8ft by 7ft oval with depot

[AJFE 2488]

After many moons of not having a layout and focusing on other bits and pieces in my life, I now have a spare room available in my house which I have decided to dedicate to hobby purposes and chief among them is to have a 00 gauge layout up and running. The room itself is around 10ft by 8ft but there is a chimney breast in the middle of one of the walls and I do need to store other hobbies in there as-well. So I've opted to use up the opposite half of the room and build workbenches along the walls to provide an 8ft by 7ft "J" shaped workbench of 2ft in depth. Shelves will be built in to provide storage space and I building the layout so that I can dismantle it, put on the shelves and use the worktop for other purposes when I need to.

Originally, I was looking at modelling former gwr locations near me such as Stourbridge Engine Shed or a station along the Stourbridge to Dudley Line or the Wombourne Branchline. Space restrictions are preventing me from doing this as I have spent a while using Anyrail to replicate them in 00 scale but I am struggling to fit them in with a realistic running loop. So the plan instead is to throw those ideas out and do a fictional location based on the local area.

What I would like to do is model a town station with a small goods facility on the main boards, have an oval to connect the ends of the station and as I'll have 3ft of space along the one wall, I would like to model a small steam depot to complete the scene.

So this is what I've come up with so far.


I have taken a bit of inspiration from C.J Freezer's 60 Plans for small locations book so the layout is similar to plan SP28 for those of you with a copy.
Main difference between the two is that Freezer's plan uses up 8ftx6ft for a large oval with an operating well in the middle and a traverser yard in the non scenic area. Mine uses a 8ftx4ft oval due to the chimney breast being in the way on the left side of the drawing. The coloured rectangles represent the footprint of the "J" shaped workbench that will be available which will leave me a 4ft wide gap in the middle. The single track going across this gap would be on it's own portable baseboard and it's tempting to turn that into a fiddle yard or traveser of some description. Either way it would leave me a 4ft x 1ft operating well which I'd be ok with after being used to climbing through firebox holes on the Severn Valely Railway.

The station is roughly similar to Freezer's plan however I've planned it with standard track pieces so it won't exactly match it. The goods facility on the left is different as I've thrown in an extra siding to make it an inglenook for operational purposes as eventually I would like to take it to exhibitions at soime point.

MPD on the right was originally designed for a 4 road shed but I'm tempted to knock it down to a 2 road shed instead and have the last two roads as generic sidings. The long siding above the turntable was originally going to be a ramp for a coaling stage but I don't think I'll have enough room to put a ramp in effectively so I'll leave it as a siding and have a ground level coaling stage there instead.

So all in all, looks ok to me so far. Not sure if I could modify it to make it better but don't want to make it too cluttered and turn it into a train set.

[Richard08]

Looks good. Just a thought - maybe put the turntable 'in the middle' of the shed area and set it out like a roundhouse - no points (maybe one to a coaling stage?) just the tracks coming off the turntable.

[AJFE 2488]

It is a good thought however the problem I do have is I'm using plywood boards that I purchased a few years back for another layout that I had planned on building and had already cut the hole out for the turntable to fit into. So I'm trying to keep the turntable where it is and fit the shed area around it.
I've had another go with anyrail to rejig the layout and have come up with this.


So instead of having a 4 road shed, I've cut it down to a 2 road shed with pits inside and outside. There is now a single road running alongside the shed which I plan to use for a lifting area as I have got a Ratio Loco Lifting Hoist half built and would like to use it.
Coaling stage road has now been rijigged to hopefully be long enough for an incline leading to a raised Coaling Stage. I've put in two roads leading to the turntable with one being used for coaling and ash disposal purposes and the other as a general road. Also put in a storage road coming off the turntable for display purposes.

Think it looks a bit more prototypical now and more interesting in this format than just having a load of straight roads and a turntable on its tod. Also makes baseboard storage easier as I can make a 2x2 section with the points on and a 3x2 section with the rest of the mpd on there.

[Richard08]

Think it looks a bit more prototypical now and more interesting in this format than just having a load of straight roads and a turntable on its tod.

Yep, it catches nicely the slightly chaotic atmosphere they often seemed to have.

