Dale End Lane - OO gauge Terminus

[Peter Kelford]

The fiddle yard is almost non existent. I just have two lines that go behind the future backscene as seen here.

I see. What do you do with the trains that disappear into the rudimentary fiddle yard then?

 

[43055]

I see. What do you do with the trains that disappear into the rudimentary fiddle yard then?

I have a couple of boxes which are wide enough to hold a 23m vehicle. The 800's normally get put to the side of the lines as there is room. Normally the next train to arrive is placed on ready once the line is free.

 

[Peter Kelford]

I have a couple of boxes which are wide enough to hold a 23m vehicle. The 800's normally get put to the side of the lines as there is room. Normally the next train to arrive is placed on ready once the line is free.

I see thanks

 

[43055]

Since the last update I have been treated to some more stuff to get one with my layout. This includes station nameboards and signage as well as some signals (GPL's and main) which will help progress as well as a second fuel point for the carriage sidings. I have now placed the platform numbers and nameboards on the layout with the name 'Dale End Lane' (my dads layout being Dale End Road). I have also got some new models these being a EMT 158 773 to go alongside the other EMT units and some mk3's for my HST's so I can now run a 2+6 EMT HST and a FGW mk3 to add into my GWR set's to act as a luggage vehicle in the Summer (TGS+TS+TS+TS+TGFB+TSD+TGS).

 

[hexagon789]

Since the last update I have been treated to some more stuff to get one with my layout. This includes station nameboards and signage as well as some signals (GPL's and main) which will help progress as well as a second fuel point for the carriage sidings. I have now placed the platform numbers and nameboards on the layout with the name 'Dale End Lane' (my dads layout being Dale End Road). I have also got some new models these being a EMT 158 773 to go alongside the other EMT units and some mk3's for my HST's so I can now run a 2+6 EMT HST and a FGW mk3 to add into my GWR set's to act as a luggage vehicle in the Summer (TGS+TS+TS+TS+TGFB+TSD+TGS).
View attachment 78967View attachment 78968View attachment 78969

Nice line up of stock there, I like the TPE 68 and SR I7C HST sneaking in

 

[Iskra]

A nice selection of stock there, I particularly like the EMT sprinter fleet. I've realised that when my baseboards arrive in June, my layout is going to be pretty similar to yours but a late steam/early diesel version. The privatisation era is more my era but this way I can run steam and diesel and I thought it would be more cost effective not having to keep buying more to keep my layout up to date.

 

[43055]

Nice line up of stock there, I like the TPE 68 and SR I7C HST sneaking in

Thank you. I do like the TPE and Scotrail inter7city livery's hence why have have them. I do keep thinking to myself about completing the rake for the HST (even more tempting now the coaches are out) and also the Mk5's coming next year are tempting.

A nice selection of stock there, I particularly like the EMT sprinter fleet. I've realised that when my baseboards arrive in June, my layout is going to be pretty similar to yours but a late steam/early diesel version. The privatisation era is more my era but this way I can run steam and diesel and I thought it would be more cost effective not having to keep buying more to keep my layout up to date.

Cant go wrong with the EMT fleet. I have had lots commutes on them into Derby and in some cases in the morning I would get to London Road bridge (by the PSB) for when the 0819 HST accelerates out to London .

One option that you could explore for your layout if privatisation is more your era is to have a heritage railway or something like the West Highland line is Scotland with the jacobite as this can give you the option to run almost anything you want.

 

[hexagon789]

Thank you. I do like the TPE and Scotrail inter7city livery's hence why have have them. I do keep thinking to myself about completing the rake for the HST (even more tempting now the coaches are out) and also the Mk5's coming next year are tempting.

I like the variety and indeed variety in general, it adds interest and individuality to a layout.

 

[Cowley]

You’ve got a great fleet there @43055. I especially like the mixed rake on the GWR HST with the odd purple coach clinging on.

I was looking at this though and feeling a slight sensation of fear and flashback...



Here’s a salutary tale for you:

When I had my 00 gauge layout in the loft in my old house I built it in a horseshoe right around the roof space.
Eventually I linked it up so it was one long oval and the link was over the loft hatch.
Now I fully intended on turning the link section into a kind of viaduct but for a little while it just stayed as an open stretch of board over the hatch (you can probably see where this is going).

