Yanga

 

Yanga is a small modular layout and staging yard based on the premise that the New South Wales Government Railways and the Victorian Railways met in the NSW outback west of Hay close to Balranald. The layout depicts a station where the Victorian broad gauge meets the NSW standard gauge and freight and passengers must change trains.

 

With the Covid lockdown I was inspired to build a small layout to operate my NSW models on. I initially tried using a 3mm MDF baseboard, well supported and Shinohara code 70 points on a track layout as shown. This proved to be a flawed idea as the points were not as reliable for slow speed running as desired.

 

In frustration a new layout was started, based on the original plan but with a baseboard about 100 mm longer and wider. Peco code 75 track and points were used and this has proved to be a very worthwhile change. I had really enjoyed operating version 1, but the reliability problems were not acceptable. I therefore used the same basic track plan, with one small change and also to allow for the different point geometry between the Shinohara and Peco points. The extra real estate also made the whole station yard look more spacious and less cluttered.

 

In model form the NSW models and Victorian broad gauge models all use the same track gauge. Dual gauge track was not as easy as it could be and hand laying track was not one of my skills - I took the easy way out and the broad gauge track is just two short stubs as shown. Stock can be transferred between tracks with a Peco Loco Lift.

 

The new track has made the slow running so much more enjoyable. The layout is only 1.6 meters long and it really isn?t designed for faster running. Also as one of the prime shunting locos is the X200 rail tractor slow speed running is essential. I saw a photo of an X200 rail tractor at Tocumwal station on the NSW, Victorian border in a Train Hobby book, so that was the excuse to buy the X200. Also being so small it is ideal for shunting in a small space.

 

The layout is controlled by an NCE PowerCAB with a connection panel in the facia of the layout and one set into the staging yard baseboard. That might seem an overkill but that way someone can operate the station yard and another operator can remarshal trains in the staging yard. The NCE PowerCAB is very versatile as I can use it on my main layout and a couple of other distractions I have built. I just need a connection panel on each layout as well as a plug pack power supply. There is a switch mounted next to the main layout panel that allows me to disconnect the layout from the system and power the programming track so I can program locomotive decoders.

 

One of the good aspects of a small layout is you only need a limited number of locomotives and pieces of rolling stock. Too many wagons on the layout make it look cluttered and also more difficult to shunt. If there are two goods trains marshaled in the staging yard, about 12 to 14 wagons in the station yard is about all that is needed on the NSW standard gauge. The only bogie wagons are an oil tank wagon, one cattle wagon and a bogie wheat wagon. Passenger stock can be an equally small roster as a branch line passenger train would be a coach and van or two coaches.

 

Typical locomotives on one of these lines would be a 30T or 32 class steam locomotives, and a branch line diesel such as a 47,48, or 49 class. My 70 class diesel is a little out of place, but it is small and ideally suited to a small layout, and runs so well at slow speed. Both the X200 and the 70 class are fitted with a stay alive module which is really good in short wheelbase locomotives.

 

While the layout is small it provides plenty of operating potential and when we have an operating night there is an operating sequence to keep the drivers busy. I firmly believe that even operating a smaller layout can be fun. While we have been locked down, I have found that I will sit down and operate this layout in preference to my larger SAR layout.

 

Victorian Railways stock is a DERM railcar, a Y class diesel and a small IDR W class diesel. Goods rolling stock is handled by a GY open wagon and a 4-wheel U van.

 

Small layouts are easy to build, fun to operate and can be built without a huge cost. Have a go.