My Ideal Shunting / Switching Model Railway Layout - Part 3 - Operating Potential / Trains Running 

I swear when ever you guys upload a video I go upstairs to fiddle with my layout 😂. Thanks

The layout shows the utility of having long head shunts and at least one storage (spare siding) track. It’s like that game with 15 numbers on small plastic squares with one open area to allow the numbered squares to be slid into position. Open/available spaces are good. I’m not very knowledgeable about all things railroad ...... however, I get the impression that British wagons may be on average shorter than American rolling stock. All that to say that when designing layouts it’s good to allow enough space to allow the wagons that are used to sit comfortably without blocking track access for another consist. This presentation demonstrated that concept. And yes, test locos and wagons and their combinations. I’m still learning what pieces of equipment are best for a specific layout. Thanks, Mark

Great to watch, glad it is not just me where the rolling stock misbehaves as soon as you press `record`

A potential Minories-style classical layout plan : everything you need in a tiny space, with few requirements and lots of possibilities. I've chosen it for my first one !

Until I found your videos I never even considered having a layout just for shunting. This layout also brought to mind the town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It had a spur off of a main line that ended on the north end of the town. The only thing left is the spur. Very pretty small station made of stone, and there's a now abandoned ice house that the spur connected with. When I start building my own shunting layout, I might model it similar to that. Also there's a long abandoned spur that goes from my city to a little town called Chadwick, Missouri that used to service a mill down there, so I might incorporate that as well to give another industry. Thanks for the great video!

Think I’m one of those who would happily watch for an hour

I'm watching a few British layout videos for an HO switching layout I have planned for the future. I'm getting a lot of great ideas.

The layout looks great and looks like it has endless shunting possibilities for its size.

Even for a budget model railway you've got the shunting operations spot on for such a small space, brilliant! 👌

Great video as usual, Mike. I'm almost finished wiring my shunting layout, and it was down to your videos that I even returned to the hobby. Before seeing your videos the cost put me right off. You continue to show the railway modelling world that layouts can be made within tight budgets, so thank you for continuing to post great videos like this. . Soon I'll be back working on my daughter's trainset, so there will be some much more colourful pics on my Insta over the next few months. Hopefully some more fairy house and gardens too. . Thanks again for sharing.

Fantastic update Mike! Really enjoyed seeing a good shunting session and getting to understand more about actually moving stock around the layout. The canopy looks really good. Well the whole layout looks really good. There are loads of things you must get asked to do videos for, but of course it’s having the spare time to do so. Hope you’re all staying safe and well. I sent you a message on twitter re some European locos. I don’t know if you saw that

Hi, just enjoyed watching the video again. Your great videos have stirred up the 'inner child' in me and I am re discovering the joys of model railways, Thank you!!!

Very nice little shunting layout Mike. I think this might be the cutest you've ever built, it's so English with all the poster boards, the small canopied station and even a hint of undulating landscape at the rear - I really love it! Rgds, Joachim

A really nice and thorough shunting demo, shows the potential of a well thought out plan. The kick back siding really is a space saver, just modified my plans to add one as works better for me too - thanks for the unintentional prompt - you never stop learning! thanks Stephen

Another good video mate ! ☺ That canopy was a great idea, really simple! And that wee demo did illustrate just how much you can do with that formation! 👍 Nice to see that 4F again too. Great choice 😎

Nice work ! I found it was good to see freight movements rather than round & round the mulberry bush!

I, for one, could sit and watch this shunting all day. Great video sir👏🏼👏🏼

Hi Mike & Douglas 😎👋 Many thanks for your video.. Always great to see a good running session. Great to see homemade uncoupler, I use a cocktail stirrer. Have a great weekend guys and look forward to seeing your next project(s)/video 😊👍

As you said we all have a preference for shunting. When I was building my North End Sidings layout's actual sidings I purposefully chose to not include any run arounds. Which mean I could use two locos to pilot between each other various stock consists. Moving stabled stock, oil tanks for refueling etc all good fun. Keep the videos up mate!

I always watch your videos to the end lol

Liked the seeing an 0-6-0 tender on one of your smaller shunting layouts. I also like the way you read up on railways and factor that into the operations!

