In my new transitional era yard, I have three parallel service tracks, two leading to the turntable and one supplying coal, sand, and diesel to the other two. My question has to do with the order of those facilities once the locomotive has entered the service area. I have already installed the ash pit as the first stop. And I reasoned that since diesel would have been the last addition, it would be at the other end. Would there have been a standard order for the locomotive to take on water, coal, and sand? I model Union Pacific.
Kalmbach has an excellent book on engine service facilities. The preview at Google books has a healthy amount of text available, along with diagrams of typical arrangements on page 7. If you're modeling a service area, this book is a great resource to have.
This is a very timely thread. I was just asking the same question on another forum and also here under the "PRR:Schuylkill River Division Progress" thread. I hope to get a lot of info from here. Bring on the pictures.
Keep the axels greased and the tender full, we're rollin' now.
Ron
My layout progress posting Named "PRR Schuylkill Division"
Link to my Youtube videos. http://www.youtube.com/user/myowngod2
I don't think there's any set arrangement, railroads did things differently based on their requirements and space they had available. For example, the third picture on this page shows the Michigan Central facilities in Jackson, MI, which had the coaling tower, cinder pit, and sand in parallel. Sometimes the sanding equipment would be combined with the coaling tower.
I'm not sure if that book covers transition terminals, but here's a birdseye of the GTW terminal in Pontiac, which shows the old coaling tower in relation to the newer diesel facilities, the turntable (which is still in service, btw), and the remains of the roundhouse.
Here are a couple of shots of my engine servicing terminal while under construction. I adapted ideas from three different terminals I had photographs of and also used the Kalmbach book as a reference source.
Engine terminals were a part of the railroad that evolved so to speak as time went on. During the transition period of the 1950's lets say you would usually see both sources of power steam and diesel in the same terminal. Diesel coming in later of course things like fuel platforms were retrofitted where ever they could be fitted. One thing to keep in mind if you are modeling the UP they didn't use the type of coaling towers like most railroads in the mid Atlantic region did like the Titchy 400ton model you see in the picture. They used multi track coal bunker type structures. If you search Cheyenne cola bunker under Prototype Information you'll see what I mean
2-6-6-6, I don't see your pix. Just red "X" boxes. Could you try again?
Union Pacific was single track through here, so all of their service facilities were right on the main line, although there was a turning "Y" and a two-stall engine house located across the road from the depot. This was at Plainville, KS, on the Plainville Branch [the longest branch line in the UP system]. The main line between Kansas City and Denver was 25 miles south, and Ellis, KS, was the nearest division point. The service facilities included a roundhouse, turntable, car barn, and icing station. But the coaling tower serviced two tracks [I believe, since I can't find my picture]. The Mike Boss painting of Ellis in 1950 shows the coaling tower over the top of a string of box cars, and it looks very much like the Walthers Cornerstone wood coaling tower. However, the box cars hide the rest of the service facilities. I do remember that the ice station was on the mainline about a quarter mile away from the rest of the service area.
myowngod2-6-6-6, I don't see your pix. Just red "X" boxes. Could you try again?
I se em right there.......lol right click on the red X and it should say show image or show picture. The problem must be on your end.
When I click on the Show Picture, nothing happens.