One evening I was tinkering around with something while my (expensive and fairly new) Hornby 50007 ‘Sir Edward Elgar’ ran around the layout with a trailing load of eight Hornby Pullmans (yes the expensive ones with the lights in).
Unnoticed by me the rear three coaches uncoupled from the rest of the train and rolled to a stop over the loft hatch and sat there waiting for the inevitable, like some kind of terrible 1980s style rail disaster being played out in miniature...

Something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention and I turned just in time to see the 50 hit the back of the train with force, derail, fall off the layout and down through the loft hatch.
I think I caught the last two coaches after I’d thrown myself across the floor but it was an absolute horror show, and although I managed to glue the coaches back together they were missing all kinds of little details, and most were very badly damaged.

All that could be done with 50007 was to turn it into a dummy loco as all kinds of bits of the mechanism were damaged beyond repair.

Absolute nightmare.

So yeah, don’t leave the sides of boards where the track is close unprotected is what this long rambling post is meaning to say.

 

[hexagon789]

You’ve got a great fleet there @43055. I especially like the mixed rake on the GWR HST with the odd purple coach clinging on.

I was looking at this though and feeling a slight sensation of fear and flashback...

View attachment 79019

Here’s a salutary tale for you:

When I had my 00 gauge layout in the loft in my old house I built it in a horseshoe right around the roof space.
Eventually I linked it up so it was one long oval and the link was over the loft hatch.
Now I fully intended on turning the link section into a kind of viaduct but for a little while it just stayed as an open stretch of board over the hatch (you can probably see where this is going).

One evening I was tinkering around with something while my (expensive and fairly new) Hornby 50007 ‘Sir Edward Elgar’ ran around the layout with a trailing load of eight Hornby Pullmans (yes the expensive ones with the lights in).
Unnoticed by me the rear three coaches uncoupled from the rest of the train and rolled to a stop over the loft hatch and sat there waiting for the inevitable, like some kind of terrible 1980s style rail disaster being played out in miniature...

Something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention and I turned just in time to see the 50 hit the back of the train with force, derail, fall off the layout and down through the loft hatch.
I think I caught the last two coaches after I’d thrown myself across the floor but it was an absolute horror show, and although I managed to glue the coaches back together they were missing all kinds of little details, and most were very badly damaged.

All that could be done with 50007 was to turn it into a dummy loco as all kinds of bits of the mechanism were damaged beyond repair.

Absolute nightmare.

So yeah, don’t leave the sides of boards where the track is close unprotected is what this long rambling post is meaning to say.

Sounds quite nasty, thankfully I can't use the loft in purchasing house for a layout - it's not floored and the ceilings are too low. It's also split into three sections and quite awkward to get into as well!

 

[43055]

You’ve got a great fleet there @43055. I especially like the mixed rake on the GWR HST with the odd purple coach clinging on.

I was looking at this though and feeling a slight sensation of fear and flashback...

View attachment 79019

Here’s a salutary tale for you:

When I had my 00 gauge layout in the loft in my old house I built it in a horseshoe right around the roof space.
Eventually I linked it up so it was one long oval and the link was over the loft hatch.
Now I fully intended on turning the link section into a kind of viaduct but for a little while it just stayed as an open stretch of board over the hatch (you can probably see where this is going).

One evening I was tinkering around with something while my (expensive and fairly new) Hornby 50007 ‘Sir Edward Elgar’ ran around the layout with a trailing load of eight Hornby Pullmans (yes the expensive ones with the lights in).
Unnoticed by me the rear three coaches uncoupled from the rest of the train and rolled to a stop over the loft hatch and sat there waiting for the inevitable, like some kind of terrible 1980s style rail disaster being played out in miniature...

Something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention and I turned just in time to see the 50 hit the back of the train with force, derail, fall off the layout and down through the loft hatch.
I think I caught the last two coaches after I’d thrown myself across the floor but it was an absolute horror show, and although I managed to glue the coaches back together they were missing all kinds of little details, and most were very badly damaged.

All that could be done with 50007 was to turn it into a dummy loco as all kinds of bits of the mechanism were damaged beyond repair.

Absolute nightmare.

