whilst I have always loved the idea of modelling the container yard, I cannot afford the Heljan cranes and I would never be able to model to the quality of others such as Warren Lane.
So my thought now is could I model the other side of the bridge (First Avenue) which includes the depot, but not the container cranes?

This would allow some shunting of intermodals through the layout as if being taken to unload "next door", some 66's parking up after unloading or coming to refuel prior to their next journey, wagons being shunted into the repair shed, etc.
Would this have enough operational interest?
Initial track plan would be something like this:



Any thoughts, comments, or suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Thanks
Dave

[DieselMike]

Hi Dave,

I also looked at modelling this after trawling through pics etc and wanting a Freightliner depot of some shape or form on my first layout. This definately looked the most interesting operationally of the ones researched. Look forward to seeing this if you do decide to go ahead with it.

Mike

[siquelme]

The only thing with modelling Southampton is that it doesnt have many locomotives standing around doing nothing. Alot of the traffic is based at Eastleigh and only comes to the docks when needed as thier limited space near quay side. Tho it would allow you to have thoses horrid new Frieghtliners as they have recently started to appear at the docks

[Rammy]

It looked rather busy in my 1st photo, but maybe that was a one off!
I'm sure my layout would not be 100% prototypical, I guess it can't be, but my thought was for it to fill up as trains arrive to load / unload (as per photo 1) but then to gradually empty. I would also like to squeeze in at least one of the passing mainlines so I could have some commuter traffic passing by for added interest.

Thanks for the feedback guys so far. I am probably going to get started on the basebaords this weekend. At least they are fixed size anyway so even if I move away from this particular are, something else will be built on the baseboards.

Dave

[siquelme]

I went past it eariler on the way home from uni and i had a proper look .... i am a steam fan myself so dont really pay attention to the current frieght trains.

Frieghtliner as you though does have a depot there with a few locomotives. Eastliegh only stores the EWS locomotives, some what i assume are preserved diesels and alot of frieght..

I will try and take some photos of the docks next time i am in southampton for you

[Rammy]

That would be great. Any photos of the depot building would be especially useful as I guess I will need to scratchbuild that, and I have never scratchbuilt anything before!

I have made slight alterations to the trackplan to fit everything in:



Dave

[Rammy]

One month on and I have finally started the baseboard construction. It very start and stop at the moment, but I am finding it much easier to spend an hour here and then being based in the shed, rather than my loft layout.
Nothing worth taking pictures of yet, but I will post a few once I have the boards complete.

Dave

[Rammy]

i have now completed the basic baseboard construction, so managed to play around with placing some track onto it to see how it looks.
I will have to make a couple of adjustments to the original plan in order to get it all in. I will cut short the line that ran behind the depot building and have adjusted the points slightly. My initial thoughts were it looked a little empty, but then I think I would prefer to have plentyof space to add all of the little extras that can be seen between the tracks. I would have liked to also add at least one of the main running lines as this would enable me to run some passenger stock as well as all of the Freightliner stock, which would add a bit of variety.
Any thoughts??

Dave

[Rammy]

A little more progress this afternoon. I have started laying down the track, trying my best to give a good representation of the layout at Southampton Maritime. The right hand track will be the the relief line from the container unloading area (not modelled), the next 2 will be the stabling roads which will terminate under a road bridge which will be the scenic break at this end. The next 3 (rather than 4 on the prototype) will be the through lines that run under the bridge and towards the cranes. The next line will lead to the outdoor inspection pit, approx where the 66 is sitting. Then the final line which will have the fuelling point, approx where the 08 is, followed by the maintenance shed. To fit everything in, I have had to cut short the line that runs around the back of the shed and have modelled this up to the edge of the board. This seems to give a reasonable compromise as I will still be able to stable locos on this line which should add a bit of depth behind the shed.

Here are a couple of pics showing today's progress, along with a photo showing the prototype.








Dave

[Rammy]

I managed to complete the track laying today. It is all now cut, laid, and pinned down in position. I have drilled all of the holes ready for the droppers, so next up is the small job of wiring it all up! I also need to decide how I am going to link the 2 boards together electrically.

No photos today, as it doesn't really look much different, but looking forward to testing a few locos on it soon.


Dave

[Rammy]

Wiring is about half done now, and the outdoor inspection pit has been added.Just need to decide if I am going to wire in the leds in the pit before I fix down the track above it. I guess I will as it will be too late to change my mind later. Does anybody know if I could run the SMD leds directly off the DCC supply (15V ac I think) or would I need to use a seperate 12V supply as I did on my Chadwood layout? Just thinking it would save a bit of wiring if I could link it straight in. (Just being lazy again!)

Whilst inside over the last few nights I have been building some Scalescenes containers. My plan is to probably use a stack of these down the far end of the layout to hide the controller & toggle switches for the points. As usual I am very impressed with the Scalescenes product, although my build skills could be better.

Here's a couple of pics of one of the containers with 0.5mm wire added to one end to represent the door catches (or whatever they are called) :





Hopefully I'll get some pics of the inspection pit later this week.

Dave

[nickbrad]

It's looking good, but I have a major worry. Can you fit a class 66 beyond the points at the far end to transfer engines over to the fuelling area/shed? It may just be perspective, but it seems as though you'd struggle to get the 08 down there.

[Rammy]

It's looking good, but I have a major worry. Can you fit a class 66 beyond the points at the far end to transfer engines over to the fuelling area/shed? It may just be perspective, but it seems as though you'd struggle to get the 08 down there.

At the moment a 66 (or the 08!) would not fit beyond the point at the far end, although there is a small piece of track to be added to take it to the edge of the baseboard. The plan is to have fiddle yards at both ends that will allow this transfer to happen. I may also build a small (6 to 12") board that could be temporarily added whilst operating in the shed.
Thanks for your interest

Dave

[Rammy]

Despite my lack of updates on here (because of a lack of progress) this layout is still alive & kicking.
I am starting to think that I should maybe add the back & end boards onto the layout before too long so that things like the road bridge that will sit at the very end can be glued in place and made to the correct size. Firstly what height would anybody recommend for these boards? I was thinking maybe 400mm or so? Also, is MDF suitable for this or would you recommend some plywood?
Ideally I would like to be able to move this layout around eventually, so weight & strength could be a factor.
Any ideas welcome.

Dave

[Dad-1]

Hi Rammy,

Don't worry about taking your time, particularly if you enjoy the planning and building more than running trains !!
Depending on how old the children are have you thought about a less detailed portable shunting plank that the
children could have out in the garden and have a little drive on ?
I mean keeping the shed for just one layout seems to be leaving wasted storage space !!

Did the loft suffer condensation drops this last winter ??

Oh yes - I'd suggest you keep away from MDF as unless it has an extensive under frame, it will warp in the shed.
You can get away with 6 mm exterior grade ply, but again it needs adequate support.

Geoff T.