Lower Thames Yard

[Tallpaul70]

Hi All,
Even though there is no layout yet to show you, I have plenty of things on the go so I am taking the plunge and starting a thread for my up coming layout Lower Thames Yard.

Lower Thames Yard will be an 00 gauge code 100 tracked round and round double track DCC Layout using Kaydee couplings, in a dedicated, existing, 12ft x 8ft room, which is insulated, lit and heated.
The layout is based on the relief lines and High Wycombe Branch junction just to the west of Maidenhead Station on the WR main line. A reduced version of Maidenhead Yard will be included but is space limited.

It will operate in three time frames 1960/2 (when I was train spotting), 1990/2 (when I travelled on NSE a lot), and 2014/16 (because I like the new GwR livery and the class 800s. Also this is the latest time before the dreaded overheads spoilt the scene!)

My main interest is in operation and scenic development. I am not a base board builder (my wife will testify to my lack of woodworking skills even with flatpacks!!). Neither have my past efforts at track layer, or stock painting been successful, so those activities will be undertaken by others.

So what will the layout be like?
Sitting at my operating position, with the track at eye level, I can see down trains appear from my left from behind station buildings, sweep round a flat curve towards me, then either continue along the relief line to disappear behind a row of houses on an elevated ridge, or divert into the down relief loop, or turn right past me onto the High Wycombe branch, pass in front of the above mentioned houses then disappear through a road over bridge.

The track plan is almost complete and construction will start next month.
Once the constructing company's track plan is finally agreed by me, the design will be mine and I can share it on the thread.

Next time I aim to update you on where I am on Loco chipping, signalling and some pics of stock constructed.

Enjoy your modelling!

Cheers
Paul

[Rog (RJ)]

Looking forwards to seeing it.

[Tallpaul70]

So here is some more background:-
When you deign a multi era layout like this it is difficult to make the buildings and infrastructure realistic in each era. A few removable buildings help but too many can be a bind when it comes to changeover time!
When the model is based on a real location it gets even harder. So this is why the layout is not called Maidenhead.
This way i can ignore or replace things that don't fit or that I don't like!

So let me give you a picture of my approach to the buildings. I should also say that this will be a railway that never leaves home, and is unlikely to get many visitors apart from non railway aware friends and family!

Firstly with regard to the railway buildings:-
Not modelling the platforms makes life easier, there is no platform furniture to change at changeovers!
Fortunately many of the railway buildings remained substantially the same from 1960 until 2016. I intend to ignore the fact that the Branch Platform Overall roof was removed in 2014 as it forms part of my scenic block for the tracks heading towards the fiddle yard! The signal box at the western end of the up relief/branch platforms was in position from 1963 to the mid 70s so will be a removable building as I am moving the resignalling which bought it in to replace the middle signal box from 1963 to 1962.
The Goods Shed I am moving from a through line in the yard where I have no room for it, to a siding off of the branch where it will form part of the scenic break in front of the overall roof! I am stretching its life from a removal late 90s/early00s to still being in place in 2016. The station itself, is only portrayed by the buildings beside the approach road and they still exist. Decorating them will be a problem, and I may choose fictitious neutral colours!

Moving to the non railway buildings:-
First, I must explain that the central operating well is edged all round (even in front of the fiddle yard), by roadways. Grenfell road (real road!) runs from the foot of the station approach road round to the bridge where it crosses the Wycombe branch. From a junction at the bridge it is joined by High Town Road (real road!) which runs in front of the left side of the fiddle yard to join King Street, another real road, that then runs round to the right to join Grenfell Road at the foot of the station approach.
My compromises:-
In reality King Street has been pedestrian since the 80s(?), which I am ignoring.
While most of the buildings in Grenfell Road and High Town Road present in the 60s still exist, this is less so in King Street and particularly around the station approach. I will start with 1960s buildings and decide on modernization later.
The modern wide dual carriageway bridge for King Street under the railway does not in my world exist! In the 60s it was narrower, but portraying any version of it seems too difficult! So I have invoked Rule 1 and ignored it!
My station approach is flat instead of sloping away from the station buildings, but I keep the visible part of the railway on an embankment by sloping Grenfell Road down away from the King Street/Station Approach junction, to run on the flat in front of the Branch Junction area and then climbing again, but more steeply than in reality to the Wycombe Branch bridge.

Further development.
I may at a later stage build hinged covers for the fiddle yard and its approach, so that more of the town can be portrayed!

I hope you can see how I am dealing with the time span through which I aim to model?
I have deliberately left signals out of the above, they will get there own posting in a while.

Any thoughts, information or suggestions are welcome?

