Tip Of The Day – 95 Illusion
Modelling Tip Of The Day – 95
This Modelling Tip Of The Day is an ongoing series, in which we’ll be posting a modelling tip that may be of use to the newbie right up to the seasoned modeller. Today’s tip is:
Two Trains Loaded/Unloaded – Illusion
Today’s tip is one for operating trains & is often seen in practice on exhibition layouts. Two identical trains are used to represent one train, these being one loaded & the other empty. So for example you have an industry on your layout like a mineral works. A railway line runs into and out of a building which represents a loading point. Viewed from the scenic side it appears the railway line runs through the building, however out of view the line doesn’t run through the building. The line is actually two separate tracks that soon as they enter the building, each running round to a separate siding long enough to take the train.
You’ll need two identical locos & same with the wagons. In this case we run an empty train slowly into the building, allow time for the loco & a number of wagons to disappear into the building. The train entering the building runs into a hidden holding siding. From a second hidden siding, the identical train with the loaded wagons departs & leaves the building. The trick here is to drive the loaded train out at the same speed as the empty one entering. From the viewing side of the layout, the viewer will think it’s the same train that is passing through the loading plant & not two separate trains.
If you don’t have the space for big hidden sidings, another way to carry out this operation is to use smaller shorter length hidden sidings. Again with the tracks entering a building or running off stage through a scenic break such as a road over bridge. In this case just the wagons would need to be duplicated or have removable loads. The operation would be as follows:
A train with say steel loads enters a siding with a run round loop, the loco is uncoupled & moves forward. The loco then runs around it’s train & re-couples to rear wagon. The train then departs along the siding/line through the scenic break on to a hidden siding. The wagons have the loads manually removed. Once unloaded off scene, the train then reverses back on to the scenic section & departs the way it entered the siding back on to the main line.
Another way to add more interest would be to use a shunting loco to carry out the operation of moving the wagons, whilst the mainline locomotive awaits the train to be unloaded/loaded. Below are some diagrams showing these operations.
Example
Two identical trains. Left hand one hidden behind the backscene contains the loaded wagons. The train on the right contains the empty wagons. The train on the right enters the loading point.
Two identical trains. Left hand one hidden behind the backscene contains the loaded wagons. The train on the right contains the empty wagons. The train on the right enters the loading point. The loaded train on the left now starts to move forward at the same speed as the empty train on the right.
Two identical trains. Left hand one hidden behind the backscene containing the loaded wagons now departs the loading point. The train on the right with the empty wagons now runs into the hidden siding on the right. Both trains must be moving at the same speed to create the illusion that it’s the same train.
The loaded train on the left now draws away & the now hidden empty on the right now stops in the hidden siding right. Thus the illusion of same train has passed through the loading point & has been loaded whilst passing through.
Great article. What a great idea!
There are ways that can be built upon this one, which we hope to look at in future articles. This one is popular at model shows & is very effective.