COLCESTER LAYOUTS
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COLCESTER INTERNATIONAL: From Past to Present
By COLIN SMITH
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(c) 2023 Colin Smith
COLCESTER MK3
The new COLCESTER Layout is the most ambitious yet!
It will comprise of a DCC controlled internal shed circuit with upper and lower loop lines, and with an optional external garden loop.
The internal DCC layout will have a large station called COLCESTER INTERNATIONAL which will serve Eurostar and High Speed Commuter services, plus there will be local services too. Main features of the layout will include a junction (Furman Smithy Junction) bringing trains in from the garden loop across one end of the layout into a Four Track Section. All main lines on the scenic area will have OHLE with masts by Dapol and some re-used Hadley JV ones too. Trackwork will be all new and be mostly concrete sleeper flexible track. I hope to add colour light signals too. At the second junction (Colcester Junction) the lines will split again to indoor and outdoor routes.
The layout will feature two through stations called FURMAN SMITHY and COLCESTER INTERNATIONAL. The first one will be a standard two platform station whilst the latter one will have 6 platforms on one level with a further 2 on a lower level.
The outdoor Garden loop will be carried on raised supports around the end of the garden and then back into the shed. Because of the need of constant power boosting for DCC the underside of the boards supporting the track will have conduits for cabling housed in protective covers. The interior of the garden loop will be landscaped as a viewing area.
Colcester International (Mk3 Plan) - Click on image to enlarge.
The revised plan here for COLCESTER INTERNATIONAL see`s some fundamental changes to track rationalization which will reduce the number of points required from the previous plan. This new plan still has key points in place which were integral to the original design as concieved and thought up back in 2012/2013. They have been amended several times, the latest and last time being May 2018. These are as follows:
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Provision for a four-track Mainline
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The Main Line station of Colcester International providing both High Speed and local slow and fast train services
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Some additional sidings for added interest and operational use
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The inbound / outbound High Speed Line for Platforms 1&2
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Access for a Double Track Garden Loop (Double track to start with, upgrading to Four Track later)
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Furman Smithy Station to act as a focal point for local DMU and EMU services
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Low Level additional loop line with lower Station platforms at Colcester
A lot of these features were on the very first plan drawn up, but there have been some improvements along the way. At one point there were very complex junctions at BOTH ends of the main station in order to sort out the relationship between internal Shed loop tracks and external Garden Loop tracks, referred to as Colcester Junction and Furman Smithy Junction. The Colcester Junction then allowed an "illusion" Station to be built, giving the appearance that Colcester International is indeed bigger than it actually is. Most of the trains in this Station will in fact be hidden from view with only the four Internal loop tracks emerging both sides, the shortest inside platform will normally handle Class 350 EMU`S and DMU`S like the Classes 150, 110 and 142. The other platforms should be able to handle longer trains pulled by Classes 43, 47, 50, 86, 87, 90, 91 and even Class 395 Javelin`s. Two further platforms (1&2) leading onto the Garden loop will be exclusively for Class 395 Javelin`s and Eurostar services. There will be future provision for the new Class 800 too.
All the Mainline tracks in the scenic areas will have Dapol OHLE Masts fitted, mixed in with some re-used Hadley JV Masts too, whilst the concrete flyover carrying the High Speed line will have Jouef Masts fitted. A mix of older Hadley JV and newer Peco and Dapol catenary wires will be used, the Hadley one`s will be slightly stronger and will be used at the entrance/exit points of the Garden loop to allow the pantographs to run on and off the wires smoothly when going from Shed to Garden and vice versa, along with entering and exiting tunnel sections inside the shed aided by a scratch-built ski system to allow the pantographs to run off the wires.
