Minories in Gauge '0'.

This is a little side project I have been working on, - C.J. Freezer's 'Minories'. I've very much followed the original plan for a restricted space and kept it simple and because it's me doing this it's 3 rail '0' gauge.

I've deliberately used older building models and avoided hyper detailing because this is meant to be a layout inspired by coarse scale '0' gauge layouts from an older time. I still need to do final checking to make sure everything works properly and then I'll see about uploading 'Minories'. This is a TS2012 layout by the way.

I love it! (have the book)

Thanks very much Phil. I still have my C.J. Freezer small layouts book as well. 'Minories' always was of interest to me, but I never got around to doing an actual physical layout version back when I was still doing railway modelling.

Wow - Minories in 3-rail 0 gauge! Well done, Annie - i've been wondering what your next venture would be. I'm sure CJF would have been amazed - and delighted.

I had a book by Cyril with an enlarged Minories, adding a goods yard and loco depot which would have been good for exhibition use, but I can't find it - I believe it was called "Model Railways on a Budget" - and like many of his ideas it was intended to grow as finances permitted.

Ray

Thanks Ray. I did wonder about doing one of the enlarged versions of 'Minories', but in the end I decided to stay with the original version; - Though I have added in the extra siding that CJF added to his original plan. Laying the conductor rail was a bit of a fiddle, but it was a lot easier this time around since I was using 3 rail 0 gauge points with the conductor rail already modelled in.

The fiddle yard is just a pair of loop tracks which is about as simple as it could possibly be. More than one train can be parked in each loop so it's possible to set up a basic sequence of trains arriving and departing over the course of a running session. Short coaches and tank engines are essential equipment, but that's exactly how CJF designed 'Minories' to work.
The tunnel ended up being taken out since it was all a bit untidy and I put in what could be described as a very wide bridge instead. I had to move all the buildings and part of the street above the tracks to make the change and then put it all back again, but I'm glad I did it.

I'm still hunting down the odd bug. Trainz sometimes doesn't seem to like small BLT layouts very much despite their basic simplicity.






The 'clockwork' 0-6-2T appears again. The coaches are short MET bogie coaches by Paulz Trainz which are perfect for 'Minories'.

I like the overall scene that you have set for the layout. It fits perfectly!

Thanks Forester. I was doing my best to get some of that old railway magazine article look to the layout rather than anything ultra realistic and I have to say that I'm pleased with the result.

This is the 'cut and cover' style bridge that I put in to replace the tunnel. I don't know if I would want to do one any longer than this one since it's put together with lots of separate spline bits.



One possible problem with this layout as it stands though is that quite a few of the curves are very tight. Definitely goes to show that model railway plans are often optimistic about the minimum curve radius that's been drawn on the page. I have small tank engines that are set up so their radial axleboxes really do work like radial axleboxes and I also have a fair number of short wheelbase 1870s-1880s 4 wheel coaches so the sharp curves aren't too much of a worry, but not everyone who downloads the layout will be so fortunate. I may have to revise those fiddle yard loops as well as the curve through the 'cut and cover' section.

That's interesting. I had to go back through the screenshots several times to reconcile the 'cut and cover' with the tunnel. Still not sure I have it quite right between the angles and curves and the patch of blue sky, but it is definitely a point of interest!

I couldn't get the tunnel to fit together neatly Forester and it just looked a mess so that's why I took it out and replaced it with a wide bridge that carries the streets above instead. When railways like the Metropolitan were laid through London they were laid down in deep trenches cut through the streets that were then roofed over in a similar way to what I've represented. The upset and devastation caused by such methods wouldn't be tolerated today, but then new methods of putting railway tunnels under cities have been developed since 1863.

The patch of blue sky needs attending to with some low relief scenic work and a further stretch of retaining walls so hopefully once I've done that it should look a bit more plausible.

No worries Ann, I think it looks great!

I've completed the section of the town in the right hand corner now so it all fits together better.
I'm going to have a look at fixing the fiddle yard loops next since they really are a bit too tightly curved.

Thanks for the extra screenshots, Annie I was really longing to zoom aroud the layout to examine it more closely! It really does follow what CJF intended with the two reversing loops.

I'm going to have a look at fixing the fiddle yard loops next since they really are a bit too tightly curved.

Click to expand...

But this can only be expected with an 0 gauge loop as one certainly needs to get access to the far tracks to deal with derailment, which I remember as frequent with tinplate 0 gauge - or maybe it was my (tender) age that was the problem!

At least in Trainz there isn't the problem of wiring reversing loops as in the "good old days".

Ray

I did go ahead and make the reversing loops bigger Ray, but didn't get too carried away so everything remains accessible.
The second picture is a WIP one where I tried out Lionel Fast Track for the loops, but there's some strange problems with it so I went back to good old fashioned tinplate track. This track does tend to kink unless curves are laid to an enormous radius, but I think it's acceptable in this situation. Please note that I used your trammel tool to help lay out the loops, - and what a wonderfully useful tool it is too. Using this tool the whole process of laying out the loops was completely painless and just so easy. And yes, - no having to wire up the reversing loops which is one big advantage of building this kind of layout in Trainz.

My version of 'Minories' came about after I had a look at the basic version Graham (Euromodeller) had made. Certainly interesting, but it was too far away from the 'Minories' I read about when I was a teenager. I'm pleased, - and a little surprised, - as to how well the layout has turned out and I hope others will enjoy it as much I have while testing everything out.
I have made a session for my own collection of engines and rolling stock, but I think I'll make up another DLS friendly session that I'll upload with the layout as well.

The loops look really good, Annie, and I like the idea of the sidings inside the loops. I'm glad you found the trammel useful. It was inspired by the nail, pencil and length of string that I remembered using many years ago, and later a converted yard rule with built-in pivot and hole for pencil! And you've certainly maintained access by having the loops on a peninsula.

Ray

Thanks very much Ray. I've done some further detailing as well as shunting trains about all over the layout to check everything works and it's all looking good. Some shunting moves require the assistance of the pilot engine which is as CJF intended and all in all it's a lot of fun. Trains have to be kept short of course and small engines such as Terriers and Buckjumpers are essential equipment on the layout.

Trains have to be kept short of course and small engines such as Terriers and Buckjumpers are essential equipment on the layout.

Click to expand...

And a rake of those very appropriate 6-wheel teak coaches ...

Ray

I'm presently working on two DLS friendly sessions Ray, - a GWR one and a GER one. I would like to do a LBSC one as well, but much depends on whether I can find sufficient rolling stock to do it. The LBSC Terriers will have to be the old TS2009 ones by lambert1995, but that's Ok.
Over the next few days I'll be progressively giving some of my older 6 wheel teak coaches a little tidy up since they look a bit drab compared with the last series of 6 wheel teak vans I did. Being short wheelbase 6 wheelers they really are ideal for 'Minories' - especially the ones with the MET style door vents. I'll say more about them over on my freeware thread once I'm happy with progress.

I've been posting some screenshots over in the British Model Railways screenshot thread as well.

Yes, I saw them yesterday - they really follow what Cyril Freezer was thinking of.

Ray

I took Minories and the three sessions, GWR, GER and LBSC across to TMR2017 and after sorting some minor problems with dependencies all was well. For some reason TMR declared a few assets downloaded from the DLS as being faulty, but once I opened them for edit and then committed them again all was fine. I'll need to wait for the revised Teak coaches to arrive on the DLS and then I'll upload 'Minories' and its sessions.

Nice work!