I’m drawing up plans for my first layout since I was a wee bairn.The track plan is based on Middleton in Teesdale. Anyone have any ideas on how interesting this will be to operate, or how I can get more out of it?

It looks interesting. Check that the track beyond the points in the quarry are long enough to accommodate the loco and wagons you are likely to use, it looks like they’re too short to do much with which will be frustrating. Same for the last bit of track in the station. You could maybe convert this space to an inglenook style siding (have a google of them) which will increase operating interest.

I’d recommend printing out your SCARM plan at full scale and putting locos and stock on it to make sure everything works.

Hi MB, it’s all just plans at the mo – no stock, no locos. I envisage the quarry being a handful of mineral wagons moved about by a 0-6-0 loco. The last line at the station is meant to be a cattle bay – I think you’re right, it may be too short to get a couple of cattle trucks and loco in. Perhaps if I move the point a bit further east?

You could maybe convert this space to an inglenook style siding

Maybe something like this?

I confess, I grew up in Canada.

Apparently not.

Even just loco sized boxes would do. The cattle dock definitely looks better like that.

Get a shunting puzzle in it somewhere. Something to do in between running trains in and out (link might not work if not using internet explorer)

I live very close to the Manchester Buxton line. Would it be possible to build a fairly small set which has DB Shenker locos, aggregate wagons and local passenger services i.e. Northern Rail and East Midlands?

Thinking something on size of a A2 or A1 piece of paper?

Thanks

Mr Sheen- going n gauge you might be able to compress a historic version of Dove Holes station onto A1 size. Or a wallpaper pasting table. Using a historic version you can retain the sidings that make it interesting to operate, and if you want to run modern trains just invent an excuse for the sidings being kept. This is what I did for my layout.

http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/?nlsgazarea=uk&nlsgaz=newtonmore#zoom=17.49680560827814&lat=53.2994&lon=-1.8899&layers=168&b=1

It’s totally possible, depends on how much operational interest you want.

this is a great modern layout, and very compact, but frankly operationally it’s little more than a (very detailed) diorama.

N gauge would afford you more options, you’d just about get an oval in the area of A1 paper.

Takes me back a fair bit. As a kid I had a layout which took up the whole of my Grandads loft space. Spent most weekends up there and buying new locos and rolling stock with him. Good old days.

Unfortunately I sold most of it when we left the UK over 10 years ago. Just kept a few locos that have sentimental value.

Maybe one day I’ll get back in to it.

I built a model of GWR 813 to approximately 1/16 scale in Meccano.

I also do a bit of 12″ to the foot modelling on the Severn Valley Railway.

Well, there haven’t been any updates lately, least of all from me, so I thought I’d give you a progress report. The layout is off the drawing board and very much in progress. Here’s a general view of the station end..

All the buildings are Metcalfe kits…

This Bachmann Class 101 is a beautiful model and runs as well as it looks.

A bit of freight action:

No idea what I was doing when this thread started!

Anyway just for Saxon Riders benefit, here’s me in Medicine hat in 2000..

Haven’t got much of my Hornby Dublo set left. No track & only 2 loco’s, but one is a mint & boxed tank engine in black BR livery, The price on the box says 19 shillings & elevenpence! (Or however it was written) It’s in the loft along with a mint & boxed repair crane & an unboxed but clean Princess Elizabeth loco & tender. (6201?) All circa 1960’s!