Sudrian Layouts - The North Western Railway

In addition to my prototype modelling, I am rather keen on the prototypes of the North Western Railway of the Island of Sodor. I've recently taken to RailModeller Express on my Mac and have done some basic layout plans. I don't think I'll ever get to build any of them myself, but these are track plans for layouts that I would like to someday build.

The first plan is based on Rev. Awdry's Ffarquhar Mk II. Here, I have drawn it as an 8'x2' Scenic section with a 4'x2' Fiddle Yard module. On the right-most module, there would be scenic divide to hide the staging tracks which represent the line to Anopha Quarry. Maximum train length for the run-around is 64cm, which will comfortably accomodate a pair of bogie coaches, or a goods train of about 5-6 wagons plus brake van.

There is considerable potential for this as an exhibition layout. You may have to model the locomotives without faces in order to get past anything HiT Entertainment might try on you. Points are all Peco small-radius, with one streamline curved point. The track could be either Code 75 or Code 100, but I would be more inclined to go with the Code 75. Points are highlighted in red, flexible-track is brown.

Overall the layout is 12'x2' which I think is more than manageable for a few beginners. You need not have all the points in the Fiddle-yard, as you may find it better to use a traverser or sector-plate, but I have drawn it thus for simplicity's sake.

 

If you fancy something with potential for continuous running, you could always try Elsbridge. This is based on a plan for a proposed layout never built by the Rev. Awdry. The first plan is based on the layout as drawn by Awdry, but it may be a bit awkward for a stand-alone layout. I've drawn a second version which may be more practical in some respects. Not shown is the continuous run. (Simple enough to figure out). It would be the sort of layout where you could let trains just run by, whilst another loco shunts the goods yard in the manner of an Inglenook.

Of course, if one so feels inclined, you could slew the tracks or make the main line a very gentle S-bend, as straight tracks parallel to the baseboard edge tends to look a little unrealistic. Both layouts drawn using Peco small-radius points and once again on two 4'x2' boards.

Elsbridge, based on the design of Rev. Awdry



Elsbridge, modified.