GCR Mainline - North of Bulwell Common

Post your design ideas for any layout that you are planning to build in the future. Keep members up-to-date with your designs and future plans for your layout.
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Cunni
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GCR Mainline - North of Bulwell Common

Post by Cunni »

I have had to scale back my previous layut plan drastically, for financial and opperational reasons.

The new layout plan idea is a prototype location - Bulwell Common on the Great Central Mainline, early 1960's in 00 gauge, to fit a room 12.5 foot by 6 foot wide. Opperating well in the centre, fiddleyard on two levels at the rear. Maximum radius for trackwork on the display section to be no sharper than 48inch.

This is an extract from an original Fowler plan of the GCR around 1900:

Image

I believe these images were from Chris Ward's Annesley Website:

View north from Bulwell Common Station access bridge:

Image

Bulwell Common North signal cabin:

Image

9F on the mainline heading north towards Annesley on the GCR:

Image

9F passing under the mainline heading north towards Annesley on the GNR:

Image


Track plan to follow soon once I've tested that the gradients required will actually work with my stock.
Cunni
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Re: GCR Mainline - North of Bulwell Common

Post by Cunni »

Unfortunatly, I can't get the gradients to work in the space I have, so this project has been shelfed.
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Zunnan
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Re: GCR Mainline - North of Bulwell Common

Post by Zunnan »

It may well be worth considering N Gauge for a prototypical layout of a particular location, it's nigh on impossible to be able to make enough compromises to fit in a location in OO unless you're in a loft or basement.

Looking at the plan you posted, I think the inclines will be workable in a reasonable space, maybe compressable into a 8x4 size if planned right and still retaining 1:30 gradients, but the layout would have to end at the bridge leaving all of the station offscene if compressed that far. In the 12' 6" by 6' space you have it's certainly doable, and keeping gradients to a max 1:40 too. Some compromises are needed though, and there will likely be no sign of the station at all other than a reference to it on the bridge.

Stick with it, you'll find a working plan soon enough :wink:
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Cunni
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Re: GCR Mainline - North of Bulwell Common

Post by Cunni »

I'd rather stick with 00 to be honest, even if it means I can't have a layout yet, as it's the detail I like about the scale, plus the greater avainability of stock and the fact you can see it easier.

I do like to see large N scale layouts, but don't really fancy one myself, even though I could fit one in easier. :?
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Zunnan
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Re: GCR Mainline - North of Bulwell Common

Post by Zunnan »

I meant OO by the way when I was referring to the 8x4 with 1:30 :wink: although you'd have to suffer Setrack for that one. You may need to reduce curvature to 36" however. I'll see if I can get my head around doing gradients on XtrkCad to get some ideas down.
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Cunni
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Re: GCR Mainline - North of Bulwell Common

Post by Cunni »

If you can use the profile command (the one that produces a graph/profile of the track components you select) you can click on it and drag it around to give vertical alignment. It will display the levels and gradients as you do it.

So, you recon it's possible? I'll also have another bash at it over the weekend. :P
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Zunnan
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Re: GCR Mainline - North of Bulwell Common

Post by Zunnan »

It's certainly possible, even if using fourth radius curves on an 8x4 board you will have about 4'3" to gain the required 8cm clearance. If you start the gradient as soon as possible (a curved turnout in the case of the 8x4 compact plan) and raise the main lines at 1:30 while the branch drops off at 1:30, the difference between the two gradients will work out to 1:15 laterally. So if the gradients start at the end of the curve on curved pointwork, the gradients will have cleared sufficient altitude after a maximum of 48" leaving just enough room to fit in the underpass before reaching the end of the board. Of course this is the setrack option with only 8 feet total length. You have 8 feet of straight run to gain the 8cm, so could ease the gradients to 1:60 if you absolutely had to, although i'd aim for about 1:45 so that the underpass is well before the return curve begins giving enough room to use a larger radius curve thus extending the potential for scenic trackwork right up to the far end of the board from the bridge at the station end. The steeper the gradient, the larger the curve basically.

The only thing you will need to remember is that whatever you raise the main running line by, you will also have to raise the track beyond the bridge in the 'station' area by the same amount so that the storage roads are level, you could even drop the freight lines on the outside so that they meet back up on the lower storage roads to give you two two track circuits that can be operated independantly. The grades will be a bit severe maybe, but I think it's definately possible; and keeping the inclines to no steeper than 1:40 too :wink: I'll have a stab at a design when I get home as I'm away this weekend.
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Cunni
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Re: GCR Mainline - North of Bulwell Common

Post by Cunni »

Cheers!

That would be awesome.
Cunni
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Re: GCR Mainline - North of Bulwell Common

Post by Cunni »

I have come up with a redesign, albeit not a prototypical location.

The new thread is located here:

http://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/Fo ... 70#p221670
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