So yeah, don’t leave the sides of boards where the track is close unprotected is what this long rambling post is meaning to say.

I does sound nasty but I have been there myself, not on this layout but another one a long time ago where a 56 fell off with a load of wagons. I think for now I will leave them as they are but in the future I will probably look into something as completing the scenery will be a lot easier without the protection.

 

[43055]

The run out this morning produced this nice lineup. 156405 waits to depart on the 0842 to St Ives and 158773 waits for the 0850 to Plymouth. 170301 in the middle will later shunt to form the 0950 to Plymouth.

 

[Cowley]

The run out this morning produced this nice lineup. 156405 waits to depart on the 0842 to St Ives and 158773 waits for the 0850 to Plymouth. 170301 in the middle will later shunt to form the 0950 to Plymouth.
View attachment 79477

Like it. I wish I was on the St Ives train, what a beautiful journey that is.

 

[43055]

Like it. I wish I was on the St Ives train, what a beautiful journey that is.

Never done the St Ives branch but it does look very good from what I have seen of it. I have done the Cornish Main Line once a few years ago all just to do the Sleeper on a 22 round trip from Derby. 1901 Derby - London, 2345 London to Penzance, 0844 Penzance - Exeter, 1324 Exeter - Derby. All in all a brilliant round trip with some brilliant views particularly St Germans - Saltash area and of course Dawlish.

 

[43055]

Some Ground Position Lights added to the layout and the double arrow at the station entrance.

A 2+7 HST fits nicely in platform 1

 

[Cowley]

That’s looking really good now. I love the front of the station.

 

[Peter C]

I'll echo Cowley here and say that what you've done is amazing!
I like the ground signals you've put around the place. Do they work, or are they just there for show? I was thinking just this morning about adding some ground signals onto my layout, around the station area.

-Peter

 

[43055]

That’s looking really good now. I love the front of the station.

I'll echo Cowley here and say that what you've done is amazing!
I like the ground signals you've put around the place. Do they work, or are they just there for show? I was thinking just this morning about adding some ground signals onto my layout, around the station area.

-Peter

Thank you both The station front was one of the first areas I did since I had the building already and was a nice simple area to get started with is mainly being tarmac and laying the pavement.

The GPL's are just for show. They came in a pack of 10 from ebay for around £12 and I have dotted them around the layout for shunting/siding moves. I have not decided on the main signals yet but I might to for a mix of color light and semaphore seeing I have some of the latter already.

 

[Peter C]

Thank you both The station front was one of the first areas I did since I had the building already and was a nice simple area to get started with is mainly being tarmac and laying the pavement.

The GPL's are just for show. They came in a pack of 10 from ebay for around £12 and I have dotted them around the layout for shunting/siding moves. I have not decided on the main signals yet but I might to for a mix of color light and semaphore seeing I have some of the latter already.

You're very welcome
Those signals do look quite good - 10 for £12 is around £1 each, so not going to break the bank anytime soon, and I'd say that one pack would suit me nicely. Although, if I go ahead with some of the plans I have for wiring up signals and the like, I might sprinkle a few working ones in the mix.

-Peter

 

[43055]

You're very welcome
Those signals do look quite good - 10 for £12 is around £1 each, so not going to break the bank anytime soon, and I'd say that one pack would suit me nicely. Although, if I go ahead with some of the plans I have for wiring up signals and the like, I might sprinkle a few working ones in the mix.

-Peter

One pack would probably do nicely. I have only used 6 so far but I wanted to add a few more but the carriage overhang became a problem. So far I have them in the following locations:
two protecting the points in the middle road.
one within the point work to allow for shunting between platforms 3/4 and the depot without needing to go into the carriage sidings.
three in the carriage sidings.
I might go for electronic signals but I am not to sure about them on a analogue layout and the workings behind them as a lot of them look to be automatic. I think I will do some research first.

 

[Peter C]

One pack would probably do nicely. I have only used 6 so far but I wanted to add a few more but the carriage overhang became a problem. So far I have them in the following locations:
two protecting the points in the middle road.
one within the point work to allow for shunting between platforms 3/4 and the depot without needing to go into the carriage sidings.
three in the carriage sidings.
I might go for electronic signals but I am not to sure about them on a analogue layout and the workings behind them as a lot of them look to be automatic. I think I will do some research first.

