Minories in TT:120 - Part 9

Layout finished?

By this point I had a layout to operate trains on, with most of the scenery finished. They say a layout is never finished, but beyond adding details (adverts, figures to the platforms, station furniture, etc) I'd say this layout is essentially done. 

 

However, I did very little operating for a number of reasons - the main one being that this is too big for my living space. Each time I get it out and assemble it, I need to put it away again sharpish before dinner time. The other issue is lack of motive power. Adding the class 24 helped, and if I'd kept my preorders, I would've had a 37 and J50 by now too which may have solved the issue.

 

It may seem nonsensical, but I actually decided to sell the layout part way through building it - around the time of getting the track down and wiring completed - as I was at the same time collecting and playing around with my N gauge stock. 

 

It's now listed for sale, including all rolling stock and storage boxes so we'll see if anyone else wants it. Ideally they'd need space to have it assembled permanently and ready to use at any moment. With the additional locos mentioned above, it'd be a fun little layout to operate. The only weakness I think is the size of the fiddleyard - enough space for 4 coach trains and more of them would be better. If I was building this track plan again, I'd opt for a traverser or reversing loop arrangement for the fiddleyard to make operating more enjoyable. Being able to send a train out and have it return again later with a different train, facing the other direction would be ideal but again, requires space which I don't have.

 

I suspect the new TT:120 crowd would want HM7000 sound and gubbins to be interested, but we'll see. Anyway, here's an operating sequence I edited together and some more pictures -

 

If a sale is unsuccessful I may have no choice but to keep it until I have space to improve it further or keep it permanently set up. I may get the Class 37 and J50 when they're available again too. It would be a shame to scrap it and sell of what I could recover (likely only the track and even that wouldn't go for very much).