HORNBY ¼-SCALE TRACK PLANNING TEMPLATES
These are perfect for working out all the pitfalls, even if you go on to using flexible track. In the following sequence, I’ll take you through the process of checking out your design, making sure it looks good and works well.
For this plan, I started with a piece of cardboard, though paper will do, at approximately 2ft by 1ft, representing an 8ft by 4ft baseboard at ¼ scale. I positioned the point arrangement, off-centre left and the second radius curve from one side of the board to the other first, adding the non-scenic section to make sure trains can be of sufficient length.
It’s then important to make sure the scenic loops can match the non-scenic sidings, in capacity, for obvious reasons. From here, I made a link from the exchange sidings, to the top left headshunt, with a point for reversing down grade to the previously positioned curve.
I wanted further sidings for waste material or coal stockpiling (top right), while a line would then pass to the front of the layout, on what will be the lower level, with colliery left and locomotive shed right.
At this point, I wanted to get an idea of how things will look on two levels and to make sure gradient A. to B. is manageable (see final plan). The distance is around 5ft, working out at approximately 1:20. That’s going to be fine for some locomotives with a short rake of wagons and a bit of a run-up from the lower level, though it’s worth testing this out on track with your own stock. If results are unsatisfactory, then consider installing the Dccconcepts Powerbase system which helps with adhesion on gradients. Note how I’ve packed up the high-level section on Lego-type bricks to get the right sort of feel.
I usually make a few errors in the process which, more often than not, can easily be rectified. This example stems from the original Military Movements arrangement, after checking if the layout will work operationally. I do this by imagining a train en route along the various sections of track, in this case from non-scenic to exchange sidings. It became very clear that pointwork at the left-hand end of the latter was not arranged for best effect for access from the main line, and you can see the modification in the second of the two images.
Every layout should follow a logical process in the positioning of structures and vegetation. For example, you may want a working set of screens, able to drop coal into empty wagons. If so, this will require a chute on the front edge of the baseboard or one that leads off, on a conveyor, to the non-scenic section. Either way, you’ll need a container for one wagonload of coal to be dropped into a wagon, so there’s no overfilling. On prototypes, screens like these at Littleton Colliery in the 1970s could sort coal into different sizes. Many coal-related businesses were set up near a colliery, and brickworks were typical. I’ve added a loading shed on the main baseboard, and part of the main complex, hinted at off stage, with only upper walls, roof and chimney in sight and the lower section view-blocked with vegetation, masking entry to non-scenic sidings, left.