Cool
I've been spending some time changing bits of the layout to make it a bit better and with the new trackplan I've got planned, I'll have more places to put ground signals.
Yours sound very thought out. I think automatic ones would work on DC - you might want to have to separate electrical circuits, one controlling the track, and the other controlling the signals, therefore allowing you to have control over the aspects of every signal (if you chose non-automatic ones of course).

-Peter

 

[MotCO]

I might go for electronic signals but I am not to sure about them on a analogue layout and the workings behind them as a lot of them look to be automatic. I think I will do some research first.

I have a very basic circuit with two signals (showing 1 red and 1 green lens), which I have wired so that when one signal changes to green, the other reverts to red... just like the real thing! How difficult would it be to set up a real system where signals revert to red as a train passes and the preceeding signal steps up to green. Probably something for a digital set up?

 

[43055]

Cool
I've been spending some time changing bits of the layout to make it a bit better and with the new trackplan I've got planned, I'll have more places to put ground signals.
Yours sound very thought out. I think automatic ones would work on DC - you might want to have to separate electrical circuits, one controlling the track, and the other controlling the signals, therefore allowing you to have control over the aspects of every signal (if you chose non-automatic ones of course).

-Peter

I have a very basic circuit with two signals (showing 1 red and 1 green lens), which I have wired so that when one signal changes to green, the other reverts to red... just like the real thing! How difficult would it be to set up a real system where signals revert to red as a train passes and the preceeding signal steps up to green. Probably something for a digital set up?

Thank you both. With the layout being a station area I think I could get away with 2 aspect signaling (certainly on the way in) so it could be a very simple setup with just a switch between Red and Green on a separate panel to the track circuits.

 

[Peter C]

Thank you both. With the layout being a station area I think I could get away with 2 aspect signaling (certainly on the way in) so it could be a very simple setup with just a switch between Red and Green on a separate panel to the track circuits.

That seems to me to be the easiest way of doing it. I've been thinking about adding such a system on to my layout at some point so if you go ahead with it I'd be interested to see how you do it and whether it works or not.

-Peter

 

[43055]

So after three months of gathering dust (literally) the sleeper has come back out to play with a shorter formation of 4 coaches (2 sleeper + buffet and seated break). With being shorter it has allowed the train to depart from platform 3 while currently 2 spare coaches can be seen in the sidings with the stations 08 shunter.

Also seen is 43005 which has just arrived from Paddington and will soon head to the sidings for the night.

 

[Cowley]

So after three months of gathering dust (literally) the sleeper has come back out to play with a shorter formation of 4 coaches (2 sleeper + buffet and seated break). With being shorter it has allowed the train to depart from platform 3 while currently 2 spare coaches can be seen in the sidings with the stations 08 shunter.
View attachment 80366
Also seen is 43005 which has just arrived from Paddington and will soon head to the sidings for the night.
View attachment 80365

Love it. Plenty of GWR livery on show which I very much approve of.

 

[Peter C]

I love the way you run your railway to be really realistic. Something I want to implement on my layout at some point
I've also seen a Hornby (RailRoad quality) GWR HST on eBay for quite a reasonable price, and although it's not as detailed as your HST, seeing your pictures makes me want to go for it even more!

-Peter

 

[MotCO]

I've also seen a Hornby (RailRoad quality) GWR HST on eBay for quite a reasonable price, and although it's not as detailed as your HST, seeing your pictures makes me want to go for it even more!

-Peter

With all this interest on model railways on this forum, expect eBay prices to start to increase

 

[Peter C]

With all this interest on model railways on this forum, expect eBay prices to start to increase

Haha! Yes. Although I've seen a few really interesting deals recently.

-Peter

 

[Iskra]

So after three months of gathering dust (literally) the sleeper has come back out to play with a shorter formation of 4 coaches (2 sleeper + buffet and seated break). With being shorter it has allowed the train to depart from platform 3 while currently 2 spare coaches can be seen in the sidings with the stations 08 shunter.
View attachment 80366
Also seen is 43005 which has just arrived from Paddington and will soon head to the sidings for the night.
View attachment 80365

Very nice! Almost makes we want to do a trip to Penzance on the beds...