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I attach a very rough sketch of an idea for a possible N gauge British outline layout, set perhaps, in the early Privatisation Era.
The starting point was a desire to keep things simple and relatively affordable. I also wanted to run more than just local trains.
I began to think that although we can set the baseboard edge anywhere we tend to arrange it so that we get a complete view of a station if we are running passenger services. I wondered about having a layout viewed from the perspective of someone standing at point X on an island platform who has a 160 degree field of vision. They only see the down or up line and, by and large, the trains just move in one direction.
So, the basic design is an oval with a loop at the front which allows slow trains to stop at the island platform which is represented at the baseboard edge. Faster trains or freights pass trains stopped at the platform. Behind the backscene there are two other loops to hold extra trains. There are also 2 sidings to hold engineering wagons.
Tracks A and B are non functioning stub tracks to represent the line running in the opposite direction and going behind the island platform. You could have a loco and carriage on track B to represent a train coming into the station.
If you expanded with a crossover at C and the additional tracks D and E it would allow something like a class 158 or a 153 to leave E and terminate at the platform and then depart back via C and D.
Finally adding a headshunt at F would enable an 08 to provide additional interest by shunting the sidings.
I see the advantages of this idea being that electrics are relatively simple, there is less handling of stock if loco hauled stock is used as it is always moving in the same direction and you really need less track and less stock as you are only modelling a single track but one that can realistically allow expresses to run.
Any thoughts?
