A portable layout

Here in the UK we don't have the luxury of space that many in the US have. That is why there is a larger number of small portable layouts built. They take up less space and can be put together at a club or exhibition site, then taken down and put into the back of a car to take home.

I built my portable layout originally as a 'test track' to check that my rolling stock would go through No 5 switches without any problems. I also needed to renew my previous modelling skills (I'm a life member of the Model Railway Club, England's oldest model club) as I hadn't done any serious model work for over 20 years due to the pressures of running a business. As I was recovering from an operation for a new knee joint it seemed a good time to do this.

The track layout is based on John Allen's 'time-saver' puzzle. I didn't intend to exhibit this originally but was asked to take it to a show as another layout owner couldn't make it at the last minute. It amazed me just how much interest there was in the puzzle - I saw grown men spend a long time trying their best to get the cars in the right place! Who says that a layout has to be perfect to attract attention?

The original layout part was scenicked last year and as it's been too cold to get into my loft I decided to change the former plain fiddle (=staging) yard into an additional scenic area which could also add interest and difficulty to either the original layout or form part of a separate puzzle that could be solved with another operator alongside someone solving the original puzzle.

The whole modelling impetus has been rekindled by the people I'm meeting now that I'm taking a more active part in the NMRA British Region. It shows one of the benefits of belonging to the NMRA.

Here are some photos of the work to date

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luck I'll be adding some more details in the about a week's time (the crossing barriers for a start) so look in again.

Reply to
Mike Hughes
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Nice work, Mike! Thanks for sharing.

Bill Bill's Railroad Empire

Reply to
vista bill

Good work -- nice puzzle!

One small cavil: an access road in a yard/industrial area will not have "RR Xing Stop" painted onto the asphalt. That's for public roads only.

Reply to
Wolf K

Thanks for that information.

There are few possible explanations for this.

  1. The city council are looking to remove some parts of Lynneton Yard and put a road through to serve the new industrial site which is planned to be built some time in the future. CJS Construction will be the major contractor for this. Their new (green) building has been built specifically to store the goods and materials for the new area. To save time, effort and money later the railroad crossing has been put in ready for future use. In fact the crossing gate arms have already been delivered but will not be taken into service for some time. I have no doubt that there will soon be workmen working on this crossing.
  2. Lynneton Yard has often been used by film makers. There is a new film being shot in the yard. The script requires that a car is to be seen speeding in front of a train, crashing through the barrier and ending up on its roof. There is a film crew already to start work as soon as the crossing barriers are delivered.

I have figures and various other items ready for either scenario and have yet to decide which one I will set up. To be honest I'd already thought of using the film idea as this then justifies using *any* rolling stock I like :-))

If it's of any interest here's the 'history' of Lynneton Yard

In the early 1930's Canadian National (CN) and Union Pacific (UP) railroads agreed to a new joint interchange and marshalling yard. The railroad laid the tracks and the mid western town of Michaelsberg grew up to provide support and services for the railroad crews and their families. By the late 1990 the railroads have been through much; the railroads and town have seen good times and bad times, but with the increasing investment in railroads the marshalling yard is once more a busy area.

As a railroad town there is a keen interest in their history and there is a very active 'heritage' railway. This interest is mainly centred on preserving the 'older' diesel locomotives although there is the occasional visiting steam locomotive. The heritage railroad also renews old railcars and it is in often used by film crews and photographic charters to re-create scenes from different periods of history, ranging from the 1950's to the present day.

Lynneton Yard in an older, out of the way part of the town. Goods to Lynneton Yard are delivered on a regular basis in a variety of box cars with the occasional gondola or tank car load. One loco is all that is required to work this yard, usually the first one that the duty crew can lay its hands on. This may be a CN or a UP loco but the heritage railway's close links with this part of town means that they will often use one of their heritage locos to earn revenue on the Lynneton Yard run. This is mutually beneficial as the main railroads get cheaper motive power while the heritage railroad get to 'run in' their latest restoration project.

New brakemen are sent on the Lynneton Yard run to learn their trade. The brakeman's job is to help the engineer 'spot' the cars in the right place ready for loading and unloading and to remove any cars that are ready to be returned to the main marshalling yard. It is your first day on this turn. You are working with an old time engineer who is determined to give you a 'baptism of fire' and will not give you any help unless he can see you're making a complete mess of the job, and even then it will only be the minimum until he can see you are back on track.

When you come to Lynneton Yard you quickly realise that the small sidings will only take a limited number of cars, and you will also need to allow space to get the loco to the other end of some cars to be able to spot them. The task is further compounded by the fact that there is engineering work taking place at the entrance to the yard, giving you less space than normal to leave cars while you spot the others. You must also be careful not to block the grade crossing as the railroad company have received complaints from local motorists.

The engineering train will move in about 30 minutes time to allow your train to leave or you will be have to wait until they have finished their work which may take several hours. Your engineer is anxious to get back as quickly as possible and woe betide you if you can't get this done in time. Your train orders tell you what cars go where. What do you do?

Reply to
Mike Hughes

Good back story!

cheers,

wolf k.

Reply to
Wolf K

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