So, I’ve decided on ANOTHER mini layout. This one is going to be a 3’x2′ single track roundy roundy with a goods siding and two storage loops behind the backscene – thus allowing me to have three trains to run.

A road bridge on the left side, a tunnel on the right, with a station and small signal box next to the line. And the good sidings, obviously.

So, having done the basic track design, next I need to think what era I’m going to model. Well, that in turn depends on what models I want to run. As this is going to be DC only, and I only have 3 DC locos (ok, I could back-convert some stock, but meh), the motive power will be a Class 42 Warship (D823 Hermes), a Class 25 (25279), and a Class 04 shunter (D2466).

So my chosen rakes will be:

Rake 1

• BR Class 42 D823 Hermes (BR Blue)
• BR MK1 Restaurant Coach M25468 (Crimson Lake)
• BR MK1 Composite Corridor M 16171 (Crimson Lake)
• Stanier Brake First M5062M (Crimson Lake)

Already we are into “Heritage Railway” territory. Fine, I can deal with that.  It’ll save me fretting if I accidentally put a Mark 3 Ford Escort on the layout.

Rake 2

• BR Class 04 D2466 (BR Green)
• 7 plank coal wagon (ICI Stafford)
• 7 plank coal wagon (ICI Stafford)
• 7 plank coal wagon (ICI Stafford)
• 7 plank coal wagon (ICI Stafford)
• 7 plank coal wagon (ICI Stafford)
• 20 BR brake van (BR Bauxite)

I thought the coal wagon rake would look good with the Class 04. The only reason for them being ICI Stafford, is that I live in Stafford.

Rake 3

• BR Class 25 25279 (BR Blue)
• PCA Powder Tanker
• PCA Powder Tanker
• PCA Powder Tanker
• PCA Powder Tanker
• PCA Powder Tanker
• PCA Powder Tanker
• PCA Powder Tanker
• PCA Powder Tanker
• PCA Powder Tanker

I might swap out the PCAs for TTAs, depending of if I ever get the transfers done for them, but at the moment the PCAs stay.

Ok, so we have a heritage line that carries freight. Not exactly unknown, as the Ribble Steam Railway have been doing that for years. The reason I have so many TTA wagons is that I did plan to model part of the old Preston Docks and Lanfina/Lancashire Tar Distillers site from the ’80s – My dad was Chief Engineer at LTD in the early ’80s, and no, he didn’t work there when it exploded twice within a month.

Having an already tenuous grasp on reality (D823 was scrapped in May ’72), it’s probably best not to look to closely at the buildings I’m going to be using…

But I suppose we have to anyway.

The Goods Shed will be a Metcalfe Settle & Carlisle PN936 kit. With Stafford coal wagons, and a Diesel from “down south”. Truly “make it up as you go along” territory.

So I might as well have the Metcalfe S&C station PN933 and station master’s house PN935.

The Stone Platform Kit PN135 will obviously be needed, as will a signal box.

Sadly, Metcalfe don’t currently (Aug 22) do an S&C Signal box, so I’m going to have to re-use part of the PN133 Signal Box set, specifically the small box. As the box will really(?) only be looking after one turnout, two semaphore signals and a ground signal, I’ll use the Small box, rather that the bigger one. This will make it easier to disguise with scanned copies of the S&C brickwork and painting the “woodwork”.

I’m still awaiting my baseboard, so for the moment everything is loosely assembled on my workbench.

In the next few days I’m going to solder some track sections together, build some buildings, and try to plan out the “3D-ness” of the layout.

Oh, I nearly forgot, the parts list:

Count | Description 
------+---------------------------------
    3 | PECO ST5 Right
    2 | PECO ST6 Left
    6 | Peco ST1 Straight
    1 | Peco ST11 Double Straight
   10 | Peco ST12 R1(228mm) Double Curve
    8 | Peco ST3 R1(228mm) Curve
------+----------------------------------