fiddle yard design

[daryll]

Hi All.
I got my self a bit stuck on a design for a fiddle yard , track plan below.
I know is`s not very good , but I am still learning any rail the fiddle yard is to be on the RHS , where the two tracks leave , I think I have 5ft spare , it would need to take a 4 car EMU , of a small tank engine and 3 coaches , I could extend the top platform by adjusting the flexi track , and also the bottom platform , by taking out the small straight ( marked on drawing in red) and realigning the track.

[bulleidboy]

Hi daryll
Will you have a scenic break where the two tracks on the right leave the plan? If so, you could have a tunnel portal, with a couple of points on the other side of the break, this would give you a four track fiddle yard. You say you have about five feet, how much width do you have? This would enable you to store more than one train out of site. You could experiment with points/crossovers, so that a train leaving the scenic part of the layout on one track re-entered the layout on the other track. Your plan says Peco Code 75 - is that the track you are using? You might find a Peco 3-way point would fit. Just my thoughts. BB

[Tricky Dicky]

Having a fan of sidings with points on the fiddle yard board means as you increase the number of sidings the shorter they will get. To get maximum length of sidings in your 5’ foot length a sliding sector plate might be best. To avoid moving a sector plate excessively from side to side ideally your two tracks leaving the scenic boards should be as central as possible.

Richard

[daryll]

Yes , there will be a scenic break by the way of a tunnel to take the twin lines , I was toying with a "scissors crossing" , but they are very expensive , even played with peco small radius points and a butchered crossover , both methods encroach on the available space , I could , at a push make the fiddle yard 6ft , if that helps.

Daryll

[bulleidboy]

How deep (front to back) are your boards - assuming you plan shows 12" squares it looks as though the board is about 18" deep - this would allow a multi-track fiddle yard. Are you using Peco Code 75 track?

[daryll]

Yes , its about 18" and I will be using Peco code 75 , as yet I have only printed out (full size) from anyrail , I could increase the base board width to 24" if necessary , I have still to master anyrail hence the hornby platforms , the finished layout will have ply / MDF platforms

[bulleidboy]

Will it be a permanent layout? I only ask this, as within reason, you want as much room as room will allow - 24" is better than 18" - you don't want to be wishing in a few months time that you had built your board 24" wide. I was lucky in that "management" said I could have the spare bedroom to build whatever I liked.

[cheshire lines]

For maximum operational flexibility. ideally you want to be able to access all the fiddle yard sidings from either the Up or Down lines from the station.
Have you got your rolling stock yet (or alternatively know the overall length of the trains you want to run). If so you should be able to work out fiddle yard layouts that may work for you. I haven't tried Anyrail, preferring the 'analogue' method of a roll of wallpaper and printed point templates.
As Tricky Dicky said, maybe a sliding sector plate may be the answer, if your joinery skills etc. are up to it (I doubt if mine would be!).

Just a few comments / questions on your station layout:
- The outbound line is accessible from all four of your platform lines, but the top platform line isn't accessible directly from the inbound line. Could you squeeze in another point from the inbound track to allow direct access to the top platform. If not, you will have to shunt your train from one of the other platforms, which may be OK if you treat the top platform as mainly for rolling stock storage during off-peak periods.

- If you're planning to use a tank engine and coaches for some of your trains, unless your planning for it to be a push-pull fitted train, it would be useful to have a loco-release point between the middle two platform lines to allow the loco to run round the coaches

- What is the plan for the platform on the kick-back siding (bottom right of plan)? I don't think it would be prototypical as a passenger platform, but could work as a parcels depot or similar. It would involve some shunting to get the loco at the correct end upon departure, for which the loco -release point suggested above would be useful. Alternatively the kick-back siding could just be used as additional off-peak storage for one of your EMUs or as a loco-servicing point (or even small loco-shed) for your tank engine.