Shintahara Reborn...or...Yet Another Trackplan!

It all started innocently enough with a doodle. I sketched out a small 9"X72" branchline layout split into 3 modules. Then came the doubts on the loop layout design... and so began the unraveling of yet another seemingly firm layout plan! I finally think I've hit pay dirt though.

So... I sat down and I wrote out my preferences for a layout. A continuous run, surprising to me, was pretty low on the list when I prioritized. I do have the track if I want an oval loop and want to run trains round and round, but overall, that's not my ultimate goal. The initial plan was to focus on a branchline, with the mainline loop serving as a public display. That said, running trains back and forth on a branch can be pretty interesting too. Rural railways used to be all over Japan, now there are a handful left. I've always been partial to shortlines, especially those that have a run-down character all their own. The simplicity of the Ryugasaki line outlined in my previous post is fine, but I wanted something a bit more complex. That brought me back to Shintahara. Drawing inspiration from the Kominato Line, and the fact that several of the stations have abandoned tracks, I redesigned Shintahara slightly. Gone is the loop from the original layout design, and a more gradual (and realistic) climb into the mountains is planned.

After deciding this, it was back to Anyrail. Those 3 modules I initially doodled became Baiji Station and Atakami Station on the Shintahara Line. They were separated by a single track rural length that I imagined running through rice padies on an embankment. I added a double track JNR main at Baiji Station, and switches may be an option there in the future. When I added the JNR line, it initially curved off the edge over a bridge, but I thought "Why not make an 'L' shaped layout" and I quickly drew a 9" square curve module. Not only does it break up the straight line of the branch, but it also gives me a possibility of eventually building a larger modular setup to do some mainline running. These four modules will form the basis of the Shintahara Line. The mainline in Baiji will be elevated from the Shintahara line, with no interchanges. I may add a future module in front that has the interchange track to the JNR line.



The era is still planned to be the late 70's/early 80's. A time when rural freight service has been phased out, but the main lines are still pre-nationalization.


Rolling stock will be simple in keeping with the nature of the line. I had initially planned to purchase a new 103 set, but with the change in plans, I think I'll be adding a KiHa47/48 combo instead. Dual tracks and a passing siding ensure I can run 2 cars on the layout. Passing sidings are located at all stations except Baiji Park and Itohara. Eishido's passing siding will be intact but abandoned.

More as things progress...

Hopefully I don't change things again...