Minimally interesting track layouts

[NIR]

Not the loop and one siding places, that's three points!

But Midleton, just a fork, and Cobh, just a trailing crossover.

Any others?

Edited June 9, 2021 by NIR

[Galteemore]

How minimal do you want ? Stourbridge town - a terminus with no turnouts at all....;) 

 

[NIR]

That's just boring though.

I did think of Howth but that has trailing *and* facing crossovers, four points.

Edited June 9, 2021 by NIR

[NIR]

Manulla, two points in a reversed Z, now that's interesting.

[jhb171achill]

Historically, Fintona. the perfect tiny branch terminus - overall roof an'all. Passenger platform only fit for a single vehicle, so a double-ended railcar - if used as a basis for a British prototype, one of those German-built four-wheeled railbuses that BR experimented with in the late 50s / early 60s. One loco and half a dozen wagons for the goods bit.

Even Fintona was "rationalised" before it closed; jhbSenior approved the removal of one of its sidings in its final year or two!

[NIR]

6 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

Historically, Fintona. the perfect tiny branch terminus

Trackplan? I guess they wouldn't have to reverse the horse but otherwise it sounds a bit loop and sidings, at least three points.

[jhb171achill]

I'll fish it out for you, but I'm having trouble posting any pictures on this website last few days.

Basically, a couple of sidings. no loco road, no turntable.

If anyone else has Norman Johnston's excellent little book on the line, maybe you could post the trackplan as I can't.

[Midland Man]

I hope no one has said this but Mill Hill east is a good example of a interesting kind of like  Stourbridge town. Has quite an interesting history 

[Irishswissernie]

Copy of Fintona from Norman Johnston's excellent little book on the Tram.

I have a fair number of views in Ernie's Railway Archive in the GNRI Album but probably easier to search Fintona photos in the album header rather than wade through the 800 plus images.

 

 

Edited May 31, 2021 by Irishswissernie

[NIR]

Six points, that's more than Derry or Sligo!

[Noel]

10 minutes ago, NIR said:

Six points, that's more than Derry or Sligo!

Gort had 6

[NIR]

46 minutes ago, Irishswissernie said:

Copy of Fintona from Norman Johnston's excellent little book on the Tram.

I have a fair number of views in Ernie's Railway Archive in the GNRI Album but probably easier to search Fintona photos in the album header rather than wade through the 800 plus images.

 

 

There is more than a touch of the Continent in that trackplan.

[jhb171achill]

1 hour ago, NIR said:

Six points, that's more than Derry or Sligo!

The siding on the left on the plan, and the one at the bottom, were removed before closure.

One thing puzzles me about the picture; you can't see the tram shed.....it should be visible, and it outlasted the track lifting....

[Galteemore]

It’s there JB - but very well camouflaged against the building behind it!

[Mayner]

The gable end of the Tram Shed appears to be visible in the right background. According to the diagram the station building and platform are behind the trees in the right distance. The "platform" visible in the photo is the goods/cattle loading bank.

Excellent not quite minimal space station shades of Bishops Castle with the station at right angles to the running line

[Irishswissernie]

The large platform is a goods bank on the right. The station platform  was not on the direct run in from the junction but off to the right as seen on the last photo where the tram is on the passenger line and you can see the crossover from the running line behind it.

Sorry for the dirty great ERNIE's Railway Archive COPYRIGHT overlays. Those images date from the time when someone was nicking images and flogging prints. I might get round to re-doing them but that old mans affliction known as Cantbearsedtosis is ever more present these days!

Edited June 1, 2021 by Irishswissernie

[David Holman]

Speaking of Bishops Castle, Lydham Heath was the junction in the middle of the line, where it reversed - very Irish, of course. Track layout was just the loop, plus a siding at the end of the run round and the junction point just beyond the platform. Hence a bit of operating interest, as all trains reversed. Barry Norman did a fabulous rendition of it in S scale. To do it justice, battery power would be needed as the weeds were famously knee high at times.

 However, nobody has mentioned Valencia Harbour yet. Just the loop, with a single siding. Am sure Andy will eventually.

[airfixfan]

Foyle Road station was minimalist to say the least!

Edited June 2, 2021 by airfixfan

[Irishswissernie]

Holywell Town ex LNWR always struck me as an ideal minimal space prototype. Only 4 points but a large 2 arch road bridge went across the station which would act as an ideal scenic break . The goods yard was the other side of the bridge alongside the running line which descended at 1 in 27 to the main line. Because the yard points faced the dead end rather than more conventionally (no doubt because of the topography) it meant that all the shunting of the yard took place at the 'dead end' and restricted to 1 or 2 wagons at a time.

Photos on this site

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/h/holywell_town/index.shtml

Edited June 1, 2021 by Irishswissernie

[StevieB]

1 hour ago, David Holman said:

Speaking of Bishops Castle, Lydham Heath was the junction in the middle of the line, where it reversed - very Irish, of course. Track layout was just the loop, plus a siding at the end of the run round and the junction point just beyond the platform. Hence a bit of operating interest, as all trains reversed. Barry Norman did a fabulous rendition of it in S scale. To do it justice, battery power would be needed as the weeds were famously knee high at times.

 However, nobody has mentioned Valencia Harbour yet. Just the loop, with a single siding. Am sure Andy will eventually.

Andy Cundick already has a beautiful 21mm gauge model of Valencia Harbour.

Stephen

[Galteemore]

1 hour ago, StevieB said:

Andy Cundick already has a beautiful 21mm gauge model of Valencia Harbour.