For the points you can use underfloor pushrods instead of point motors. That will save you the effort of rebuilding the platforms. The problem with the newer style couplers might be the return springs. These will try to keep the coupler straight when no force is applied to keep them in a reasonably straight line.

Fun to watch again! 😊❤ [You are easing my stress as I help my spouse through her cardiac-hospital stay today. (Just wanted you to know that your videos do more good than you might imagine.)]

Impressive shunting (switching in the USA) layout. I may have to build a similar layout myself.

very cool I'm new to small diorama/layout shunting and i made it till the end for all its hesitations, thanks

Watching now and I have empathy with you regarding the loco hesitation and and wagons jumping over points. I have just about finished laying track, still looking for two left hand points which are difficult to find second hand here in Toronto. The odd older Triang Sleeper coach will de rail and I don’t know what caused it. Also have acrake of grain tanks and some of them jump over points. Could you do a video on this topic? Another thing is the controller, I too have the same one you have and find sometimes when I try to slow a train down it tends to speed up. Any ideas on that? Thanks and keep up the great work

Good to see the operating potential of the layout. Great video. Andrew

Due to space limitations my plan has always been to have a shunting layout. However, I really haven't known what to do for a track plan. Whilst I have been inspired by your earlier shunting layouts (it was the £35 layout that got my juices flowing for a layout in the first place) this is the track plan for me. Thanks, Mike, I think this will be perfect for my space and for my train running pleasure. Now the winter isn't too far away, I think it will soon be time to get building. I was undecided, also, whether to ballast or use mat. I have decided to ballast. I have also spent the past couple of years collecting all the bits and pieces that I need from bootsales, table sales, Facebook and Ebay and now I have no excuse not to get started, as I probably have enough track alone for a few layouts lol.

Excellent shunting layout. Work well for an Inglenook puzzle shunting game.

Love that shunting demo. Always great to watch despite the minor errors and hiccups 👍👍👍🚂🚂🚂

it's amazing how may operations you can do in such a small space. Cheers John

You've really made that layout come to life, Mike!

It looks great i really like the wall at the back which slopes down.Well done for showing us all the fiddly bits! When it didnt go to plan etc.A lot of wagons are just to light to be pushed back and work better with a bit of weight added.My Budget Model Railway controllers are still working great after two years of using them.I wonder how many people made them in the end?

I wouldn't worry about video length; I don't have a model railway, so like looking at those of others, particularly when working shunts and so on. Nice layout; may think of copying it one day.

The hand of a _gentle & jolly_ god make good-work of the wagons, passengers & parcels of the _whimsy-way_ of rails & town. All Aboard! Sit back, relax & watch The Budget Model Railways of the _imaginative & resourceful_ Father & Son pair! 😊💜 🇬🇧 🚂🚃🚃🚃 🇬🇧 🚃🚃🚃🚂 🇬🇧

I've done several shunting puzzle videos and yours is way more popular! So well done, nice to see what can be done in a small space

Brilliant video , my small model railway is a shunting layout and I've been lucky to have done real shunting with a class 10( Blackstone diesel engine ) version of a class 08 and once shunted a class 33/ 73 and with Queen Mary brake van, to move a steam loco for coaling up.and also some trip goods workings too , and found I like shunting more than just going up and down the line with a passanger service, keep up the good work .

Great use of space! That looks fun!

Pinking shears/craft scissors eh ! what ever next !!! Can't believe that I have a pair of my mums sat in a drawer and didn't know what to do with them . . . I do now !!! excellent idea. I have a large layout but with only a small engine yard to park up the odd engine. Having watched your vids on this theme I've now decided that I will be extending the width of my layout another 12" wide x 6' long and create a shunting yard. I have only ever used peco electrofrogs which require power switches as well as point motors. I've just bought a GWR train pack, new and un-used, of eBay that you mentioned on your harbour side vids as it seemed well geared for crawling. I hope this is as good as yours is. I never thought I'd be interested in 'shunting' as it's termed but I've only watched a few of your vids tonight and I feel like I've been missing out. Question . . do you think that using peco insulfrogs (smaller than Hornby) would be best for shunting rather than electrofrogs and all the extra power switching. The reason I ask is because if I use insulfrogs will this stop other trains in other siding from moving. I was thinking that if I had a long siding I cut effectively power it in 2 stages where only the front train would move leaving the rear train stationery and move that one later by powering up the 2nd part of the line. I too have a problem with maintaining long term interest in things so I have to work around it . . . 'It needs to be complex and done now'. I know you'll understand where I'm coming from. Have to say I'll be watching more of your vids for sure. Cheers for the inspiration. xx

