Track plans
I’ve included three plans in ‘OO’ gauge, with potential variations; a reduced version of the garage design, an alternative sizing for ‘N’ gauge, a continuous run for exhibition or large room use, operated from a central well, and finally, a snaking S-shaped entry-level format, with three stations also suitable for reduction to ‘N’.
Garage or less!
The difficulty with a straight linear prototype is the amount of baseboard it requires, and while this garage design can be considered as a large layout, I’ve had to make some hefty compression to make everything fit. For those of you who might want to operate the layout in BR (W) times I’ve included a non-scenic curve at the right-hand end to complete a circuit, with a substantial fiddleyard on the opposite side. Please note, if this is your choice, pointwork near Llangollen Bridge changed between BR and preserved operations. The station itself is in a reasonably convincing space of just over 6ft, but nothing like the three metres I mentioned earlier. There’s a more-gentle curve between both bridges and I’ve allotted a decent baseboard width in order to include a convincing section of the River Dee, the station and town behind, in effect on three terraces.
The left-hand section, with locomotive depot and carriage sidings further on, is where most compromise has been undertaken and while I’m relatively happy with the former, the latter has limited accommodation for carriages. An alternative might be to curve a line out of the rear of the carriage shed and hide with a repositioned backscene and trees so that it follows the non-scenic main line in an anti-clockwise direction, back to the fiddleyard. For those modelling BR, remember
there was another signal box on this section. At the left-hand corner there’s an opportunity to model more of the wonderful River Dee and the railway bridge carrying the main line to Corwen.
For those with less space than an average garage has to offer, here are a couple of potential options: model the section from bridges A to B, at 11ft long, with curves to a fiddleyard at both ends, or reduce the length of the station slightly, to about 5ft or 5ft 6in, plus the short run-round curve and a single curve to a fiddleyard at the left-hand end, in an overall space around 9ft long. Alternatively, reduce the whole plan to ‘N’ gauge at 8ft long with a width of 6ft, to allow for an operating well around 3ft wide.
Whatever you model, remember the locomotive shed track in real life is considerably higher than the main line, on an embankment with a small retaining wall. Due to restricted length, there is insufficient space to include anything but the shallowest of gradient between the two, so I’ve suggested a mini dual-sided embankment for visual separation.