Stephen

I think Mr Holman was referring to the likelihood of Andy mentioning his layout on here rather than building it! Lovely pic of Fintona in that last shot @Irishswissernie- esp the characters gathered round the bike in the background 

[Westcorkrailway]

When i think of interesting station layouts, i always think of killarney, the IR logo station layout!

[Northroader]

Could you allow just two points, like the preserved West Clare does? Put your track down, and if you want the train pointing the other way, put the engine in the shed, raise your baseboard at one end just enough for your train to roll past, and off you go.

[David Holman]

7 hours ago, Irishswissernie said:

Holywell Town ex LNWR always struck me as an ideal minimal space prototype. Only 4 points but a large 2 arch road bridge went across the station which would act as an ideal scenic break . The goods yard was the other side of the bridge alongside the running line which descended at 1 in 27 to the main line. Because the yard points faced the dead end rather than more conventionally (no doubt because of the topography) it meant that all the shunting of the yard took place at the 'dead end' and restricted to 1 or 2 wagons at a time.

Photos on this site

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/h/holywell_town/index.shtml

For me this is a good design, because the loco will always be on scene while shunting. There are examples like this, but the other way round, where the loco is almost always out of sight!

[Moxy]

10 hours ago, Irishswissernie said:

Holywell Town ex LNWR always struck me as an ideal minimal space prototype. Only 4 points but a large 2 arch road bridge went across the station which would act as an ideal scenic break . The goods yard was the other side of the bridge alongside the running line which descended at 1 in 27 to the main line. Because the yard points faced the dead end rather than more conventionally (no doubt because of the topography) it meant that all the shunting of the yard took place at the 'dead end' and restricted to 1 or 2 wagons at a time.

Photos on this site

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/h/holywell_town/index.shtml

Theres a link here to a thread on RMWeb https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/119708-holywell-town-oo-scale-blt/

where someone has built a model of it in 00.  There are also some prototype photos on there and details of how the branch was worked.

[NIR]

5 hours ago, Northroader said:

Could you allow just two points, like the preserved West Clare does? Put your track down, and if you want the train pointing the other way, put the engine in the shed, raise your baseboard at one end just enough for your train to roll past, and off you go.

That's more or less what happened at Wingham Canterbury Road on the East Kent Light Railway

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/w/wingham_canterbury_road/1946map.gif

[NIR]

Cobh, a trailing crossover, two points

Manulla, a reversed Z, two points

Midleton, just a fork, one point

and the winner...

Grand Canal Dock, one terminating line but yet..., zero points

The small print - Ireland only, excludes simple through lines and loops

Edited June 30, 2021 by NIR

[Northroader]

Maam Cross, one point?

[timatheronwood]

Mountain Stage - two points to form a loop and no sidings....

[jhb171achill]

There were several stations in rural areas where crossing was done with a siding only - even with passenger trains, as in Inver, Co Donegal, where up trains served the platform then reversed back into a siding to allow a down train to arrive. Once it had proceeded west, the up train moved forward out of the siding and headed towards Donegal.

Edited June 9, 2021 by jhb171achill

[Galteemore]

What was the signalling for that JB? That’s my plan for ‘Drumkeeran Road’ but I’d like to do it prototypically….

[jhb171achill]

1 minute ago, Galteemore said:

What was the signalling for that JB? That’s my plan for ‘Drumkeeran Road’ but I’d like to do it prototypically….

I’ll look it up……

[Mayner]

There is an article on the 1914 Donemana Derailment in the June 21 IRRS Journal.

Class 5 2-6-4T Letterkenny de-railed and rolled over on the points as it entered the station with a passenger train from Foyle Road at speed. While speed appears to have been a factor the large outside frame 2-6-4Ts may have been less steady that the smaller inside frame 4-6-0Ts that were the mainstay of Donegal motive power up to the introduction of larger locos in the early 1900s.

In the authors words "The passing loops at Donemana was subsequently removed and later those at Raphoe and Inver on the Strabane and Killybegs lines respectively, likely to be influenced by the events at Donemana"

Being an 'economical' railway its likely that the CDRJC relied on hand signals for backing moves when crossing trains at stations without passing loops such as Inver, there are descriptions of passengers staying on the train in railcar days during shunting moves in places like Donegal and no doubt the smaller stations.

An option for a layout for watching trains go bye with minimal pointwork is a remote junction between two single lines such as Challoch Junction between the Ayr-Stranraer Line and the Port Road in Scotland single set of points and a signalbox or several Junctions with remotely operated points and semaphore signals on the GSR & CIE system such as Clara & Banagher Junction, Colloney Junction.

For a minimum space Irish Inglenook shunting layout "Webbs Mill" at Quarterstown would fit the bill with a compact footprint and interesting buildings which could be modelled in its original form as a Corn Mill or final years as a Bitumen Depot before closure in 1977. The siding appears to have been usually worked by the Mallow pilot engine, though Roadbinders may have had some form of improvised 'rail tractor" There s a photo of B151 shunting bitumen tanker s at the mill in the Feb 2019 IRRS Journal

[jhb171achill]

4 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

I’ll look it up……

Galteemore, I had a look in my "stuff" but was unable to find signalling information.

However, being the CDR, I doubt that whatever was there was likely to be "standard"!

[airfixfan]

4 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

There were several stations in rural areas where crossing was done with a siding only - even with passenger trains, as in Inver, Co Donegal, where up trains served the platform then reversed back into a siding to allow a down train to arrive. Once it had proceeded west, the up train moved forward out of the siding and headed towards Donegal.

Inver CDR

Donemana accident was 1913 not 1914

 After loop removed at Donemana in 1946 both it and Ballymagorry had each got three points with a siding off the Derry branch serving a goods shed with a run round loop for the goods siding. Manorcunningham LLSR had two points serving a goids siding with a head shunt!