N Scale Modular - Solent Summit

Solent Summit is the main passing place on the layout, consisting of the main line and three parallel passing loops.

These are (from the "back scene" side at the top of the image above):

• Solent Summit - Station loop
• Solent Summit - main line
• Solent Summit - Passing loop
• Solent Summit - Goods loop

Three modules (East, Center and West) make up this module group. Technically the East and West modules can be used without the Center module (they were built before it) but this does not allow enough operational flexibility as the passing loops are too short to be very useful. The Passing loop head shunt at the West end of Solent Summit extends to the module edge to allow connection to a double track module and thus increasing the passing potential. A bumper (buffer in English railway parlance) is fixed in place to terminate the head shunt if the adjacent module is not double track. The other option being considered is to create another (optional) module that would fit between Solent Summit West and Solent Summit Center, extending all the loops by 4' when space permitted. This would raise the passing length from 9' to 13' to provide an increase the operational flexibility and match the length of Cascade Falls/Dilithium Fuels and Bob's Blue Circle Pickles and Branstone Cement Works.