Realising a Dream - 17 – Descent to Lower Levels

The harbour branch is the longest of the two industrial branches that connect to the marshalling yard, here I describe its route as it descends through the lower levels.

I appreciate these articles are not easily viewable on smaller devices but I'll do my best to keep them palatable and remember, questions and comments are welcomed even if it is to say "Well, it would have been easier to do it this way ...".

The overview of this series contains a symbolic map of this railway :- https://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/realising-a-dream-1-overview.5529/

My railway is complex in implementation being multi-level but it does illustrate how a significantly larger railway can be fitted into a room with a bit of ingenuity and determination. This is not an approach used much in the UK as opposed to the USA but we can do it here just as well.

Most of the lower level and fiddle yards are constructed on boards made of laminate flooring off cuts, fibre underlay and ex-shelves of melamine faced chipboard. I don't throw much away!



The harbour branch relationship to the main board is shown above it starts from the south end of the marshalling yard and spirals anti-clockwise downwards following the mainlines down to the lower main board at a grade of 1 in 48 (the leftmost line in the following image).



Image - Descent parallel with mainlines

Once at the main board lower level the descent steepens to the 1 in 30 used on the industrial branches. At this point a passing loop is provided for ascending and descending trains, the default point settings are straight, the lower spur is to catch any runaways and the upper spur is to park bankers. Although the passing loop is on a non-scenic section it still provides extra operational functionality.



Image - Early view before marshalling yard laid



Image - Recent view, marshalling yard above, mineral dock below

The track then starts its descent to the island lower board docks via the peninsular and emerges from a rock face at the first set of docks.



Image - Rock face exit on arrival at island lower board with dock scenic work in progress

A junction is provided to access the general merchandise docks, oil terminal and grain terminal. These docks and other areas will be described in separate articles much like the cement works but on a somewhat smaller scale.

All the dock areas are very much work in progress with track and basic scenic items in place, only the junction area is near completion.

Initially this was as far as the track was going to go, the descent so far taking nearly 1.5 laps of the railway room to ensure enough vertical clearance to access these docks as a scenic level. The upper board of the island is reached via an ascending branch line via the peninsular structure described previously. The ascending track routing to be covered in the next article.

I then wanted to expand the docks to provide mineral and vehicle import/export, connection to a steelworks and link the mineral dock to a larger colliery.

The mineral dock was to be a another level down from the mainboard below the marshalling yard whilst the other destinations are imagined as fiddle yards in the workshop.

The purpose of the scenic breaks is to disguise these water level differences and to impose some distance between the different scenes which includes variations in landscape. The upper levels become more rocky with firs while the lower levels take on a more coastal appearance.

So, after these 'island' docks the track passes over a bridge into another rock face.



Image - Bridge to rock face scenic break

It then clings to the rock face (where there are bushes and trees) making the descent past the mineral docks below the lower main board on its way to the ferry port.



Image - Descent past the mineral dock, top



Image - Descent past the mineral dock, bottom

At the bottom of this grade (after 2 laps of the railway room) another junction is provided to access the mineral dock and the 'private' colliery and steel works track which joins it. The buildings on the far side of the track here were early acquisitions of mainly early American outline and just moved here as other areas developed, quite appropriate that the mineral docks are worked by USA tanks. I may well keep it this way (Rule 1 invoked) as I like the resulting feel and character it has taken on. Nearest side is a mix of vintage items which creates a little forced perspective from 1:76 to 1:87.



Image - Mineral Dock Junction



Image - View towards EuroFerry port

Onwards from this junction the track heads towards the 'EuroFerry' port where it terminates as a fiddle yard in the workshop.

Next, the ascent of the industrial branch to the upper levels.

Jim

Index of Articles with Links

 

Thanks, I'll take some pictures and I'll post them later today, Jim

 

Hi, this breakdown train includes a heavily modified HD crane bought as shown from Hattons and two coaches with wraps applied bought on eBay, they were opportunistic lucky buys, the only changes I made was to re-wheel the coaches for 2 rail running.

The crane has a much more extensive static rigging with the stabilising truck tops made smooth, the jib runner appears to have a long wheelbase brake van chassis, the original jib runners jib rest, a floor well to take the hook and tray for chains. The tops possibly parts of Tri-ang single bolster wagons. The trailing wagon also based on a brake van chassis includes a separate spreader beam, carrying position for it, plus chains and odd pieces of timber, once again topped off with other wagon tops, main part may be from a Tri-ang single bolster. Painted mainly in red and black with early BR crests, extra info panels and white hand wheels, fictional probably, looks the part, definitely.













Coaches

One coach is wrapped with the design for the riding crew and the other as a stores and tool van, these I believe were available on eBay but I think the designer passed away a year or two ago.






The train is hauled by a DCC converted Jouef Class 40, with a broken wagon on a HD well wagon and includes a Wrenn crane tools van, or rather a sausages van with the sausages logo removed and retaining its DE runnng number.

Jim