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Different configurations of rail yards

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  • Member since
    January 2020
  • 16 posts
Different configurations of rail yards
Posted by Andrey on Wednesday, May 6, 2020 1:45 PM

Hello. On the picture below you can see different configurations of rail yards. All configurations, except first one, provides sidings of almost the same lengths.

Tags: Rail yards , yard , Yards
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  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, May 6, 2020 4:54 PM

Is there a question or comment in here somewhere?

I have never had the luxury of a double-ended yard since I switched to HO scale.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    February 2001
  • From: Wyoming, where men are men, and sheep are nervous!
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Posted by Pruitt on Wednesday, May 6, 2020 7:25 PM

One thing I learned with one of my staging yards, which was built like the last illustration, is that it can get very confusing when configuring the yard ladders at each end for a through run. I planned on using the toggle switch positions as the visual indication for switch positions, but I went back and added LED indicators to the panel because I had to stare at the toggles for ten or fifteen seconds to make sure I got the path set correctly. The LED's really helped.

I didn't want to just push a button on a track to align all the switches because at times I would have a train entering one staging track while another would be leaving from s different track out the other ladder.

A bit of a tangent, but difficulty setting routes might be a factor to consider in designing a double-ended yard.

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Posted by gregc on Thursday, May 7, 2020 7:30 AM

Pruitt
I didn't want to just push a button on a track to align all the switches because at times I would have a train entering one staging track while another would be leaving from  different track out the other ladder.

wouldn't separate pushbuttons aligning the ladders at each end of the yard be helpful?   2 buttons would need to be pressed to establish a route thru the yard

greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading

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Posted by kasskaboose on Thursday, May 7, 2020 8:48 AM

No two yards are the exact same.  What is the OP's objective here?  I'm confused.

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Posted by Andrey on Thursday, May 7, 2020 10:54 AM

SeeYou190

Is there a question or comment in here somewhere?

I have never had the luxury of a double-ended yard since I switched to HO scale.

-Kevin

 

 
Hello. I just posted "how-to" information. Maybe it will be useful for somebody.
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  • From: Canterlot
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Posted by zugmann on Thursday, May 7, 2020 11:04 AM

Designers and civil type engineers love straight ladders.  They look so pretty.  

 

People who actually use the yards seem to prefer compound.  (#4 above). 

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

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  • From: West Australia
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Posted by John Busby on Thursday, May 7, 2020 11:15 PM

Hi All

Yards are built to suit there location and purpose so double ended is not always possible or needed.

However I would say arrival and departure tracks should be double ended for ease of geting trains in and out.

Which means any head shunt, yard lead?? should be able to take a full train so the whole can be moved to sorting tracks or to departure track in basicaly one move.

So your yard is going to be twice as long as you think it is.

regards John

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