Hi all, I thought I might as well reveal here my grander long term layout designs. It has taken quite some time, and many changes of settings, from pre-WW2 GWR branchline and transition era BR Southern region to fictional NSWGR western branchline, before finally settling on modelling a prototype Sydney suburban station. Ultimately, the station I've chosen is Petersham, on the main suburban line from Sydney Terminal to Strathfield, where the Main North, Main South and Main Western lines diverge, during the 1930s-early 1950s. 1927 interlocking diagram for Petersham Here is my track plan and baseboard design so far. Red - "Scenic track" Blue - Helixes Green - Fiddle yards At this point I've not started on the good sidings and off peak electric train stabling roads as I need to work out how to design custom turnouts for SCARM, or find a program which I can transfer this design to without starting from scratch. The concept design for the baseboards at the present stage. Undoubtedly, this will be subject to revision as time passes, and already I have in mind some changes to the baseboard framing, one of them being replacing conventional solid pine with laminated ply/pine plates as shown in the photo below. Photo and idea courtesy of Kieran Ryan's Peak Hill layout blog The plan is for scenery to be supported on independent panels which can be lifted off for access, maintenance and transport. The whole design is to be modular, so that the layout can be moved if needed or even exhibited.
Wow that's a great project Evan Is the yard at Petersham, where the wire coils were loaded I seem to remember as a kid passing somewhere along that section and seeing lots of S trucks with loads of wire coils. How long term are we talking for this project.
Chris, the wire coils in S trucks went to the yard at Ashfield, the next station down the line. From what I've been able to find Petersham's goods traffic included coal and timber in S and K trucks. What other goods beyond that was shunted in or out is at this stage unknown. As for how long term this is, that's a bit of an unknown, but I'm hoping I'll be able to start building it in at least 5 years
Thanks Evan for the info. I could remember the wire coils but not the exact location it's a long time ago for the memory. Don't put off starting the layout build for too long, as big projects like this need a early start your young enough but get into it before you find something else to focus on
You're welcome Chris. Ashfield was one of the other stations which made it into the final few options for modelling, but didn't make the cut on account of a lack of scenic breaks at either end of the station and a rather limited amount of info on the station before it was butchered... I mean modernised. In all honesty, I'd like to start building Petersham right away, but space constraints, and a lack of ability to guarantee the space in the medium to long term due to renting presently means that it's going to have to wait at least a few years while I raise the money to buy/build my own place. In the meantime, I'm doing as much design and research work to plan the layout in as much detail as possible, so when the space is available, I can get stuck right into building it.
Sound like a plan Evan You could make a start with structures and set them up as Dioramas on a base ready to be inserted into the layout (a bit like You see in Ken Patersons videos), when you get space and a permanent home for the layout build you will have a big head start on the scenic's. Going to look forward to you building this layout in the future.
That's the kind of line of thinking I'm taking in this build, Chris. First things first though, module design and prototype research. I plan to build some test modules as a proof of concept for the baseboard structure to ensure it will stand up to the required rigours of being portable and potentially exhibited. The main concern I have is the helices on the ends. Hopefully they can be kept relatively lightweight
Hi Evan - that's some plan and good luck. May be worth looking at a largish trailer or even an old caravan, racked out to allow you to store the modules in, and even transport it to exhibitions. Paul
I remember the old coil wire sidings at Ashfeild, I grew up there as a boy, (no not the sidings, the suburb). Many times caught the train to the city, hanging out the Red Rattler doors... You're right about them disfiguring the station though, it was once a lovely station... Looking forward to the next couple of stages in your build. Cheers, Gary.
Paul, got the transport part already sorted as I'm restoring an old Holden ute along side my railway hobbies, which will serve well for layout transport. Sol, thanks for that link. I'll sit down and go through the tutorials and see how I get along with it. Gary, there'll be plenty of red sets for you to enjoy on Petersham (and even a few Tuscan & Russet ones). Most of the progress that will be seen here will be design progress and seeking feedback on ideas
For those who have never seen Petersham in the flesh, here are a few prototype photos of the station showing some of what is to be modelled The original 1885 vintage Italianate station building at Petersham. This building hasn't seen a passenger alight since the 1920s when the line was widened from four to six tracks The 1883 lattice girder footbridge, which still links Trafalgar St and Railway St today. The structure on the platform is the former men's lavatory, which later became part of the supporting structure for the elevated booking office, surviving the demolition of this platform in 1927, and demolition of the booking office in the 1980s One of the few photos I can find of the 1927 brick station building and platform which were opened with electrification. This station still remains in use and is largely unaltered.
Ticket purchased for Petersham journey. I've passed the station once or twice while visiting Sydney. I like how you have used the aerial photo to overlay your track plan. Cheers Marty
Great photos Evan. I have always liked the intricate brickwork, quoins, windows and roof mouldings etc. If I'm correct, they used this as a railway employees hospital for quite some time. Really like the photo of the mixed goods headed by the D50. Looks like two BWH and two BCH covered with tarps and a EHO in the mix. The last bogie wagon I'm trying to make out, either a MLV or another guards van..?? Cheers, Gary.
Gary wrote: Gary you have been modelling the BR stuff to long Your EHO is actually a LHG and the last one is a Guards van, a FHG the same as the first one in the consist, got the rest right
Maybe we have to send him back to school, Chris BTW, the front and rear vans are NHGs, an earlier form of the FHG (and IHG) vans Gary, as far as I know, the 1885 station building was never used as a hospital, but was used by the Railway Hospital Fund from 1954. It will certainly present an interesting challenge to build Anyhow, a few more prototype photos R1 class tram on the Crystal Street overpass, C.1940s. This will form one of the two scenic breaks on the layout, the other being the West Street overpass Looking a bit worse for wear here, the 1927 signal box, which featured a 20 lever power operated miniature frame for working signals and the stabling siding between the Up and Down Local lines. The crossing and entry to the goods yard were worked from Frame B, at the opposite end of the platform to the signal box. Perhaps the most elusive structure so far from the station is the goods shed, with this photo of a D57/58 class cylinder casting on site for storage for the NSWRTM collection being the only decent photo showing the shed to reveal itself thus far.
Yes had another look zoomed in and the front and rear vans still has both full size parcel doors unlike the later modified to single large door and small door at the other end. That photo of the fork with the 57 cyl casting is interesting the fork lift must have been near maxed out with that load. Do you know if ithe casting is still in the collection or is it lost ??
It has amazed me that the station building and signal box are still in existance, here in the UK they would have been bulldozed in the '60's. Pete.
Not a bad guess... I think both Chris and I both need to go back to training school... Well, I did know that the old station building had something to do with railway employees and a hospital ! Cheers, Gary.
