Triptan Fell

New "N" Gauge layout

Well it has taken a few years to get there but all the effort has been worthwhile. The building of Triptan Fell is now almost complete and it will be making its public debut at our March 2008 Exhibition. The overall size of the layout is 10ft by 7ft. It will have a 2 line continuous run and 2 single track branch lines each completing half circuits of the layout.
The branch line is virtually automatic so that trains will arrive and depart from Lakeside station at random timings in each direction.
Although it has reached the stage where it is ready for exhibiting there is still work to be done on the layout such as improved back scenes and renewal of some of the poor build quality woodwork on the original sections. This work will be done over the next couple of years.

January 2008 and much work has now been done on the high level station. It still requires the platform on the left of the picture extending onto the near baseboard but most other scenic work is now completed.

Looking from the front left of the model. Station, Signal Box and part of the viaduct can be seen.
In the foreground is the branch line and canal that pass close by the Triptan Fell Inn.

Overall view showing the canal lock with overbridge. Behind that is the Triptan fell Inn and the viaduct. Signal box and main line station building is also visible top left.

The view looking along the track with the viaduct in the foreground. On the left is the "Triptan Fell Inn" and both the upper and lower stations can be seen in the distance.
Some cleaning up is required as debris from the flock used in doing the scenery is clearly visible in the picture.

Looking down the canal as if from a passing barge. The branch line is visible in the foreground.

Looking down on Triptan Fell Inn from the left of the layout with the viaduct, road, canal and branch line all in view.

Looking down the right hand side of the layout where the main lines enter the tunnel to reach the storage sidings.
The ruined farm is scratch built from a photograph taken of the real thing on a road out of Oldham.
The backscene is still to be completed on this part of the model.

The harbour and lower station (Lakeside) looking from the left hand end of the layout.
This is now virtualy finished with the ferry in view as it docks at the jetty.

March 2008. The far left of the layout showing the turntable and loco shed. This picture replaces an earlier one where the goods shed had been left with its corner overhanging the turntable.

Again on the far left of the layout the final details are being added with a scratch built church on the hill top.

Details of the Church and grounds

March 2008 The goods shed located on the left hand corner of the layout. This is one of the last sections of the layout to be completed.

Final testing is now in progress to iron out any operational problems and poor track alignment at the board joints.
The automatic branch line circuits are now working well after a re-design of the circuits to prevent them triggering each other instead of being random. The total time for the out and back run on the branches has also been increased from ~3 minutes to ~4 minutes.

John Essex

This page updated 5th March 2008