Some thoughts on layout design and scale.

[Mayner]

Probably prompted by Celtic-transpot's recent post about designing a micro-layout based on IE practice set in the 90/00s era. I experienced similar problems during the late 70s trying to fit a OO gauge Irish outline layout into the box bedroom of my parents home and switched to N Gauge out of frustration trying to fit a small station (Dunboyne, Meath Road) and fiddle yard into an 9' space. The absence of suitable N Gauge locos and stock wasn't an issue as any Irish outline model involved an element of modification or scratchbuilding regardless of the scale or gauge, added source of frustration was the recently introduced Lima HO/OO Class 33 & OO Class 50 were not the most reliable of runners.

After a false start with a continuous run layout based on Kilmessan Junt. on a folding 8X2 baseboard, although the layout operated reliably my carpentry wasn't quite up to it to support the hinged joint and the 180° curve on the scenic section at the Dublin end of the station did not work visually for me, difficult to justify a tunnel in the valley of the Skane between Kilmessan and Dunsaney. I got round modelling the Athboy branch by running the lead to the branch up to the baseboard edge.  In OO a similar layout would take up a length of approx 16' with a width of 5-6' to allow for an oval track layout with storage loops on the opposite side with a min-main line radius of 2'

Next layout was end to end featuring a terminus station based on Foynes, a scenic section which featured a 5 arch viaduct, a halt/small station based on Ardfert and fiddle yard all on 1' wide shelf baseboards on 3 sides of an 11X11 room. 

The terminus was on a 5'X1' baseboard (approx 10'x2' OO) a 2'6" x1" curved section linked the terminus to the 5' viaduct section, the halt/small station was on a 4' board, the fiddle yard at 90° to the halt/small station. The Viaduct section (across the bedroom window) was a lift out section supported by the baseboards at either end.

Operationally the terminus and fiddle years were capable of handling a 5 coach passenger train and 15 wagon goods trains, with operation based on contemporary CIE practice 2 main line passenger to and from Dublin daily, a night mail, loose coupled goods or Liner train of bogie wagons, Block Oil train or cattle train. Stock was initially British outline rtr, CIE diesel locos later entered service with plasticard or kitbashed rtr bodies on Rivorossi and Arnold chassis, British outline stock re-painted in CIE livery with some modified/kitbashed stock e.g pairs of MK1 BK end coaches modified into BR Vans and CIE Full Brakes, Bagged Cement scratch built plasticard body on std Farish 4w wagon chassis, generally meeting the 2' rule, buildings scratchbuilt in embossed and plain plasticard based on Foynes (incl roof) Ardfert and low relief office/public buildings from Sligo

I found operating the layout satisfying running regular Sunday morning operating sessions for the 2-3 years the layout existed, while I quickly seem to loose interest operating smaller layouts with less operating interest.

The N gauge layout was abandoned following a house move and I started work on a 4mm 21mm gauge layout based on Ballymoe on the Mayo line in a 17'6" X8' attic 2-3 years later, layout did not progress beyond the basic tracklaying stage and some station buildings due to a move to the UK.

I refurbished the attic and started work on an American outline continuous run layout following my return from the UK 10 years later, initially set up oval test track around perimiter of attic to establish maximum feasible train length using Kadee couplers while I built a couple of 3'6 X1' modules based on the N Trak principal in a spare bedroom (7' max length available above workbench!)

While it was feasible to operate a 50 (American freight car) train on the test track, I decided on a maximum 15 car train length (30-4w British/Irish outline) on the planned N scale layout (2-Co Co 3-5-Bo Bo locos) both to keep/yards/trains at a reasonable length to fit in the attic and avoid having to double/trebble my car fleet in order to operate the planned train sequence.

The layout was eventually constructed with a fixed baseboard around the perimiter of the attic to accommodate the staging/ hidden trackage with modular scenic sections featuring an industrial area and yard on one side of the attic and a section with a tall steel trestle and a small town with crossing place and industrial siding on the opposite side. The layout was in a looped 8 format with trains having to complete 2 loops of the room to return to their starting place!

Although we had a number of operating sessions with visiting operators, it was only really feasible to run long distance "Symbol Freights" from staging to main yard or staging during our operation sessions, and the crossing place and industries seldom operated. 

I dismantled the N scale layout following our move to New Zealand in 2004 and although we began expanding the Nscale (re-using the Irish built modules) into our 24'X10' garage in Auckland with the intention of creating an American style 'walk round" layout with central peninsula, we once again moved home in 2007 and shifted to Large Scale modelling in the garden, although American outline the operating concept is similar to the Irish outline layout I built over 40 years ago. Staging/fiddle yard (complete with turntable & pilot loco) in the garage, an intermediate crossing siding (American for loop!) and spur (siding) and terminal with sidings, spur tracks and loco depot.

Although freight trains can load to 10-12 cars, 7-8 cars (14-16 Irish 4w) seems to be the happy place in terms of loco haulage capability and works visually (looks like a reasonably long train.)

[Patrick Davey]

An enjoyable read John!