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HO Scale Entry 5Kintetsu Utsube Line
Name: Utsube-Hachioji Line. The prototype for this layout is an electrified 762mm gauge line of the Kintetsu, located in Mie Prefecture in Japan. Originally built as a steam tramway, it was electrified in the 1930s, and continues to operate in 2008. Scale & Gauge: 1:87th scale, 9mm gauge. Known variously as HOn30 or HOn21/2. Ruling grade: 1 in 100, or 1%. Minimum radius: 18" Size: overall, 10' x 12', as per the contest criteria. The minimum aisle width is 30" inch, the same as the door opening. Style: Around the walls shelf layout, with centre peninsula. The layout concept is very much influenced by British modeller Ian Rice's ideas on shelf layout. The emphasis is on the railway itself, rather than extensive scenery. What scenery there is is mainly the backs of houses and shops in the towns, or rice paddies and green tea plantations. The model sticks fairly closely to the prototype, with two obvious departures from reality. The terminus at Ise-Hachioji was closed before the elevated standard gauge station over the narrow gauge lines was built at Yokkaichi, but I kept this feature. I reasoned that it would provide more operational interest than the current stub-track terminal at Nishihino. I've also changed the location of the junction at Hinaga, to better fit the layout into the room. As the line is self-contained, there is no need for offscene staging or storage tracks, which maximises the space for the layout. There is a transhipment platform at Yokkaichi served by a standard gauge siding - this provides the line with it's connection to the outside world for freight traffic. The passengers just walk upstatirs to the SG platforms to make their connections. Operation: The Ustube line is basically a commuter operation these days, but up until the 1980s it also ran loco-hauled passenger trains and freight. The commuter services are operated by electric multiple unit cars - EMUs. Because the line is single track, much of the operation revolves around crossing trains at the various stations. Loco-hauled trains can run round when terminating at Utsube, Ise-Hachioji or Hinaga, There is a run round loop for freight trains at Yokkaichi, but loco-hauled passenger trains must arrive on the outer platform road, where there is a headshunt. On arrival the first loco uncouples from its train. A second loco standing in the headshunt then draws forward and couples to the other end of newly arrived train. Once the train has departed, the first loco runs into the headshunt, to repeat the process for the next train. On the prototype, at the start of the day all trains commenced from Utsube. The first train out was loco-hauled, and reversed at Hinaga, then ran to Ise-Hachioji. It was closely followed by the next, which ran all the way to Yokkaichi. In general, off peak services were loco and cars, while AM and PM peaks, and the school trains, were run by EMUs. The layout should easily accomodate at least two operators comfortably, and would support either fast clock and timetable ops, or sequence running ops. There is no provision for continuous running. In summary, this is a layout I'd seriously consider building myself. I readily admit it would not be suitable for a novice or inexperienced modeller, as it would require connsiderable scratchbuilding. But I think it would something a more experienced modeller could achieve in a reasonable time, and would offer challenges in both construction and operation. |