Best regards
Paul

[RSR Engineer]

This sounds very interesting, Paul. Looking forward to seeing it. Your railway room is about the size I had for my old layout. I share your dilemma about the period portrayed. The bulk of my stock is European, 1st epoch, but I have a few models from other times and countries (e.g. Big Four), so I will also have to make a decision as to how the "environment" will look. Above all, I must be careful not to let it look too German.

Cheers,
Artur

[Mr Bones]

This sounds intriguing, I look forward to seeing the progress.

[Mountain Goat]

An interesting project. Sounds like fun.

[Tallpaul70]

Hi to you all.
Its time to take a look at the trains for the 1992 version of the layout.

1992 marks the changeover between the first generation DMUs and the second generation.

So around this time a number of sets were made up at short notice to substitute for those that had broken down and were not worth repairing. Others were needed to fill the gaps left (just as now!) by the late delivery of new 2nd generation DMUs
Thus I will have a number of oddities including a 3 car set consisting of two 121s with a TC from a 117 in-between. Another set will be class 117 DMBs and DMS with a class 101 TC in between.
These will be contrasted with a Class 166 in as delivered condition representing the new order.

Oxford trains will be represented by Mk1 and Mk2 sets behind Class 50s and Class 47s. There will be more 50s than there really were in 1992 simply because I like them more than Class 47s!
Long Distance workings will of course be in the hands of HSTs although there will be a non prototypical presence of Blue/Grey sets.
Specials will include the Royal Train, steam hauled excursions and a Post Office train.

What about parcels and freight?
Parcels will be class 31 and 37 hauled, with a mixture of blue ,blue/grey and RES, bogie vans.
Although they had in reality gone by 1992, a 128 will appear on local parcels.
Local freight will only be represented by the short 37 hauled HEA coal trains from Didcot to the London area.

Main line freight will be classes 47, 56, 59, and 60 hauled, their trains represented by a sets of Speedlink mixed wagons, sets such as Mendip stone and Bogie Oil tanks, and engineers trains which will mainly be traditional wagons such as Grampus.
Specials will include Nuclear Flask trains and Weedkiller specials.

I hope the above demonstrates that 1992 on the WR main line has a lot more to offer than Toothpaste colour NSE locals and Intercity HST sets?

Happy modelling
Paul

[Hound Dog]

Very intriguing Paul......looking forward to seeing the first images especially as this encapsulates both Green and Blue diesel eras that I am looking to cover on ”Montgreenan”

[Tallpaul70]

Hi Richard,
I hope to have something to show sometime in April.

Meanwhile, I will get to post pics of some rolling stock soon.

While I will have some blue and blue/grey rolling stock in the 1992 version, there will not be many blue locos which is why I have been selling them!
Have you started a thread for your layout yet?

Cheers
Paul

[Tallpaul70]

Hi all,

In this posting I am taking a look at the most modern version of the layout, which will portray the 2015/16 period.

This is the least developed version of the layout for the simple reason that it is the most recent one to be developed. Up to last year the "modern" version of the layout was destined to be portraying 2007/8. However this was a decision taken around 2009, when the chosen period was "modern".

Since then, things have moved on and the advent of the current GwR "green" livery together with the advent of the class 800s which I really like the sleek lines of!

The only disadvantage of portraying a really modern version of the line was that it coincided with the arrival of the dreaded overheads. While I was prepared to make some changes between the running sessions of the different eras such as changing buildings, motor vehicles, railway rolling stock and a few infrastructure items; installing and removing the overhead gantries , wires etc. was something I could not contemplate.

So I chose a time when a few early 800s were around running on diesel. This time had the benefit that it was during the changeover from the First "Neon" livery to the GwR "green", so that my neon liveried items bought for 2007 could be kept.

For both this era and my 1992 version of the layout I will run a couple of steam or Heritage diesel hauled Mk1/Mk2 carriage trains, one in each direction.

Initially, with the low number of GwR green available, I will put up with running some trains that are not used in the Thames Valley such as the class 158s. Later, I may trade such items in depending on what the trade decides to offer. More specialized trains will include Pullmans in both modern and traditional liveries.

On the freight side the Class 66, of which I have a number, reign supreme, although some will have to have a livery change! Classes 59,60, 68, and 70 make appearances although I have yet to get any 68s or 70s. I have quite a few of the modern boxes and hoppers, although once I do a timetable I will probably need more.

Other older types will appear on infrastructure train, and measurement trains will make an appearance.

I mentioned earlier the need to change some items between the different eras of the layout. One problem of multiple eras is the changes in the infrastructure to provide and support the services that the railway provides. A particular difficulty is the reduction of sidings needed. S, so this discussion will have to wait o I have come up with scenarios for the continued use of the 1960s sidings in the other two eras.

However, there is sufficient "meat" to look at in this area to fill a posting of its own at a later date.

So, as I develop this version of the layout further I will post updates on what is happening.

Enjoy your modelling

Best regards
Paul