Eltham Model Railway Club
Ideas and Help - Planning a new club layout
EMRC is still working with the Nillumbik Council, and this set of rooms looks promising. So member got to see the site, we took measurements, and I have whipped up a initial plan, after doodling on paper at work a few lunchtimes before going on holidays. The plan was drawn on paper, photographed by a digital camera then "drawn" on to produce the rough plans you see here. EMRC mmeber may see the scale plans when I return to Melbourne. The basic plan is a double level layout made as a continous run. There is a double ended staging yard. There are small branchs off the mainline, which is a single track. I'd say the lower level will be seperated by 600mm. Each level is not flat, and we ar enot expending too much effort to make tight grades, exscpet for the line fom "A" to ""B", and both helixs. It is an ambitious plan. Plenty of grain silos, a mine,oil, factories etc. will keep the shunters busy. Two minor branchs, a bigger single ended town, and a multi station branch will allow different things for different people. This layout could keep more than 9 people busy, which would be good as the old club layout couls only keep6 people busy. Access was one real problem. The rear door needs to be useable. And I tried to avoid low level duckunders - there is a climb under for the lower level, and two true duckunders for the top level. I have made use of the "shower room and the outer shed for helixs. The smaller helix will be touch and at 29 inchs, but we had a tighter curve out of Broughton. I haaven't decided if the other helix needs to be double tracked ir have a hidden passing loop, because helixs do take time to travel through, and operationally hold up traffic. But all the hexlis have passing loops/stations at their entrances to minimise this. No names yet, but every station/interlocking area has a letter. Shall we have a closer look? Let's do a trip around the system 
"A" is one end of the staging yard (the other being "V"). The staging yard has but 7 roads,
one express, and six storage yards. There is a short 2 road siding off the main for railmotors.
The passing loop "E" is semi scenicd above the staging.
The mainline describes a circle to go over itself, but not before encountering a triangle junction "B" that leads to station "C". I gaher many trains will bypass this town but it will allow us to have a busy terminal station. "B" also sees a branch to a mine "D". After leaving "B", we cross over the stagin yards into "E". A basic passing siding it is partially sceniced behind. It has to duck over the staging below because of the brickwork. Here we head straight through a gap in the brickwork into a 3ft radius helix "F" in the shed. This helix will now takes us up to the upper level, and straight into Station "G".This station sits over "C" below. Presentation is more mushroom like in that the operators of the lower level work on one side, and the operators work the upper level on the other. The staion is on the nos under to allow people easier passage to the room. The railway does a 180% turn then on another nod under the railway it forms a passing loop "H". Barley scenicd, this part is on a shelf. Note how it goes out into the hallway to pass around the "T" brick support. the train then passes over itself at where it comes out of the helix, and enters the small stsion of "i". This station is a slightly bigger WIndana to me. The line then rounds the room again to pass by the passing loop "H" and leave that room. We now head along the hall and throught passing loop "J". This is against the rear wall and has to accomodate a opening section, either flaps up, sideways etc to allow the door to be opened. The track follows the wall and enters the second main room via the old "window". The line then heads lower then the loco depot above to station "K", a junction station, smallish excpet for the big industry at it's back. That place may have a dedicated shunting loco there, which the mainline had to exchange locos. The branch leaves "K" and ducks under the mainline to the small grian terminus of "L" this is a small station onj this shelf. Meanwhile the mainline rounds the room and heads into station "M" down the center of the room. Like station "G"& "C" in the other room, this station "M" sits above another ("P"), again mushroom style operated. This is the second biggest town,("P" is the other below). This station has the major loco depot and a island platform. The old loco shed from Henty could be useful here. Lot of sidings, no silo at this town. The line leaves "M" and heads right into the next spiral "N". Back to the lower level the line First heads into the hall ina curved section before entering the second main room. As it enters the room it passes over a branchline we will meet soon. "O" is little more than a silo and a passing loop. Next is a trip over the old pineridge bridge,We then head up the center into the station of "P". "P" is a busy staion with two platforms, showing it's British heritage plainly. A smaller loco depot, This station has a longer branchline that leaves just out of town at "Q". The branch enters a tunnel, then opens to a small passing loop at "R". It then plunges over several trestles into the small town of "S" - mainly the Silo is the sole reason for this station. The line then heads up to "T", a small end station. I think this branch would be code 55, and either run as a "tourist railway with mainline operators working to "S" - depend on era ! Back to the mainline. The Track leaves the Junction "Q" heads under the helix "N" and into the hallway. We do not follow the walls, here going at a angle to the door, again a flap is needed. We then enter passing loop "U" that leads right through the wall into the first room and right into the staging yard at "V". that complets the trip around the railway. It has a long mainline, caters for 10ft trains, and many more smaller ones. There are plenty of staitions as well as simple passing loops. some statin may have dedicated shunters, and some areas like the stations "O,K,P" may be operate dall the time from that opersating area. Still hard to follow a train, but many operators can walk into all room to follow a train. With only the nod unders in the first room, operator flow will be interesting. Note in both plans, not all walls, especially external wall shown at proper thickness, as they have no bearing on the plans. |
|
|
|
|
Page written & maintained by David Head.david@nmit.vic.edu.au