Quernaby New

Discussion in 'Members Personal Layouts' started by 16A, Dec 19, 2015.

  1. 16A

    16A Guest

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    Some of you (those from our previous home) will have possibly seen all this before but... so sorry for the deja vu moment... for our new members, I will transpose it here in chunks.

    The story so far…..

    Sometime long, long ago...10 years to be precise... my wife and I purchased our present house (our 17[sup]th[/sup] move) in which the previous owner had carried out a conversion to the loft creating a very nice comfortable den, not a full conversion with a staircase you understand, but one with a very heavy wooden loft ladder…my back ached just looking at it… something to do with payment of Council rates or number of rooms of occupation I think, anyway, it was fully insulated, plastered and decorated, full lights and power, central heating rads, velux window and even a fitted carpet… thought I’d landed in heaven… if only my hazy plans could become a reality… if only…

    One of my conditions before purchase was that as SWMBO would undoubtedly commandeer the garden, I sought outline planning consent from her for the loft/den area to be used as a model railway room, something I’d never previously had – joyfully my application was successful and permission subsequently granted so therefore plans commenced for Quernaby Junction, with the first job being to install a telescopic aluminium ladder chucking out the horrid brown ton weight of a ladder provided… ceremonial burning of the wooden monstrosity followed in our early days of occupancy.

    So what space did I have to use bearing in mind the compulsory requirement for storage of the usual suitcases, boxes, xmas tree and lights etc? Well I ended with somewhere in the region of approx. 12’ x 10’ useable space given that my world now consisted of three sloping roof sections and a vertical wall containing two chimney breasts and it would be necessary to raise a layout off the floor by about 27”. I considered my long sought after space ideal for a roundy-roundy type layout of some description – I’m one of those who love watching trains go by - so opted for main station complex one side and fiddle yard/storage area on the other. Also, rather than four straight sides I decided I had enough room to have a larger triangular board as the main operating table.

    The following therefore grew into original plans/ideas…

    The original Board layout.

    [​IMG]

    The original track plan. The red 'X' indicates a truncated Beeching line.

    [​IMG]

    Long story short… I’m afraid it didn’t quite work out as planned, I fiddled with various ideas and track plans… at one time almost all the triangular board had a large-ish mpd, but it still didn’t ‘rattle my cage’ so to speak. Was I seeking the Holy Grail? I don’t know but I still wanted something a little different and ultimately decided on a single track branch line junction station with Beeching having previously lopped off one leg of the junction thus creating a terminus platform. First mistake was a lack of research on my part as although I wanted a single line branch station I wasn’t aware that in the real world most single line branch stations located on a junction were in fact twin tracked through the station limits, but I unwittingly went ahead and laid each leg as single line only.

    It was also about this time I developed an itch that needed some serious scratching as I’d somewhere picked up the bug to build my own, an ambition or wish to try and build my own track work to 00-SF standards for the entire scenic area. (Martin will probably remember my many questions).

    I scratched the itch and began building track like there was no tomorrow becoming absolutely absorbed with it for about a year creating home-made points. However, fate intervened and this part of our hobby has gone for me... passed me by... I’ve reluctantly had to relinquish… been banned… or at least strongly advised not to do this anymore as soldering, according to my Doc, is bad for my health – no doubt to many other peoples’ health as well, therefore, I had to curtail this very enjoyable and newly found part of the hobby (sob, sob). I must have somehow sensed what fate was about to do to me as, over the 12 odd months of production track building became almost an obsession but I did manage to complete all track on the scenic board – almost.

    Later, talking to a new acquaintance – a retired signalman - in respect of signalling the intended junction station, it became apparent, even though most of the station track was built and laid, that it was almost impossible to signal accurately without a veritable forest of signal posts – not ideal for my clumsy ways, so work at that juncture was drawn to a halt and an additional unforeseen period of meditation began.

    Following the conversation with my ex-signalman... now a friend... and, tight wad that I am, was determined not to throw away or destroy any of my hand made track as I was unlikely to ever make any more, so I continued playing around with ideas based on my original basic arrangement of boards, thoughts and ideas. I eventually arrived at a Eureka moment, a much considered compromise which incorporated the concept of my original track plan – and, although considerably modified - could be signalled properly, had good operational interest, could accommodate most if not all of my handmade etc etc and, eventually, like a phoenix from the ashes, Quernaby New... no longer a junction… was borne and actually still exists in a very much incomplete state today.

    more to follow:-

    .....to be continued/-
     
  2. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    Looking forward to reading this story of the layout as it evolves. Atleast not all is lost, and you can use the track you have made.