[Bigmet]

A space saver is to have a station with an island platform only*, reduces the width required to serve two lines, and thus allows greater freedom in your goods yard arrangements.

* And a really neat trick, it can be served by the station public entrance being well below track level with access to the platform by a subway. Knebworth on the ECML is a good example.

[centenary]

It is a good thought however the problem I do have is I'm using plywood boards that I purchased a few years back for another layout that I had planned on building and had already cut the hole out for the turntable to fit into. So I'm trying to keep the turntable where it is and fit the shed area around it.
I've had another go with anyrail to rejig the layout and have come up with this.


So instead of having a 4 road shed, I've cut it down to a 2 road shed with pits inside and outside. There is now a single road running alongside the shed which I plan to use for a lifting area as I have got a Ratio Loco Lifting Hoist half built and would like to use it.
Coaling stage road has now been rijigged to hopefully be long enough for an incline leading to a raised Coaling Stage. I've put in two roads leading to the turntable with one being used for coaling and ash disposal purposes and the other as a general road. Also put in a storage road coming off the turntable for display purposes.

Think it looks a bit more prototypical now and more interesting in this format than just having a load of straight roads and a turntable on its tod. Also makes baseboard storage easier as I can make a 2x2 section with the points on and a 3x2 section with the rest of the mpd on there.

How about an island platform instead of the 2 current ones? That way you could push the track out nearer the edge of the board and have a little more track area?

(I see an island platform has already been mentioned!)

[AJFE 2488]

Like the idea of a subway access but I'd rather avoid placing buildings below track level as all the trackwork will be right on the baseboard. Have taken on board the idea for an island platform and come up with this design.

Looks a bit better trackwise as its more curved rather than dead straight everywhere and I can fit similar sized train lengths in both platforms compared to the previous design. MPD Entrance has been redone so that it can be accessed from both platforms instead of one platform directly and having to travel quite a distance to access it from the other platform.
With regards to a station entrance, I could do it as an overbridge building with stairs leading down as there a few stations near me that were built in this format. Plus having an overbridge would help break up the scenery as-well.

[Richard08]

You could imply the subway access with something like these (just for illustrative purposes!)

subway.jpg (28.46 KiB) Viewed 1638 times

Also, yep, like the new less regimented sidings.

[AJFE 2488]

Thanks for the input so far everyone. Have taken another look at the workbench and proposed layout and have decided that an oval isn't going to be a good idea for storage purposes as I need to store other bits and pieces within the bench. So I've gone back to the drawing board and another thorough read of the track plan books I have and come up with a new one based on Plan 38 from the PSL Book of Model Railway Track Plans by CJ Freezer making it into an L Shaped Layout.



Sticking with the single platform theme but now gone with a main platform plus bay platform to the side of it. Goods yard has been moved to the top left side and comprises of two long sidings which will give me plenty of yard space between them, a third siding is provided on the top right which I've just about squeezed in.

To the right of the station, a single siding is provided for servicing of engines between runs which will have a coaling stage and a water tower nearby. I will be siting a signal box somewhere near the line so just need to figure out where best to place it.

On the board at the bottom with the cluster of sidings, this will be split into two parts. A scenic part comprising of a scaled down MPD incorporating a 2 road shed, inspection pits, turntable (hopefully in the place where I've already put a hole in the board from years ago) and a few roads for various uses. The non scenic part will be a simple fiddle yard which will be "hidden" by a suitable backscene.

[Dad-1]

Now a warning - I've not checked to see what points you're planning to use, but
for your sanity and smooth running keep away from set-track points and where
ever possible use live-frog types.
It may be slightly more complicated although I don't have any problems wiring in
frog polarity switching. It's well worth the effort and limitations of nothing tighter
than a Peco short streamline.

Geoff T.

[AJFE 2488]

Now a warning - I've not checked to see what points you're planning to use, but
for your sanity and smooth running keep away from set-track points and where
ever possible use live-frog types.
It may be slightly more complicated although I don't have any problems wiring in
frog polarity switching. It's well worth the effort and limitations of nothing tighter
than a Peco short streamline.

