shunting freight HELP DESIGNING A SMALL SHUNTING MODULE

[pauldelany]

Help needed 4X1 Irish shunting layout advice,please has anyone any suggestions on a suitable theme/based on a Irish yard for a small module layout based on mid 70s Irish shunting yard,,,,,,,,,

 

 

Edited December 4, 2017 by Garfield
Altering all-capital text

[jhb171achill]

Westport Quay or Polloxfens Mill Sidings, Ballysodare, Co Sligo.

[Noel]

Would a compressed version of Gort circa 1970 work?  It had a loop and small goods yard.  JB has a great photo of it in his book 'rails through the west'

[Kinvara-Train]

Hi Noel,Paul

My version of Gort-Station (8X2metres)

Best Regards

Walter

Pic.thanks to ECM

[David Holman]

Does the 4x1 include the fiddle yard/headshunt? 

 The smallest prototype yard I can think of is Wantage Town, which scales out at just over 4' in 4mm scale. Not Irish of course but not dissimilar to Irish practice.

 The other thought is Inglenook Sidings, a shunting plank designed some years ago. No loop, just three tracks for wagon shuffling using a card system to create a puzzle.

 Either way, nothing is really that small, so you are better off with a track plan that suits your needs and the make it Irish in theme by deciding what the traffic source(s) will be.

[pauldelany]

HI DAVID thankyou for your reply i dont have room for a fiddle yard,just a loco a few cattle wagons,maybe a cattle dock and perhaps a station platform

[pauldelany]

1 hour ago, Kinvara-Train said:

Hi Noel,Paul

My version of Gort-Station (8X2metres)

Best Regards

Walter

Pic.thanks to ECM

 

hello thankyou for your suggestion thats a nice piece of work

[Noel]

Photo Gort Railway Station (C) Barry Carse

Fab 1970s photo of Gort with loose couples 2 axle goods traffic active in sidings with B181

[jhb171achill]

What sort of space have you available?

I, too, am currently planning a small shunting type layout to amuse myself with. Prototypes I had considered were short harbour lines like Sligo Quay, or small termini like Courtmacsherry, Fintona or Westport Quay.

I have a rough idea of the once-proposed terminus at Belmullet, which would have been long and narrow had it been built. One can retain the narrowness, but shorten it considerably if space dictates. 

Castleisland, again shortened, would also make an interesting small terminus. I had also considered the highly unusual Terenure terminus of the Dublin & Blessington, which was extremely cramped. Such a terminus, dare I say, has "Holman" written all over it!!!!

In narrow gauge, a small terminus with shunting in mind would be well represented by Castlegregory.

[roxyguy]

This video has me thinking about building something similar for exhibitions.

 

 

[Irishrailwayman]

On 04/12/2017 at 6:50 PM, pauldelany said:

Help needed 4X1 Irish shunting layout advice,please has anyone any suggestions on a suitable theme/based on a Irish yard for a small module layout based on mid 70s Irish shunting yard,,,,,,,,,

 

 

What about an Irish variation on Shunters Yard (4 feet X 9 inches)...?

[jhb171achill]

The three way point is a great space saver and invaluable for small-space layouts. Double slips likewise in some cases.

[David Holman]

Probably the best designer of small layouts is Iain Rice & have attached a photo of his drawing of Wantage Town, where you can see that the station is only 4' long AND, this is very much to scale!

 However, in his book 'Urban Layouts', he has created some real gems, including a straightforward shunting yard, but also a super little two level layout in just over 6' and finally three separate 4'6 modules, designed to be linked together vertically using cassettes. If you can get the book, it is well worth reading.