Having had to take up the tracks outside, I've been making use of space indoors to experiment with different layouts for the S & B R C with a view to a permanent layout of some sort. This would involve an end to end running system in its ideal form rather than an oval, but space may mean one approach is used one time and the other another time depending on the space available. There would be the following places on the route:
Beachtown - the larger and southern terminus of the line
The mineral line siding
Pond End station
Farm Halt
Name to be decided
Seaport - the northern and smaller terminus
Here are photos of the layouts so far tried out although they are not in the final planned running order.
First, the Beachtown terminus (the platform will be between the right hand track of the loop and the first siding). This incorporates a loop which allows the train to arrive loco front first and then leave loco front first. This can be done either by simply running the train round the loop and then reversing it into the station after the passengers have got off, or by stopping in the station and then, while the passengers get out, running the loco round the loop and reversing it on to the train. The loop is also handy in that with the three internal sidings complicated shunting operations are possible.
With the temporary set up, there is a climb from Beachtown in the conservatory and into the kitchen. The track rises 4 inches in 36 inches horizontal distance so it's pretty steep:
The climb ends with the train travelling through the kitchen:
and then along the hall:
past the mineral siding into the spare bedroom:
and into the Seaport terminus:
