Main
No Name Layout
Planing continues on our new main layout. Below is a rough track
plan and Brians Notes. This will be updated as progress continues.
Introduction or Brians
Initial Notes
1. Although we initially agreed on a 20-22"-wide
baseboard width, Steve has offered us 36' of ready-made baseboards that
are 18" wide - EXACTLY the same footprint as the Anson Yard layout. We
have decided to accept his generous offer, as the ideas we had for the
new layout will not be compromised in any significant way by a
reduction in width. Additionally, we will not need to build new
boards from scratch, which saves a lot of time, and a huge amount of
work.
2. To take some account of the materials used by Steve, we
will pay him £100 from club funds as a token of our gratitude (this is
far less than the real cost).
3. The new boards will be carried in three blocks of
three, and wood will be purchased to construct 6 "end boards" to hold
the three groups of boards together, and make them portable.
4. Mike drew a track plan that was an amalgam of most of
our wants (including the track for the branch extension), and offered
it for discussion at last month's club meeting.
5. Futher to general agreement, today, Steve, Rob, Peter
L-J and myself agreed that this plan would be the basis of how the new
layout would be proceeded with, and we suggest the following additions
and changes (drawing appended).
6. The plan is still essentially "double-track main", like
Anson, to facilitate both continuous running, and operations.
7. We propose also to replicate the feature of Anson at
the LH end (the two river bridges), and separate the tracks, to give
the notion of two single lines meeting to form a bi-directional
double-track main line. If and when the new layout is exhibited,
this will provide many operational options, and allow for different
trains to be shown off in a reasonably prototypical manner. The
existing curves will not even have to be altered at all.
8. The yard, as per Mike's plan, remains the same, with
three tracks and a run-around loop.
9. For operational interest, we have added two "industry"
tracks at the RH end. These are particularly important, as the
new layout (at Hilltop and at exhibition) will not always run with the
branch line attached. Without some industry tracks, the purpose
of the yard would be pointless, even taking into account the role of an
interchange yard.
10. We have also added a caboose track, as that gives further
switching opportunities.
11. We have reduced the locomotive facility to two tracks, which
we deem ample for the purposes required, and learning lessons from
Anson.
12. The branch line will have a bespoke board (already being
contructed by Steve), that will join to two further curved boards to
meet up with NMRA(BR) standard single-track modules (32' of which are
already being built by Rob, Peter L-J and Steve)
13. There are more points on this track plan than originally
envisaged, but we feel that, to maintain operational and ongoing
interest, it is better to "over-engineer" capability, rather than have
to rip stuff up and add things at a later date.
14. To keep costs down, we propose to hand-build many of the
points, which will make them considerably cheaper, and more robust.
15. It is also proposed to add the facility for track detection,
and working signal lights etc.
The Current Situation
Layout Plan
The current layout plan is shown below.
Running
In considering the design of the layout the asperations of all the club
members had to be taken into consideration. It was therefore
decided to build a loop, to enable continuos running, crossed by a
branch used for operations.
The loop will be controlled by CTC, the branch by TWC. Car movment will be controlled by JMRI Operations.
Possible Room Layout
First Cut Dispatchers Pannel
EXIT