hi, great video, i use my old triang brake vans which are small, shunting the Birds Custard wagons around with a triang dock shunter ,then a triang class 31 picks them up for the journey to the shops,, i agree you do not have to spend a lot of money on locos and wagons. most wagons i have cost less than six pounds each. locos around twenty five pounds !

Thank you so much, for another excellent, thought-provoking video. I like the track plan and possibilities for shunting very much. I believe that I will build it, here in beautiful East Texas. Thanks for the inspiration!

Hi, you have obviously really thought about your track plan and operational potential before plunging in and putting track and scenery down. My first layout is a similar size to yours and lives on top of a wardrobe (I mainly do n gauge and US n scale these days due to having very limited space). Watching your layout and how much fun you are obviously having with it is making me want to get it down and have an operating session with it 😛. The track plan is not as sensible as yours but it was meant to be a module in a larger layout that, for various reasons, never got added to (but never say never). Please keep posting videos to keep us informed of your progress, best wishes 🇬🇧 🚆

Like this layout. Would keep me entertained for hours. Nice one.

Hurrah! Thank-you! Both/all three.

Different tension locks can be a nightmare. It might be worth changing them to a uniform type. Dapol do various types in packets of 20 which you can often get for around a tenner, so not too expensive to change a good number of wagons etc.

That looked really fun, and a video on looking at coupling comparability would be most helpful..

Loved the video to the end I love simplicity And doing things for your self not relying on an electrical component to do it for you

Thanks for showing the shunting, really helped with seeing how it all works. I wonder how big this would be in N scale.

As always, inspiring hoping my attempt will be a functional and eventually as tidy.

...another superb video! thanks for the inspiration, just wondered if the old Peco 'Elsie' couplings would make the shunting easier? 👌

Been waiting for a video of this layout in action. Superb work as always :)

Love it! And yes I watched all of it 😉 great little layout, could get very busy with goods and passenger trains in at the same time. Make a really good exhibition layout. Question though, where is the power connected to? On the entry and then some into the kick back siding?

That's a nice little layout you've built there. I know from experience that mixing wagons with different sized couplings can be a recipe for hours of frustration. My solution was to only use wagons with large D couplings. Happily the used market is awash such wagons :) Most of mine are Triang/Hornby but I've also found that Airfix, Dapol and Lima wagons play well with them. I avoid ANYTHING by Bachmann. If you've got a wagon which keeps derailing and it has plastic couplings then check carefully to see if there's any moulding flash which might cause problems. It the couplings are metal the check that they're at the right height. After that I'd look at changing the wheels if they're plastic. Finally a bit of extra weight might help although sorting out the couplings and wheels usually does the trick. ATB Paula

As i was watching this it made me suddenly want to make a shunting layout. Really good video.

very enjoyable to watch..btw...,very nice sentiment about your dad, in the previous video....My dad too,got me into the hobby.....Ade

Good job, and good job on reaching you subscriber goal -- and then some. Merry Christmas! --dunc

If there are 2 boogie coaches in the bay platform then you could have a small tank engine that can also still fit in the bay platform and still let other locos go by

I stayed to the end and Laurent a lot about shunting 👍👍✌️

Pinking shears, what a brilliant idea!

I'm interested in making a shunting layout, but I also love watching my trains go round. Could you do a combo of a run round layout & a shunting one like that? Not something I've really seen before, but I really like the look of this layout!

The layout you have build would work really nicely with some 'remotely' switchable points. I found a fairly easy method for achieving this. Get a small, long metal rod and run it through a small channel cut into the baseboard. Alternatively, you could have a layer of cardboard or something to elevate the track and leave gaps for the rod. On one end, connect the rod to the point slider, and the other end (which should be sticking out from the side of the mechanism) put a small handle like thing, perhaps a cork or something. This mechanism works well and doesn't impact the look of most layouts as real points are operated in ways similar to this IRL. It can look especially good if you have all the rods running into the bottom of a signal box.

