Swanage & Herston Halt
8'x6'
Submitted by br-nse-fan. My layout is based on a 'what-if' scenario... What if Swanage was not closed and continued to operate into the mid-1980s. The line would (in my world) have been electrified, as in true Southern fashion. The track plan is based on the current Swanage track plan easily viewable on Google Maps.
The lack of a loco run around lends operation to primarily multiple units, and the main platform is long enough to accept a 4-car class 411 / 423, while the bay platform is more than enough to accommodate a 2-car 108 / 416... possibly even a 159 or other 3-car unit depending on how long the platform ends up being in relation to the station building. Loco hauled passenger stock could be used in a push-pull situation, or the coaches would need to be shunted out of the platform, allowing the loco to escape. A small goods shed / loading dock allows for short goods... probably mostly van traffic. Goods traffic would be primarily hauled by class 33s & 73s.
I've added Herston Halt, but any of the other small stations on the line could easily be modelled also. The compact size of the layout requires a number of scenic breaks, but as my example illustrates, clever use of actual roadways in the area would achieve this. The fiddle / storage area would be left bare, and the end of the lines would be easily within reach for all the most vertically challenged in order to swap locos off the ends (if loco hauled stock is used). The simple design of a single line branch also allows for extensive scenery, providing added depth and realism to the layout, detracting from its compact size.
The lack of a loco run around lends operation to primarily multiple units, and the main platform is long enough to accept a 4-car class 411 / 423, while the bay platform is more than enough to accommodate a 2-car 108 / 416... possibly even a 159 or other 3-car unit depending on how long the platform ends up being in relation to the station building. Loco hauled passenger stock could be used in a push-pull situation, or the coaches would need to be shunted out of the platform, allowing the loco to escape. A small goods shed / loading dock allows for short goods... probably mostly van traffic. Goods traffic would be primarily hauled by class 33s & 73s.
I've added Herston Halt, but any of the other small stations on the line could easily be modelled also. The compact size of the layout requires a number of scenic breaks, but as my example illustrates, clever use of actual roadways in the area would achieve this. The fiddle / storage area would be left bare, and the end of the lines would be easily within reach for all the most vertically challenged in order to swap locos off the ends (if loco hauled stock is used). The simple design of a single line branch also allows for extensive scenery, providing added depth and realism to the layout, detracting from its compact size.