Model Railway Forum

Great stuff. Seen most of your layouts over the years in static shots and lovely to see it now "joined up" as it were. Nice one, cannot wait for Episode II. R-

brian1951 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 02, 2019 12:36 pm Dates wrong on the camera, just saying, putting coat on now.

I know.
No instructions and no idea how, or even if, I can change it.

It’s the time of year when I seem to start thinking about (more) changes to the layout to be made when the weather improves a bit.
As the drive for the TT has a) become a bit jerky and b) not firmly attached to the motor shaft I do need to investigate and repair where necessary.
While that section of the board is in the workshop I can look at the feasibility of removing the tip of the TT board at the red line in the photo. That potentially allows me to add 4” at the green line and thus extending the lines outside the shed. That has the potential of being able to add a couple of inspection pits at that end of the shed.

7792DD18-0BE6-4C85-9604-B521BF26E105 by Steve Mumford, on Flickr

Did I say that I was going to wait for the better weather before starting this?

The extension piece for the engine shed board has been trial fitted in place and as usual my ambitions start to run riot - it’s still only an idea but the yellow line could be the site of a point and new line to possibly link with the other end of the layout to create a full oval.

Lots of ifs and buts in that last statement.

20190210_105529 by Steve Mumford, on Flickr

I agree with the "if and buts". It would not be a "natural" link - I suppose for loco movements it would be ok, but if a train was going round and round, it would look odd passing under the coaling stage. I sometimes think it would have been better to have built Wykeham as a "roundy", but then you lose out on other things. I do actually have a MRS three foot board kit, that would sit over the radiator between the lift-up section and the terminus, but if I were to link up the branch line I would have to start the curve half way down the layout, unless I used second radius curves.

Very true Barry, but I can always move the coal tower - I’ve done it before.
In my (twisted) mind thre are some similarities to the NYMR at Grosmont - as it emerges from the tunnel towards Pickering, the line passes through the engine shed and quite close to the coaling stage.

I suspect this will be a non-starter though as the space for a point is very limited - I think I would struggle to get one in there and have everything running true.

Don’t think I would ever like an end to end layout. When I’m faffing about on the layout it is nice to have a couple of locos pottering around.

That's the problem with an end-to-end. Even at twenty seven feet, it amazing how quickly, despite moving slowly, a train reaches the end of the line. It's to late now to make changes.

I’m undecided on the way forward. This is more of a ‘what if’ thought that crossed my mind as the layout continues to evolve.
Low Ghyll was always meant to be an end to end as I have Shaddeholme in N for ‘roundy-round’ operation although I don’t think I have run that since last spring! I do occasionally think about getting rid of that one and using the space to rework Low Ghyll.

Have to be careful now, this is verging on ‘chatroom’ status.

Maybe it’s not such a daft idea.
And if it’s not then I’m sure I’ll have one later.

20190210_131252 by Steve Mumford, on Flickr