What's The Point?

For my next trick, I decided to knock up some modern pointwork for Rothervale. I have also put a lot more thought into the track layout.

The point is just over a foot long, with a crossing angle of 1 in 15.797. The turnout radius is just under 5 metres in 2mm scale. Nevertheless, the maximum permitted speed on the curved track is a mere 40mph. I still have to add tie bars (I will need more than one, simply to maintain the gauge, as the point blades are 80mm long). The detailing is not quite finished yet either. I will tidy up the solder and add some cosmetic bits and pieces after the point is installed on the layout. I have also started a smaller point for the entrance to the bay platform. I won't install the points until I have some plain track laid. (Click on the images for a larger view)
More Thoughts On The Layout Design
I have recently been thinking about how the layout would be operated. This has resulted in a few small alterations to the theoretical track plan. I have swapped around a couple of the crossovers at the south end of the layout to reduce conflicting movements. I have also added a crossover on the Sheffield line to allow Worksop-Sheffield trains to reverse in the station. These are all shown in the diagram below. The changes really make a lot of sense - I should have thought of them earlier. I have also moved the left hand boundary of the scenic area slightly to the left. This means that I can install another point on the scenic area - the one I have just described above. Only the area between the red dotted lines is being modelled, for the time being.

In addition, I have drawn a diagram below of the actual trackwork to be built in the first instance - excluding the main fiddle yard. As you can see, the middle track (which is bi-directional) is totally isolated from the rest of the layout. I will populate this area with DMUs which will run backwards and forwards - maybe with the help of some kind of automatic shuttle.

The 2 outer roads will be reserved for longer trains, which will run round to the back of the layout. It looks very austere, but should work quite well in practice - even if I can't quite reproduce all of the theoretical train movements that should take place. Most importantly, it should be achievable in a relatively short time. All pointwork outside the scenic area will be of the Brian Tilbury type, allowing both N gauge stock and 2FS stock to run through.

I will hopefully have plenty of opportunity to improve things in years to come, without altering the existing scenic area at all - including, at the very least, a double track round to the fiddle yard and proper connections, so that all the tracks on the scenic are can have their full train service.

As for the fiddle yard, things are not going to plan. I have now tested some trains on the gradient leading up from the fiddle yard and, as I feared, the longest trains don't make it! I am going to have to rethink this part of the layout. Fortunately, I had not yet completed the fiddle yard itself - only one of the gradients on the fiddle yard approaches. I had to get that far just to have a long enough piece of track (3 metres) to do the testing on.