Shunting Layouts

My initial ideas for a OO layout were inspired by the excellent Shunting Puzzles website, which I discovered a couple of weeks ago and which kick started my plans for a compact, cheap but interesting layout to build on a budget. The basic Inglenook layout design seemed to match up with my ideas and offered a quick way to get back into OO railway modelling, without breaking the bank or soaking up too much time or effort.

http://www.wymann.info/ShuntingPuzzles/index.html

However, my subsequent windfall of sectional OO track and the limitation of the Inglenook design, meant that I started to elaborate on the basic shunting layout concept. At first, this just involved the addition of a head shunt and fiddle yard but, with four points available and no shortage to track to use, I decided to devise a more interesting layout design, based around a typical rural or light industrial goods yard, with an engine shed, a goods shed or loading platform and a scenic break leading to a small branch line station.

The first plan I developed was designed to use up all of the track sections and points that I had, so as to maximise the amount of shunting operations that I could do. The design was for a four foot by one foot baseboard, give or take a couple of inches either way, with the goods yard at one end and the small engine shed and coaling stage at the other, the latter to mask the exit to a fiddle yard and imaginary station off board. However, this seemed a little limited and a bit too cramped, especially as there was no run around loop and I couldn't seem to work out the right format for the sidings.

I have now developed what I think is a better layout design, based on a small riverside wharf, but I'm still tinkering with it at the moment so it isn't quite ready to go. One thing I have to do is work out the wiring and electrical arrangements, which is something that will be a bit of a challenge. However, I have been using the SCARM software to plan my designs, which has made things a lot easier than I expected. I'll be working on my wharf design today, so should be able to provide a plan and some notes in my next post.