Well it's time for another move.
Swmbo is with child and thanks to the miracle of modern ultrasound we know it's a boy (there can be no mistake - he takes after his father ). Of course being a bit limited in the bedroom department has lead to a decision to double up and Mk I is going to have to share his room with the soon to arrive MIII ... which in turn means that the railway currently in his room has to go ...
... into the garage for which I have recently obtained the necessary planning permission to finally convert into a dedicated workshop/model railway room.
After measuring out it turns out that I have a floor area of 16' x 8.5' however I have a large work bench that takes up half of one long wall, a freezer a the rear I have to build over the top of and several push bikes to be stored on the same wall as the work bench. On the plus side the garage is extensively wired and I have power points everywhere (on their own circuit), lighting and even heating. To clear the bikes I have to build at least 44" from the floor.
Initial plans call for a long through station along the free long wall on a
3' wide base set 40" of the floor , an MPD associated with this station along the back wall (on a 2' wide base), a double track loop running from the through station raising 6 inches to run along the back wall behind the MPD to above the work bench on a narrow base only about 6" wide back towards the front of the garage where a 2' - 3' board about 6' long will hold a small terminus that is set on a spur coming of the of the loop, the loop itself descending behind the terminus back round to the long wall via a removable section.I was thinking of making the main station about 7' long to cater for reasonably long trains of around 6 carriages long (please no comments about
14 carriage trains running down 120' gardens ), allowing 18" or so for the pointwork at either end of the station that still gives 3' at either end to cater for the start of he curves and running a couple of roads for the MPD and goods facilities ... the goods yard being situated in parallel to the station. 4 roads to go through this station ... the 2 centre ones for "fast" trains the other two being set on loops on either side of the fast lines.The platform(s) on the small station to be about 3'- 4' long with a small goods facility to be situated in parallel to it.
Operating ... (1) The two main running loops can be used to watch trains go by. (2) Short branch trains can be run between the two stations goods and passengers. and (3) shunting in the goods yard of the large station/around the MPD ... depending on how I feel.
Wired for conventional control (I can't afford DCC as yet) however suitable switching to be built in to enable he entire layout to be made live (to allow for later DCCing)
Sketch plans to follow shortly ... comments anyone?