    Please continue. :thumbup:

    Cheers, Gary.
     
  3. 16A

    16A Guest

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    Thanks Gary...

    Part II.

    Quernaby New is a fictitious double track through station set somewhere in the sticks providing a commuter/business rail link from anywhere to nowhere in particular – it’s somewhere you pass through whilst travelling to other places, one of those places that flash quickly by as you absentmindedly gaze out of the window. .. you know…you’ve been there I’m sure…

    The station, the main focal point of the tri-angular shaped main board can, at a push, accommodate 5 coaches plus loco on the down platform and six plus loco on the up – anything longer is a through train in either direction. There is a centre road providing an elongated crossover facility which also doubles up as a downside run round and arrival/departure road for the nearby works siding – created by using the previous Beeching’ised leg of the junction station.

    On the Up side there is a loop road for another through platform doubling as an up side run round, also providing a passing place where local traffic can be overtaken by more urgent ones. The loop also includes a short spur to the limited goods shed. There are no loco facilities provided except for watering, and signalling will be Midland semaphores which no doubt will have to be amongst the last things to be installed… back to my clumsy ways as I would no doubt break most of them whilst doing other things…

    The time frame is 1950-60’s mainly steam but diesels have begun to make an appearance. Traffic is a mixture but predominantly of Midland type and occasional visitors are seen meandering along this long forgotten bywater with holiday specials to and from the coast somewhere up the down line… should that be somewhere down the down line? or maybe… somewhere along the down line?

    On Quernaby New I was eventually able to re-use all but one of my handmade points… an 18” long curved one… in the altered configuration… double tracking caused me quite a few headaches and sleepless nights… t’was akin to doing a jig-saw containing several blank pieces and no picture. There are still one or two bits that ‘don’t quite fit properly’ ‘not quite 100% accurate’ but think you’d need to be shown where they were – some of the more informed or observant may spot them so, if you see them, keep it to yourself please as I already know what and where they are.

    During the relaying it did become necessary to install two Peco Streamline medium radius points… which don’t provide much appeal at the side of handmade points, in fact quite lumpy and crude, so I kept them towards one end out of the way… in order I could complete the main station track plan. All fiddle yard points are my original Peco streamline fittings from Q MkI and are as originally laid, all connecting track is code 75 throughout the layout being a mix of hand built, C+L finescale and Peco streamline.

    I’ll post a few photos of how the site looks today in Part III or maybe Part IV... I'll see how III goes before deciding... I say site as at the moment it somewhat resembles acreage where a bomb might have dropped rather than a pristine model railway layout… but I’ll get there…and…

    Just to whet your appetite, here are two showing track diagrams of a) the station or main board and b) the fiddle yard board and finally shot c) a part of the layout taken a few months ago.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Note to self;- Must get some new finials for that box - those diodes just don't look right...

    ...and one more;-

    [​IMG]

    More to follow, so look out for PartIII;-

    …..to be continued/-
     
  4. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    Great stuff, bring it on.

    Cheers

    Toto
     
  5. 16A

    16A Guest

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    Please help yourself Matt... I've decided not to do anymore updates to this thread until we've got this sorted as the last part is quite image intensive...

    Thanks. :thumbs:
     
  6. 16A

    16A Guest

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    Hi matt...

    Did exactly as you said... deleted files from this gallery... checked my posts and deleted them from there... re-checked my posts they'd gone... went YMRC gallery and 'saved as' all the pics as full images as 'Image 001 to 008'... came back here and uploaded all 8... opened post to put them in and some were still there...

    Two of the ones that remained in my posts were the two you'd uploaded for your test post... I've labelled those two new ones as Image 004 for the fiddle yard and 005 for the station.
    The other one was the first image on my first detailed description - the one showing the baseboard plan... I tried deleting this and re-inserting Image 008 again and it appeared but only as a thumbnail????... I closed the reply down and re-opened and the large one was still there so left it and carried on inserting the others...

    Hope all this makes sense...
     
  7. Guest

    Guest Guest

    Cleaned up mike , lets see what happens, I'll drop out post 5 6 and 7 if all goes well. .. Just maybe post a couple of photos first to see if all is ok if so carry on as normal and ill tidy up these last three threads
    Cheers Matt
     
  8. 16A

    16A Guest

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    ...thanks matt... much better.. I'll do Part III later today.....
     

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