Getting Something Moving 4 - Sequence

Over the weekend I continued to play with test run the project. Having tried a fulls/empties system through what will be the hidden right-hand end of the circuit I found that I ended up having to hand-shunt behind the scenes a bit too much, it was far from a smooth operation. Eventually I found an operating pattern that works for me, which looks vaguely realistic even if it does rely on some trickery.

It goes a little something like this:

1. A train of "fulls"(incoming load), represented here by the grey loco and (ahem, empty) wagons (three wagons in reality). This is always propelled anti-clockwise, pausing as it enters the unloading shed at the lower end of the curve on the right.
2. Whilst paused, the other train (blue loco) which is empties or maybe bagged produce, runs around clockwise to the fiddle yard siding at the rear.
3. The "fulls" trains then sneaks off back to the FY around the hidden part of the circuit. The blue loco, perhaps having switched wagons, then reappears anti-clockwise and goes back to the font siding.
4. It might leave the wagons here and head to the workshop (curved) siding and pick up another wagon, only to be interrupted by the fulls arriving again. Once they are gone it can take the wagon from the workshop to the FY siding.

There are a few variations possible and you can swap locos between duties if the one off the "fulls" backs into the workshop siding and is replaced by the other loco. I had to make a couple of adjustments to the layout to make this system work in reality, increasing the length of mainline isolated by the fiddle yard point to accommodate a loco+3 wagons and a slightly lengthened hidden siding (it will poke through the backscene and have to be hidden with the circuit). Once I had done this, I was able to make a video to demonstrate it...

Ironically I discovered that this pattern is possible without any of the section switches I have installed, but they do add flexibility. It also seems to potentially work with the stock equipped with MicroTrains couplers, so I might not need to switch to Greenwich for this layout.

Of the wagons seen here only the ones in the empties train are likely to be used on this layout, the others are a bit too "miniature" in style, new wagons can be built when the final load is determined. The grey diesel in the photo, an MG Models kit as seen on my workbench a couple of months ago, is likely to be finished off for this layout as it is a bit shorter than existing locos and looks better on the tight curves.

Colin