BR Blue shunty planky TMD yard layout 33 challenge SPITAL JUNCTION now Kings Cross Depot

BrushType4

Western Thunderer
I am under the size limit, but I need to consider the space ill need for the fiddle yards.

I've only got four tracks across the width though. Do you really think that is too tight?
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Ok then, if your running a depot then what's the maximum length of fiddle yard you realistically need?, one, two or three locos, I'd not think any more, other than perhaps twin 20's or 25's there not much over 70' that would enter that yard other than say a 31 or 37 with two or four TTAs for fuel oil.

So from that lets add two boards each end at 1200x450 that gives another 12sq feet and leaves you 3 square feet left over which will easily allow you to expand the width to 24". In fact if you lost that track top right, though it'd be a shame to do so as it adds interest to that corner, you could reduce your left hand fiddle board to about 12" to cover the two tracks at bottom left.

I'm with pugsley on the cramped layout, or more correctly, overly complicated, depots are simple affair and track costs money, one thing you'll rarely find are double slips, I'd suggest you wouldn't get that link from the inner shed road to the head shunt up by the signal box. I don't think there would also be a double cross over to the left, one set would suffice in reality, but I've no idea what you have planned for those two roads?

Or, retain that link line and remove the other one that runs through the double slip but take the DS out (see Tinslet Servicing image below), I'm with you on the shed theme and currently running research myself and gathering info on the likes of Colchester, Tinsley servicing, Rotherwood, Wath, Frodingham, Ripple Lane, Shirebrook etc, all outside the 33 challenge (which I can't enter as I've missed the deadline for registering interest by a country mile).

Sadly depots are not designed for operational interest, just get locos in and out as fast as possible or to store locos over the weekend.

Have a look at the attached, it's very close to your design and I'll personally use the fiddle yard to hold freight trains that can run along that track the 76 is on, as per prototype, note just in front of the 56 coming off shed the points are set wrong, high chance these are sprung to aid loco release. I've a track plan for this but not a signalling one but this depots offers a huge range of locos that can visit, as can Wath.
76 xxx_Tinsley.jpg
Copyright unknown.

Even a small depot like that will cover a large area if scaled correctly so some selective compression would be needed. Colchester is a little smaller and looks like it has a pit outside for servicing the odd steam engine, or it could be a jet wash spray down pit ready for locos to go on shed. Also of note in these two images is the width between tracks inside the shed, far wider than normal twin tracks on a main line.
Colchester depot 61.jpg
Copyright Irwell Press, BRILL.

Anyway just some off the wall ideas thrown into the pot, I think I see where your going and with a few tweaks to match real life you'll have a cracker of a depot layout :thumbs:
 

BrushType4

Western Thunderer
Thanks Mick. Hmm the bottom loop was for storing loco's occasionally and also give a bit of interest to see the loco's crawling through the points with the wheel squeal setting cranked up...
 

Colin M

Western Thunderer
Phil,

Love small depots! Looking forward to watching this project grow.

Doing a scaled drawing would help you visualise your plan. It is very easy to sketch more than can actually fit because we tend to compress the points. You should allow around 18" for each point, a crossover takes about 3'. The centre board is going to be really squeezed lengthways.

Colin
 

Chris Nevard

Western Thunderer
This is a break from the norm with the old s'box in there and not a single portacabin in there - a nice link with the 'old railway'.
 

BrushType4

Western Thunderer
I've been struggling with Templot this morning, when Mike (Ressalder) pinged me a mail with the attached plan. :thumbs:

image.jpg

I think it's doable. Does still look cramped?
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
The double slip kind of sticks out... not really the piece of mimimal S&C work which one would expect in a "modern" depot, go for simplicity (or a single slip if you must show your PW skills).
 

Ressaldar

Western Thunderer
:thumbs: +1 . Great!The run round loop looks like it might be a little tight. If you push the left hand crossing out towards the fidle yard it will lengthen it.I think the ratio of track footprint to scenic space could be just right for an atmospheric small shed layout.

done, but will now look at the double slip 'problem'

Spital Junction Depot.jpg

cheers

Mike
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
How is the depot to be worked?

For steam engines a depot would have had a sequence of servicing actions and the track plan would reflect that sequence, hence there would be an "entry" and an "exit" for the depot - where does the motive power enter / leave the model? Such information could help to refine the arrangement of the run-rounds.

regards, Graham
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Might be interesting to mark any switches which are sprung as that dictates flow through the depot (see the sprung switches in the first photo on post no.#47, the class 56 leaves the depot building by running towards the buffer stop in the foreground and then reverses to run past the outside of the servicing facility).

regards, Graham
 

BrushType4

Western Thunderer
The depot sits between the station to the right and the freight yards to the left.

Fuel would be delivered in from the yard and off loaded at the top right siding. The idea was that a loco could drive in the head shunt, traction laying around could pull the tank back to release the loco. Need to be able to do this without going through the shed. The shed is the middle line on the right. The front line is the fuel point.

The loop on the left is to allow traction to be stored on the front track. Loco's from the yard can get to the fuel point. Would have liked to have got a least two loco's in that space.

Failed traction from the station would be dragged into shed from the right. Loco's can also come from the right to refuel.

Would an extra board to increase the length of the centre board from 1200mm to what do you think? 1800m?
 

BrushType4

Western Thunderer
Plan 3 won't allow the my first fuel movement. Without needing to go through the shed. Could the switch on track three become a diamond crossing and make the point on track two a 3 way?

The period the track was laid would have been circa 68/9. The real shed opened in march 69.

What is the sharpest switch work I could get away with? A5?
 

Colin M

Western Thunderer
Would an extra board to increase the length of the centre board from 1200mm to what do you think? 1800m?

Are you planning this for exhibition outings? If you are, extending one board to 1800 could make it unweildy to handle on your own. (I tend to think 1200 is the absolute max for one man handling).

And inconsistent board lengths makes it more complex to build travel crates/covers/lighting frames etc. [He says... as he looks at his own diagram with two different board sizes! Doh!:eek: ]
 
Top