Claymill Colliery

[GoodsYard]

hey guys sorry for taking so long with this update, I've just moved into my own house for university which means that for the first time in a while I actually have a lot of space and I want to do something with it so I'm thinking that as I didn't really get to the stage of sticking down in the box files that I may try to convert the layout to fit on on a Wilko's wallpaper pasting table.This will enable me to have a lot more creative freedom due to the space that is available. I have made two plans so far both are about the same but are slightly different. these are both meant for one side of the board as I aim to build the layout on one-half of the board and then if I then want to I can fold the table out and create the second half to the layout but I'm not sure with which plan would be best either way.

This first plan is pretty basic but I feel it will work well in the chosen environment and will look perfect for a colliery setting the level crossing at the end of the 3 primary lines is there to show a single track cassette that I would add to the layout to enable me to move the loco and some wagons between the 3 lines that make up the colliery screen sidings although I think this idea suits the theme of a small shunting layout I don't know if it would be effective enough of a mechanism and I'm not very informed or knowledgeable about how to make a cassette and to wire it up which means it may be harder to make than the second option which is shown below.



Instead of the cassette, this layout features more points that lead the 3 tracks into a single track tunnel portal which then leads to a fiddle yard. This is the easier option for me but I thought I'd put both plans up to let you know what is going on with clay mill colliery and I believe I will have to move this thread to a different category as the layout has now outgrown the box files. Thank you for reading and I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the matter.

[Newportnobby]

Firstly I'd say my experience of pasting tables is they sag horribly, but maybe things have improved since I last used one (about 20 years ago!).
If you go with the second design I'd recommend you get rid of the 'S' curves created by your points as they don't help good running and also shorten sidings. You can get the same effect thus..............



For sheer speed I've used Peco set track but don't recommend the set track points as small shunters are likely to stall on them (they also don't look good IMHO). I'd aim for code 55 small electrofrog points or go for Kato trackage.

Hope this helps

[GoodsYard]

Firstly I'd say my experience of pasting tables is they sag horribly, but maybe things have improved since I last used one (about 20 years ago!).
If you go with the second design I'd recommend you get rid of the 'S' curves created by your points as they don't help good running and also shorten sidings. You can get the same effect thus..............



For sheer speed I've used Peco set track but don't recommend the set track points as small shunters are likely to stall on them (they also don't look good IMHO). I'd aim for code 55 small electrofrog points or go for Kato trackage.

Hope this helps

Thanks for that, the wallpaper pasting table itself was bought as a basis as I've had one before and it sagged some I took the wood out and replaced both sides with much thicker wood and supports to stop it from sagging on either side in the middle of the board. Your track plan though is one that will be much more suited for the layout. I hope you don't mind if I use it as my basis going forward. Just got to paint up some new additions to the colliery and start with my scratch building of the pithead itself.

[Newportnobby]

I hope you don't mind if I use it as my basis going forward. Just got to paint up some new additions to the colliery and start with my scratch building of the pithead itself.

Feel free. I just ironed some potential issues out of your design anyway.
I'm sure by now there's nothing original being done track planning wise.
Smart move with beefing up the pasting table