Laughton & Beddingham Railway

[David Banks]

 Hi Ed, I thought I had posted this reply, but I only posted the photo again as the first one was too big.
Anyway, the pic is of my AnyRail 6 layout so you could see whats possible,
I'm a newby myself, but haven't officially introduced myself to the members yet.
My Layout was designed on AnyRail 6. My layout is also 2' x 4', so I used the trial program, which is free, but restricts you to just 50 pieces of track. It also has 009 track including flexi and points in the library, as well as many buildings and tree's etc. It is just a simple cad system, but you can draw your own buildings, ans add them too the library, which I have done many times. I have no name for the layout as yet, but I have built the baseboard, and cut out the other two layers. It is a bit of a rabbit warren. but I wanted enough track to make it interesting. Here's a pic of it, to give you an idea of what it can do. Hope this helps
David B

[clayliner]

I like the figure-of-eight arrangement as it gives plenty of scope for longer continuous runs. There are a lot of scenic breaks to disguise, though - to avoid too many tunnel mouths it may be worth trying to obscure some of the breaks with buildings, foliage and other devices.

David.

[B.Meldon]

Oops the file was too big, so here's one within limits.
David B

https://www.009society.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4533.0;attach=1794;image

That track plan will give you issues.
Firstly you will find the grades are too steep and will serverly limit what you can run.
Also the reverse curves will give you issues with the couplings locking.
They look like 9 inch dead frog points that can and do make some locos stall at slow speeds!

So not an ideal track plan for 009 use!

[Hobby]

To be fair, Brian, the only grade which will cause issues is the one on the inside right track and I'd certainly agree with you! The grade on the outer (back) section looks fine.

What reverse curves, though, other than the loops? The only other one is in the middle at the top of the figure of eight and it would seem to have a straight bit in the middle which won't cause any issues, especially as stock will be pulled over it.

[Graeme Dunbar]

The following layout may look familiar.  ;)

https://www.youtube.com/embed/w7j-O4tqJis

It was posted on NGRM-online:
https://ngrm-online.com/index.php?/forums/topic/27307-memorable-rabbit-warren-layouts/page/9/&tab=comments#comment-699626

I think it makes it clear that a layout similar to the one in this thread is indeed workable.

[B.Meldon]

To be fair, Brian, the only grade which will cause issues is the one on the inside right track and I'd certainly agree with you! The grade on the outer (back) section looks fine.

What reverse curves, though, other than the loops? The only other one is in the middle at the top of the figure of eight and it would seem to have a straight bit in the middle which won't cause any issues, especially as stock will be pulled over it.

Yes I agree. It is the reverse curves lower left will be the worst. Any train in the front platform road will have to go across these.

[David Banks]

Hi all,
Many thanks to all who gave constructive critique's on my layout, it's much appreciated. Graeme D gets the gold star and team point, as he correctly identified the layout by Inkfinger, I based it on.
I am new to 009, only having a live steam 16mm garden railway before. I had to give it up due to knackered knees and hips, making it impossible to get down to ground level. Firing the loco's on a bench was OK, it was just the maintenance that did for me. I only have limited space indoors, and got permission from SWMBO, for a 2' x 4' layout in our spare bedroom. Having no experience of working gradients in 009, I searched Youtube for layouts, and I thought Inkfinger,s layout ticked all the boxes, and that I knew it all worked. I will only be having 4 wheel coaches, and small loco's. My garden railway was based on the the early Talyllyn, and so had only 4 wheel coaches.
Onward and Upwards

[B.Meldon]

I have a layout with 9 inch curves and 1:25 grades. As well as having light weight good running rollingstock and as much lead as posiable in the locos, you will find it is the coupling overhang that is the main issue not the size of the vehicle. For example bogie coaches with the coupling on the bogies are fine, but some short wheelbase 4 wheel coaches with the couplings fixed to the body are not!
It is all about testing.
In general the tightere the curves the more problems you get and reverse curves make this issue with couplings twice as bad!

Not that you are building a model of the Talyllyn, but just to give you an idea the curves and points on the TR that use side buffers work out at about 52 inch radius in 009! The curves on the WHR/FR work out at about 28 inch radius.

[Graeme Dunbar]

Hi all,
Many thanks to all who gave constructive critique's on my layout, it's much appreciated. Graeme D gets the gold star and team point, as he correctly identified the layout by Inkfinger, I based it on.

;D

I'm taken with the plan too. I think it is almost a certainty that Cyril Freezer or someone such like produced a similar plan donkey's years ago. I like the way it uses the space in the centre of the baseboard where a plain 'twice round' folded figure of eight does not.

Choosing ones stock carefully and no doubt with a good bit of fettling to ensure smooth running, curves and slopes can be pushed rather a lot as this example shows:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Lbdod_dXJU

https://www.zelmeroz.com/album_model/members/klyzlr/DynamiteCanyon.pdf

Not that I'm condoning going to those extremes!

[David Banks]

Many thanks B Meldon & GraemeD,
The radius on all curves are 9", or thereabouts, and in buying stock I have tried to research before purchase, that they will negotiate 9" rad's. The only one that is near the 9" limit is the WHR Baldwin with sound....I just couldn't resist it  :). I should also add, that although the layout plan shows set track points, I am using 12" rad electrofrog points instead, I couldn't be bothered to change them on the plan. I drew the track layout on the baseboards, and it worked out OK with the longer points, it just means shorter rakes. Inkfinger used the 12" points on his layout as well.
I have also bought quite a few GVT and Ffestiniog bug boxes for when the Prince loco comes out.
Inkfinger's layout shows a Liliput diesel, so I bought one of those also.
In Anyrail 6, I have 2D modelled all the buildings I have bought to use on the layout, and added them to the library for others to use.

[Graeme Dunbar]

I admire your handiwork with the scenic components in Anyrail. I don't have the patience to do more than plain rectangles for buildings and jaggy outlines of cuttings etc.

[David Banks]

Hi Graeme, I used to be a 3D CAD designer at the Jaguar LandRover Design Studio before retirement 10 years ago, so using a very simple 2D cad package was easy. My laptop is not powerful enough to use the 3D package, so it had to be something simple.
I have had a look at the FreeCad, which doesn't need the power of Catia V5, so I will probably have a go at that sometime.

[James S]

Really interesting reading through all the discussion on the plan.

I think it is almost a certainty that Cyril Freezer or someone such like produced a similar plan donkey's years ago.

Indeed! A similar 009 scheme - Shortwaite Hill - based on a modified Cyril Freezer plan features in the March Railway Modeller and is very effective.

[Graeme Dunbar]

Really interesting reading through all the discussion on the plan.

I think it is almost a certainty that Cyril Freezer or someone such like produced a similar plan donkey's years ago.

Indeed! A similar 009 scheme - Shortwaite Hill - based on a modified Cyril Freezer plan features in the March Railway Modeller and is very effective.

I look forward to reading it.  Unfortunately I'll have to be patient. The snow plough cleared the road this afternoon and the drifts are already chest-height again! To keep me going I found this:

http://grums009andgn15lines.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-first-public-display-for-shortwaite.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM7JWv1Duwc