Broker Street - OO LMS goods micro shunting layout

[moawkwrd]

Hi all,

 

Taking a diversion from my multiple TT:120 layouts (😅) to work on a project that'll hopefully help with my modelling skills so I can then return to those layouts. I've got to the point of getting track and power down for both but I don't want to rush into scenery as I'm not confident I can do them justice.

 

I've been acquiring various bits of LMS era 3 OO rolling stock over the last couple of months, since that's where my heart lies and I figure it's going to be years before we see significant variety in TT scale.

 

So I want to built a small OO shunting layout that I can run this stock on, and I'm keen to have something I can pack away easily so that it can be stored.

 

I'm therefore going to use an Scale Model Scenery baseboard kit - specifically BB018 and BB022 for the fiddleyard. I'm choosing these versions specifically because they will fit in Really Useful Boxes (namely the 22L and 18L versions) which means all of it can be packed away, rolling stock too, under a bed when not in use and doesn't take up as much space as the 77L/larger baseboard kits.

 

Of course, with only 73cm of length and choosing OO, that is going to mean a lot of compromise but the aim of the layout is to develop my skills and I think larger scales work best for that.

 

Although I have acquired a number of LMS coaches, I'm not going to accommodate them so there will be no passenger services to worry about finding space for. I have a variety of 5 and 7 plank wagons so coal is a must, I also have a couple of cattle wagons so I'd like to have a dock for those, and finally I have a couple of 6 wheel milk coaches, as well as a tanker. General goods van traffic can appear too.

 

So in terms of traffic I've got 3 to fit in ideally - coal, milk and cattle.

 

In terms of motive power, I've got a few small tank locos (Jinty, Webb, and L&Y Class 5). Of course others may make an appearance in due course depending on what I can pick up on eBay. I'd quite like a Victory, Hunslett and one of the new Hawthornes too.

 

Track and power will be Hornby set track points with 2 lengths of flex (already have the points) with a Gaugemaster model DS. I find adding a HF track cleaner really helps with smooth running, or at least it has with TT. Point control will be manual (although wire in tube might be possible with detachable knobs).

 

My initial plan is shown below - probably too much track for such a small space, but I think it'll allow enough variety of shunting on and off scene. The fiddleyard can act as a traverser almost so I may add another length of track on there with the ProTrack rail aligners.

 

I've added the lengths for various combos of the traffic previously mentioned whilst thinking through the possible movements on the layout.

 

Fiddleyard shows a loco + 3x cattle wagons

Lower track shows a loco + 2x 5/7 plank wagons

Top siding shows the Class 5 (longest loco)

Middle track shows the 2x 6 wheel milk wagons and 1x tanker.

 

I imagine the lower loco siding as allowing two locos to be accommodated on scene - probably wouldn't happen in reality as would suggest a train arrives with nothing to pick up followed by another.

 

I'll need to find an alternative to buffer stops as there just isn't enough space to fit them in. You may be asking how more than 1 cattle wagon can be accommodated and yes that would require multiple shunting moves to drop off and then release the empty on the lower road. Totally unprototypical and not sure the livestock would enjoy it!

 

Same deal with the milk wagons and coal.

 

I've found some suitable building kits on Ebay for the half relief mill and factory - that's one area that I want to develop my skills as well as weathering etc and completing the scene. I will have to adapt the kits to fit the height of the box - I only have 9.5cm of height to work with so as well as being compressed laterally, it'll be squished vertically too.

 

Will try to keep this updated as I progress. Planning to get the boards built and track down sometime in June.

[TechnicArrow]

Looks like a promising start, you can't go wrong with an inglenook!

 

Since you're still in the planning stage, might I ask if you've tried mocking this up in real yet? Testing things out with bits of track, cardboard cut-out buildings etc allows you to shuffle things about, and often find there's more space than you thought! Similarly, in AnyRail, have a dig through the "user objects" tab; some very useful representations of various manufacturer's buildings, and even wagons and locos. Again, gives you more of a feel of what's going on!

 

For bufferstops, in an industrial setting I suspect that anything goes - spare sleepers chained to the rails, or maybe the buffer board fixed to a (suitably sturdy) wall.

 

Curious you've chosen to use a full board for the fiddleyard, rather than the simple "fiddle stick", but I suspect that will give you much more sturdy support.
 

Looking forward to watching this one develop (and probably a damn bit quicker than mine 😅)