New Line and Station Building Mock Up
I went about laying the "New Line" at the rear of the layout today, I don't have the "Streamline" large radius points I really want to use at the moment, so progress has halted at the point work - I have put the medium radius points in the pic for reference.
The track was laid the way I've found works well for me - positioned by eye, checked with a 6' way gauge, marked out with pencil and then fixed down semi permanently using double sided tape. Checked again by eye and 6' gauge, pressed down firmly and then track-pinned into place at about every 6" (as this is Flexi track, holes were made in sleepers using an Archimedes drill.) Each track has an isolated section at the station end of about 12" - these will be wired to on/off switches to enable loco's to remain halted "on layout" the remainder of the line and point work is permanently live.
I've been doodling and sketching plans for a potential solution to the problem that adding the extra line threw up - IE, it runs thru the spot where the station was meant to go!
With a lot of help from RMweb over here:
I've come up with what I think is quite a neat little plan:
Here is a mock up using card and some model kit pieces:
I like this plan because of its simplicity - it's essentially just a block that occupies a very small area in the far corner of the layout. It has a minimal impact on the operation of the layout too, I've only had to move the original platform and tracks along by about 4" and in doing so have solved a second issue that was bothering me - how to get passengers from platforms 1-2 to 3-4 without extensive remodeling.
I've had a Southern Region Footbridge in storage from another layout for some time and was keen to use it, but before this plan came to mind the gap between platforms was three lines - the model in question spans only two. Now the bridge fits nicely over the narrowed divide.
Here are a couple of shots of the layout from the approaching end:
As you can see there is space enough left to lengthen the platform if I choose to (the stock I currently run are all four coaches in length - give or take.)
The nearside line of is only fixed in place up to the point where it curves inwards, this is to keep it flexible until I get the large radius points that I would prefer.
I hope this post has been of interest, next job will be adding the final sections of track and wiring it up, plus affixing more third rail!
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