It's not the length but the quality of the contents that matters and yours are excellent.

OK, you didn't loose me. Just found you. Very nice switching (sorry shunting.) Question: I am from the US and still don't really understand the use of brake car (sorry wagon.) In the US the locomotive provide the air power to all the cars (sorry wagons.) Like someone mentioned, yes the hobby can be costly, but hey, that is the price of fun.

I'd watch an hour of train movements on that layout...

Just found this one, really like this layout and will be using the design for one of my own - one question, what radius points are you using? Keep it up, I've watched most of your videos and really like your approach

Great video with an interesting shunting layout. Just one suggestion :- the line where the man is standing on the platform could be a small wagon longer. My only disappointment was you did not show your Fiddle Yard. Cheers Greg.....PS Short videos are the way to go. Anything over 15 minutes I watch in two parts or whatever is required.

This modeled an end of line station and town, if this plan would be in the middle of a rail line what track would be the through track, the one close to the station? Also using this plan, if you were to add a turntable and engine facility, how would you do it? personally I like the plan a lot. It could very well fill a problem area on my next layout.

I think a lot of us would watch an hours shunting video tbf 😅 its quite therapeutic to watch 😀

Hi, love your videos whatever the length, I don't find them boring. Have you thought of having magnets for uncoupling

Well thought out layout.Great.

Excellent video! You know trains always wait until there's company to misbehave...

Thank you and a lovely layout you have.

Really nice layout - wish I waited and seen yours before doing mine! By the way where did the red coal truck come from?

Very good looking plan here Mike. What did you use for a baseboard?

Your coupling and uncoupling seems to have improved no end. It must be all the practice you’re getting, lol.

Enjoyed the whole video on your favourite shunting layout. How many points are required & how many power links are needed to run all round please?

Hi Mike you talk about installing point motors. If you do, could you make it a tutorial Tuesday possibly please 😁

Pinking shears and ball pen-- looks good 👍

I love the shunting please do more it’s interesting

Hi, fantastic videos as always, just wondering have you made a video of your coupling/decoupling device? If not how Did you make it? Happy shunting 🚂 lol

Having watched this quite a few times, I wonder is there a de-coupling piece of track?

When did BR run mixed goods and passenger trains up until? Was it up until the infamous Dr. Beeching cuts of the early 1960's?

Would you find shunting easier with Bachmann trucks? Couplers being different ?

Lovely layout what size req in o gauge without the backscene thanks in advance.

beautiful layout! even though its on a budget!

Hello I like your arrangement with the layout you have, please do you have a track plan I could download?

Love the video as always 😁👍 is there a track plan for this layout as when building my new layout in the loft would like to encorpararete this in it ? keep up the good work 👍

wow a lot of opperating potential for what is such a small layout how is your N gauge layout comming along?

Great video, just a question but, what Is that that white poled handover thing on the middle line inbeween the cattle and crane? Im new to the train modeling world and ive got one and its doin my absolute heading because i don't know what it is or what its for

Is it ok to have manual points (Insulfrog) on a layout you intend to bring to a show/exhibition?

Where would you suggest the best place to pick up good deals on oo 4 wheel coaches or wagons is at the moment please Mike?

17:32 UTC ✊

Station pilots often derailed in real life, as the photos in my local newspaper at the time can testify.

I have being looking at your website for a while now and see lots of updates on the work you do but hardly any actual work been done, why is that

Like this

Hi iam philip and iam doing my own layout like yours in n scaleand I like your layout me and my girlfriend are doing my own railway layout .what do you use to do the road hill let me no

Hi me and my girlfriend are doing my own railway layout in 00 scale but I want to make a country road and grass let me no how I can do this although I've been doing train layouts for years now I still get a bit stuck.let me no

Enjoyed watching. I too don't mind the hand of God. Rather than spending hard earned in stuffs like couplers, even point motors- unless the point is unreachable for the hands... 👍

i always put the video on whilst playing trains lol

What points are you using here?