Fidle yard dilemma?

In article , Andy Hewitt writes

The bottom right facing which way?

When you mentioned the extra board, and the facing, I had a couple of ideas but thought I might have said enough already. They both involved getting that extension board to connect to the inner loop.

Cutting right across the two main lines with a pair of diamonds would do it. (for example, where you currently have the level crossing) and would be less un-prototypical. If the extension is lower right, it looks like it would mean turning all your existing track work through 90 degrees.

Alternately put the fan of sidings 2"+ higher, and use a bridge and long curving line to connect to the inner loop. It would probably cost you one half-loop, the right hand innermost, the left hand red line going further out nearer the blue line, to give the longest incline. But that, replacing the brown sidings, would give you your scenery space to the upper-right. A siding or two could then be added off the inner loop by the bottom station, as well, facing towards the level crossing.

Sorry, not clear was it. I walk into my shed, and the 6x6 layout is in front of me, at the back wall, with the larger panels front and back, and the small panels left and right the siding panel is on my right, nearest the entrance.

Ah, I should perhaps have updated that, sorry, I actually have that layout with the front at the top, and the sidings board is to the upper left on that picture. Either way, that probably makes little difference, as it's a square layout anyway.

I had considered that too actually.

Hmm, I had though of raising the sidings too, but my little 0-4-0 loco (I have yet to enhance my loco collection) is bloody awful at any kind of incline, so I was trying to avoid that - I think the turns are a bit tight on this size layout. Of course, I could detach carriages and use a shunter, or even double head it I suppose.

This is my latest redesign (now using correct orientation):

I'm still not happy with the kickbacks, but it's this or I could take it off the R/H side, and run the line anticlockwise, and simplify the whole thing entirely. It'd probably be less un-prototypical than using two sets of diamonds.

Sorry to be a bother, but as this is going to be a fixed layout, and sceneried, I want to get the plan right first.

All the best

Andy.

Ah, the race is on then, to get my layout back in commission before my bro-in-law gets his fixed. Damn! I am halfway through replastering a wall, where am I going to find the time to get started on that 27' x 17' tailchaser I've been dreaming of for my railway room? A station platform long enough for a prototypical express in 00 is the main aim here :-)

Guy

Aha, I wondered if you'd get a kick start now ;-)

Well, I have a base board, and some track down, but it'll all have to be lifted again to prepare and landscape the boards.

At that size, surely you could go to 'O' gauge? :-)

How's Michael's arm BTW? Not too sore I hope? :-(

On Sun, 5 Aug 2007 12:56:23 +0100, snipped-for-privacy@googlemail.com (Andy Hewitt) said in :

He passed his Grade 4 horn exam with 2 marks short of a merit despite taking it before the break was even diagnosed, and by the Friday he off to band because the cast meant he could hold the instrument again. Kids!

Cast is off now and he's in Belgium and France with the Scouts.

Guy

Indeed, much betterer than a whingy girly ;-)

Good stuff. Please convey our well done's though.

See you in a couple of weeks.

In article , Andy Hewitt writes

With a minimum clearance bridge you should be able to get at least 1 in

50, possibly 1 in 60.

Yes, that set along the front edge is not nice at all. Doesn't the pair of pints to the inside loop at the front need to be the other way round? Otherwise you have two sets facing the same way on the inner loop.

Does that long siding upper right work on the board? It looks too close to the main line in the drawing.

I'll bow to the experts on that. I don't think so, even though I'm thinking more about operation, prototypical or not. If you can deliver trains to the inner loop, you can decide from there which main line and which way round they need to go.

I think there's room for a nice junction there bottom right, with a diamond or two, to give really good access.

What are you using to draw these? I could do my ideas in pictures better than describe them, perhaps.

Or where are you? I'd love to come round and fiddle with track pieces. (I'm about to demolish my own garden railway. Last train ceremony next weekend?)

No, this is right. Make as many mistakes and refinements on paper as possible, before correction becomes much more troublesome.

OK, a possibility I might try out.

Yeah, you're right there - oops!

Not sure, I haven't enough track to build outside the loops yet. Looking at the layout, it *should*.

Yes, I think with this size of layout, operation is likely to be paramount, at least if it's going to have any interest operationally.

OK, I'll have a play about with that then.

I'm using the RailModeller software on the Mac, it has all the pieces already stored, and they just click into place.

I'm in Scarborough.

Aye, that was the general idea, and why I thought investing a little in the layout software was worthwhile.

Cheers.

I'd be worried about the siding on the right hand side. While two vehicles might work when side by side, I think you'll find they'll get clipped as the one on the main comes off the bend. In fact, I'd be worried about the line on the left being too close to the wall too.

What I'd do with that space (and that approximate plan), is remove the right hand siding entirely, and centre up the oval so there is equal clearance either side.

Then I'd change the sidings at the bottom so I could get a loop, as follows:

Head right and up from the word "front", find the R604, and replace that with a right hand point. The 'free end' of that will be a headshunt - R600+R609+something sounds good (use whatever will fit in the space). The siding slightly outside this will need straightening up a bit. Go further right from this modification, and find the two R605s which turn down onto the extension board. Change these for R607s. One of these can come from the siding we just straightened.

Due to all three of these modifications moving the sidings to the right a bit, we should have space to replace the R606 on the end of the inner most siding with an R605. It will now connect with the other R605, and form a loop. This means we can run round, and do all sorts other stuff in there. Personally, I'd take the siding to the right of the loop (we'll only have space for one now, not two) off of the lowermost R607 (change it for an R606 and another right hand point), and fit a kickback with a left hand point from here going north. I wouldn't be tempted to connect this to the outer oval in a triangle - that'd require interesting wiring, and also create a facing junction.

I'd draw this out but a) PSP doesn't like your track diagram (if I scroll around on it, it crashes) and b) it's one in the morning, and I should be asleep...

James Moody

Thanks James,

(Just back from hols, hence lapse). I'll take your notes, and Chrises, and have a play.