7mm CRAMMIT INN YARD

cbrailways

Western Thunderer
Some of you might have seen details on here of my 7mm layout named Blackbridge Town Riverside. Well, its been a long time since I completed the baseboards for that project and it didn’t progress very far beyond that due to problems with fitting the trackwork. Indeed, it became so frustrating that I broke the whole thing down. In the interim rolling stock has been gradually acquired, so I needed something to run it all on to pick up my interest again. After a bit of paper doodling I came up with a similar themed plan but for a small(ish) shunting yard that could be setup and run for short operating sessions. The layout has used the baseboards from the original but one has slightly been shortened so the layout now consists of two boards, one 1220x410mm and the other 850x410mm. As I wanted to be able to do as much shunting as possible I have created the track arrangement design to make that a bit more complex than a normal ‘shunting plank’ type layout. So, in consequence the baseboards are full of trackwork.

Whilst thinking of an appropriate name for the layout I decided to call it CRAMMIT INN YARD which I thought very appropriate. Its theme is a small yard set somewhere in South Wales with an ‘off scene’ dockside (a bit more about that later). Goods trains are limited to two wagons and a brake van. My excuse for trains being so short, and hence frequent, is that the yard is connected as a short stub branch from an adjacent mainline station and lots of trip workings are required to and fro.

So, here it is:
Crammit Inn Yard MK1 Layout 10_12_2020a.jpg

Baseboard woodwork is now complete and track (PECO) has been cut to fit and is ready to permanently lay. Due to space constraints I have used PECO ‘SETRACK’ points and these have been trimmed to suit. No electrics started yet, but I have run my MINERVA radio controlled pannier and a few wagons around to make sure all the tight clearances work and that there are no buffer locking issues.

More to follow.
 
Last edited:

cbrailways

Western Thunderer
Hi Norman,

I currently don't have any bogie goods stock, so not a problem yet. I did try pushing a BACHMANN MK1 parcels coach around but it didn't like the SETRACK turnout curves and kept derailing. So, for now its short wheelbase goods stock, which I'm quite happy with.
 

cbrailways

Western Thunderer
There has been a change at the righthand end of the layout. I have decided the wagon hoist/high level warehouse will take too long to construct at this stage so will be added later. So there is now a warehouse as mocked up here (the siding behind will be hidden from view and a canopy will be added over the dock siding platform):
20210115_161242.jpg

I have used the Express Dairy siding at Swindon as inspiration:
2021-01-12 20.20.16.jpg
 
Last edited:

David Hall

Western Thunderer
This is cracking and exactly my kind of thing. Love the concept and looking forward to following progress. That photograph of Swindon is inspirational.

The radio controlled Pannier intrugues me too. I'm very interested in this approach. Was the Protocab system easy to fit?

Cheers,
Dave
 

Dan Randall

Western Thunderer

cbrailways

Western Thunderer
This is cracking and exactly my kind of thing. Love the concept and looking forward to following progress. That photograph of Swindon is inspirational.

The radio controlled Pannier intrugues me too. I'm very interested in this approach. Was the Protocab system easy to fit?

Cheers,
Dave
Hi Dave. The MINERVA pannier came fully fitted as a deal from PROTOCAB itself. Its a fairly good system and the transmitter supplied can control up to nine selectable locomotives. Its not sound fitted though, so I have also experimented with the MICRON radio control system. I had my ex-GWR Parcels Railcar fitted by them (they offer a fairly priced supply/installation package for existing models) and that does have sound as well. The transmitter on that system (Tx22X) can control up to twelve selectable locomotives and has Inertia fitted as well, which takes some getting used to if you are to avoid hitting the buffer stops on my smallish layout! The one thing that caused me to look at radio control was at one of the Newport 0 Gauge exhibitions, the late Chris Klein of MINERVA demonstrated the pannier running across the exhibition hall floor.

As mentioned in my postings above I have tested my layout for clearances and buffer locking issues by running the pannier around without a single electrical connection being in place. By the way, being an ex-signal engineer, my signals and points will of course also be worked mechanically, so its quite likely there won't be any control electrics on the layout at all!
 
Last edited:

cbrailways

Western Thunderer
Progress to date. Track temporarily laid and tested. Basic backscene and high level road surface (all removable) in place.

P1050133.JPG
 
Last edited:

David Hall

Western Thunderer
Hi Dave. The MINERVA pannier came fully fitted as a deal from PROTOCAB itself. Its a fairly good system and the transmitter supplied can control up to nine selectable locomotives. Its not sound fitted though, so I have also experimented with the MICRON radio control system. I had my ex-GWR Parcels Railcar fitted by them (they offer a fairly priced supply/installation package for existing models) and that does have sound as well. The transmitter on that system (Tx22X) can control up to twelve selectable locomotives and has Inertia fitted as well, which takes some getting used to if you are to avoid hitting the buffer stops on my smallish layout! The one thing that caused me to look at radio control was at one of the Newport 0 Gauge exhibitions, the late Chris Klein of MINERVA demonstrated the pannier running across the exhibition hall floor.

As mentioned in my postings above I have tested my layout for clearances and buffer locking issues by running the pannier around without a single electrical connection being in place. By the way, being an ex-signal engineer, my signals and points will of course also be worked mechanically, so its quite likely there won't be any control electrics on the layout at all!

Progress to date. Track temporarily laid and tested. Basic backscene and high level road surface (all removable) in place.

View attachment 138985

Thanks that's really interesting. I think R/C is the future of the hobby. It has to be. DCC has its merits but it is just as complex as DC (in my humble opinion). Not just two wires if you want the most out of it.

The Protocab system looks excellent. I worry about the hacking about you would have to do to a loco in order to retrofit (obviously not an issue if bought installed like yourself). I notice that there is one of the late Mr Klein's Ixion Hudswell Clarke locos featured. Although the system is in an accompanying match wagon. I wonder whether there is not space to fit in the loco itself?

The layout is progressing really well. I think the Peco Setrack points look just the part in a confined space. Cracking stuff.
 

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
As mentioned in my postings above I have tested my layout for clearances and buffer locking issues by running the pannier around without a single electrical connection being in place.

If you did want longer vehicles such as a 4w utility van or GUV you can get around buffer locking by marshalling (if space permits) an intermediate length vehicle such as brake van or 20T coal wagon or blue spot fish van between the short and the long stock. All of which adds to the switching/shunting puzzle :).

Will you be using auto couplers given the standard 3 link couplers may be tricky to manipulate if there is a lid on the layout?
 

cbrailways

Western Thunderer
If you did want longer vehicles such as a 4w utility van or GUV you can get around buffer locking by marshalling (if space permits) an intermediate length vehicle such as brake van or 20T coal wagon or blue spot fish van between the short and the long stock. All of which adds to the switching/shunting puzzle :).

Will you be using auto couplers given the standard 3 link couplers may be tricky to manipulate if there is a lid on the layout?
Hi Dave. Thanks for that idea. I currently don't have any long wheelbase goods stock, so I'll give it a try when I can meet up at our club again and 'borrow one' from one of the members.

I'm going to use DINGHAM autocouplers and have worked out where the uncoupling magnets will need to go. Personally, I hate 3-link couplers.
 
Top