A track layout for my experiments

[Dutchiedoughnut]

So I guess the Class 08 is turning out quite good when I get the money to actually order the parts. I am thinking about my next horizon, what'll be the track the little shunter is going to run on?

Bear in mind that Lego is taking a huge back seat to my work and my other super expensive hobby - photography. I suppose progress will be slow but I dont mind that.

This topic serves as a bit of a grab bag for my notes about the track layout, and as I assume loads of random screenshots.

I've spent a week in England recently and I fell even more in love with the place than I already was. My layout will take place in England! To be exact, I want to mix Birmingham Moor Street station with Didcot Railway Centre. I think Moor Street is a very nice station dating back to the steam era but it has been re-opened recently. In the steam days it featured a two track traverser which seems like an amazing challenge to fit in there.

Didcot Railway Centre today is a museum where steam locomotives are restored. Crucially it is also home for one of the UK´s gas turbine powered locomotives (BR 18000) which takes my interest. It used to house loads of steam locomotives and service and repair them so there is quite a bit to model.

Timewise, I am thinking the mid or late 1980's. That allows me to model steam (for the museum), diesel and all gasturbine prototype locomotives and trains.

I've got a bit of a thing for gasturbine trains as I studied aerospace engineering. I also have a thing for nearly all crazy nearly experimental trains, such as the Deltic which had quite a special engine!

I´ll try and compose some sort of a map for what I am thinking of.

[ScotNick]

Really eager to see some work/progress/results! I have followed your thread about the BR 08 shunter and it really looks interesting. Seems you have much ahead of you seeing that Moor Street is a big station. I'm looking forward to see more!

[Dutchiedoughnut]

"Big" isnt so much the proper word as "Massive" ;). The key to modelling is to take the most characteristic elements and model those, and basically fill in everything else. I wouldn't have to build the complete station of Moor Street to be able to identify it as the Moor Street Station. For example, I dont have to support 8 or more carriages, I'm aiming for maybe 5 max?

Anyway, here are the maps:

Birmingham Moor Street. There are two derelict tracks near the bottom which I want to connect to the track of Didcot. There's actually an old steam locomotive caught on these tracks.

A flyer of Didcot Railway Centre, although I am afraid it´s hard to read now. The tracks at the bottom will connect to my version of Moor Street and there is basically a number of buildings in between two running tracks:

- A coal stage where coal and water were stored. Also, locomotives were refilled with coal here.

- Engine shed, where they serviced the locomotives

- Locomotive workshops to repair the locomotives

- Turntable

- Carriage display building, I will repurpose this as the Experiments Building

- Traverser for the Carriage Display building

- Transfer shed

And there are a couple of halts and stations throughout.

Needless to say, I'll have to eliminate quite a few things...

[Dutchiedoughnut]

I guess the litterbin-aspect of this thread is showing a bit as I'd like to show you another model I'm working on. It's clearly modelled after a UK class of train but I will let you guess at which one, should take about 5 minutes ;). There are quite a bit of custom parts in the nose as it is quite distinctive, but just a few dotted left and right in the side structure so I am pretty pleased about that.

[Darthluke824]

Nice work on the nose of the Class 43. It would look great in different colours too!

[Dutchiedoughnut]

Hmmm, it's not a class 43 or wasn't intended to be one ;). Looking at its nose, I think it should be a little rounder but it is increadible similar. It was intended to be a Class 91.

Anyway, either class looks really good in different colours! This one is a rough draft really, I'm curious to see how it will evolve :). It's currently 7 wide, with a 6-wide roof and a 5-wide bottom of the locomotive. That's not too much difference but its profile is much more realistic and interesting than using straight walls.

Anyway, I think I will build it in GNER colours as I think it goes with the 1980's theme and I like it a bit better than the Intercity livery.

For now its back to the general plan of the layout. It looks like it will fit either my basement or my living room if its laid out straight.

There are quite a few buildings in the plan. The main thing I will do is shorten these buildings as I dont want to house 40 locomotives. Therefore the engine shed will be long enough to house 1 engine and its tender rather than 3 or 4.