Geoff T.

This was planned out using Hormby track. Haven't used PECO Streamline before but will happily have a go with it and see how it would work.

[AJFE 2488]

Have had a go at planning it with Peco Streamline track and this is what I've got from it

[AJFE 2488]

Had another look at my previous layout design and wasn't really too happy with the way I had designed the Motive Power Depot as it just didn't seem to look right. Plus I have gotten round to building the new baseboards with fresh plywood tops and I'm no longer restricted with the position of the turntable so what better excuse to go back to the drawing board.

So sticking with PECO Streamline, this is what I've come up with.



The station layout has been changed to include a couple of double slips which has freed space taken up by back to back points. Turntable has now been moved to a near central position on one of the 4x2 boards which gives me more room on the 5x2 board. 3 way points have been put in as well for the yard and shed approaches and I have been able to put back in the coaling stage road (the long one on the right of the yard). Also been able to extend the shed to 4 roads and could model it with backscene fitted at the rear to suggest an increased length to what would be seen. In between the shed and the coaling road, I have put in a siding which I'm looking at putting in the locomotive hoist that I've got.

[centenary]

Had another look at my previous layout design and wasn't really too happy with the way I had designed the Motive Power Depot as it just didn't seem to look right. Plus I have gotten round to building the new baseboards with fresh plywood tops and I'm no longer restricted with the position of the turntable so what better excuse to go back to the drawing board.

So sticking with PECO Streamline, this is what I've come up with.



The station layout has been changed to include a couple of double slips which has freed space taken up by back to back points. Turntable has now been moved to a near central position on one of the 4x2 boards which gives me more room on the 5x2 board. 3 way points have been put in as well for the yard and shed approaches and I have been able to put back in the coaling stage road (the long one on the right of the yard). Also been able to extend the shed to 4 roads and could model it with backscene fitted at the rear to suggest an increased length to what would be seen. In between the shed and the coaling road, I have put in a siding which I'm looking at putting in the locomotive hoist that I've got.

Have to be honest and say E2E layouts arent my cup of tea as the train will just run between 2 points.

You could use a shuttle module to return the train to where it came from after a delay as an option. Great if you're running DMUs or a rail car but if running a kettle with carriages, after leaving the platform and arriving at the other end, the loco has no way to run round the carriages. Reversing with a couple of carriages where the loco is on the 'wrong' end isnt realistic.

If you're not running steamers, doesnt that make the turntable rather redundant? Soz, not trying to be a real downer!

[AJFE 2488]

Had another look at my previous layout design and wasn't really too happy with the way I had designed the Motive Power Depot as it just didn't seem to look right. Plus I have gotten round to building the new baseboards with fresh plywood tops and I'm no longer restricted with the position of the turntable so what better excuse to go back to the drawing board.

So sticking with PECO Streamline, this is what I've come up with.



The station layout has been changed to include a couple of double slips which has freed space taken up by back to back points. Turntable has now been moved to a near central position on one of the 4x2 boards which gives me more room on the 5x2 board. 3 way points have been put in as well for the yard and shed approaches and I have been able to put back in the coaling stage road (the long one on the right of the yard). Also been able to extend the shed to 4 roads and could model it with backscene fitted at the rear to suggest an increased length to what would be seen. In between the shed and the coaling road, I have put in a siding which I'm looking at putting in the locomotive hoist that I've got.

Have to be honest and say E2E layouts arent my cup of tea as the train will just run between 2 points.

You could use a shuttle module to return the train to where it came from after a delay as an option. Great if you're running DMUs or a rail car but if running a kettle with carriages, after leaving the platform and arriving at the other end, the loco has no way to run round the carriages. Reversing with a couple of carriages where the loco is on the 'wrong' end isnt realistic.

If you're not running steamers, doesnt that make the turntable rather redundant? Soz, not trying to be a real downer!

I've got a couple of 14xx locos in my collection and an autocoach so I can do a simple push pull routine with that into the bay platform and potentially a rail car if I ever get my hands on one. Get your point about the lack of running around in the fiddle yard. Thinking about it now I could do it as a multiple cassette system and take them out and swap around as needed.