Newbie here, but have been reading and learning for a while. Starting construction on my first layout, and have a question regarding laying track in the yard. The layout will have a double main, with an east and west bound track coming into a yard area. In the yard there will be the 2 mains on each outside edge, then moving inward there is an arrival/departure track for each main, then classification tracks in the middle. The mains will be on Midwest cork roadbed, so the question is, in the yard area do I maintain this height for all the yard tracks, drop the mains down to yard level, or keep the mains at roadbed level and have all other track in the yard at a lower height? Hope this makes sense, and thanks in advance for input.
When I built my yard early on for this, my first adult layout, I put all the tracks on roadbed. That looked wrong, but I liked the idea of having no elevation change from the main line inward.
I fixed it with a couple of sheets of thin white poster board from a craft store. I cut the sheets to shape and fitted them in with white glue. When the ground was covered with scenic material and the track ballasted lightly, it looked right.
If you're using Kadee couplers and using the delayed uncoupling feature, a level yard is important to allow you to spot cars.
EDIT: I found a picture on my computer upstairs.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
The choice is pretty-well up to the individual. Most of my mainline track is on cork roadbed, but in my yards (they're basically staging) the tracks are directly on the plywood, and none are ballasted.
(Photos will enlarge if clicked-upon.)
Parts of three of them can be seen in this photo (two tracks on the lower level, another two on the next level, and five on the upper one.
There are another 7 tracks on the uppermost level, but I'll be adding two more short tracks in the right foreground...
In addition to those, there are another two staging tracks in an adjoining room (workshop)...
The mainline tracks on the upper level, shown below, are on cork, but that industrial siding, in the distance to the left, is directly on the cut-out 3/4" plywood sub-roadbed....
...while the tracks (which include a mainline) on the lower level, to the right, are all directly on the plywood. The mainline there will transition to cork roadbed, out-of-frame, as the track rises to eventually join the tracks on the upper level to the left.Pretty well all industrial sidings on the layout are directly on plywood. Here's an example in Lowbanks, a typical type of small town on my layout.Like all of those towns, the mainline track is double, with crossovers to allow switching moves and run-arounds...
On the track which leads off the main, just behind that gondola, there are three "company-service" cars, spotted there temporarily. The track on which they're sitting is on cork roadbed, but from the turnout to that area, I used very coarse sandpaper to take the thickness of the cork right down to the level of the underlying plywood. The transition, which is very smooth, is roughly 18" long, and took only a few minutes to create.
A little further down the line, you can see that the mainline tracks take a curve to the left.
Here's a view of that curve from the opposite direction...
Both of the mainlines, and that spur on the left, are transitioning from cork roadbed to plywood, and from there, run directly atop the plywood right to the end of this portion of the layout....
There's a lift-out section which, when in place, allows trains to cross the aisleway, where they can enter the lowest-level staging tracks or ones on the second level (as seen in the first photo).
Wayne
The prototype, or at least the examples best known to me, had the yard at a lower level than the main, presumably so that a run away car in the yard would not roll and foul the main. But we often lack the space for those changes of elevation (or have to make them so abrupt and steep that operation is hindered). Smooth and trouble free operation should probably trump following the prototype literally in this case.
The other thing is that while yards have drainage, the track and surrounding roadbed tend to be more level in yards, so that your usual cork roadbed with an elevation would not be what you use, but rather cork sheets such as Midwest sells. There is also little to no trackside debris in a yard versus the main, because workers are walking around in the dark and tripping hazzards are minimized. That is why ballast on the main usually leaves the upper ends of the ties exposed while in yards the ballast comes up to the tops of the ties uniformly from end to end. At a large yard near Milwaukee (Butler Yard) the C&NW used "chips" of the "pink lady" ballast used on the main, so that the surface would be very smooth and even for walking.
If you make your yard look different enough from the main perhaps a change in elevation will be less needed to promote the appearance of realism.
Dave Nelson
dknelson That is why ballast on the main usually leaves the upper ends of the ties exposed...
That is why ballast on the main usually leaves the upper ends of the ties exposed...
In reading an NTSB analysis of a derailment, I noted that best practice for main line track is to have the tie end NOT exposed. The ties should be surrounded by ballast. Except, of course, the top.
The mainline tracks through the yard, if they are used "at speed", will be maintained and ballasted the same as the approaching main line trackage.
The yard tracks don't have to be.
Note that it is not necessary to have the height difference between the raised trackage and the yard trackage at the height of a piece of cork roadbed (3/16"). It only has to be enough to be noticeable. If you use a smaller difference, the transition will be easier to solve.
Ed
Not a bazillion of unnecessary photo's here but I lay yard track on Homasote. It's easy to spike or use track nails to hold the track down. You can ballast later with fine ballast.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Welcome to the forums!
I see sheet cork mentioned in several of the comments. Another thing I have seen in similar situations is the use of N scale cork roadbed for sidings, passing tracks, etc.
An alternate way to create a slope off the main is to use wood shingles or wedge shaped shims, used when installng doors or windows.
Good luck,
Richard
Coaster In the yard there will be the 2 mains on each outside edge, then moving inward there is an arrival/departure track for each main, then classification tracks in the middle.
Befiore getting too far into the design, note this is model thinking that gets repeated on the forums and in the magazines. A prototype yard the size most of us can model would hardly ever have dedicated arrival/departure tracks, and trains would come and go from whichever track worked for that at the time. That may change how you want to approach roadbed and track elevations (or not).
Rob Spangler
cowmanAn alternate way to create a slope off the main is to use wood shingles or wedge shaped shims, used when installng doors or windows.
-Matt
Returning to model railroading after 40 years and taking unconscionable liberties with the SP&S, Northern Pacific and Great Northern roads in the '40s and '50s.
100% agree with Rob!
My 1st layout had the yard directly on the foam with a transition track between the yard and main which was on cork roadbed. It worked but I realized a longer transition track was neeeded. Fast forward to my current (2nd) layout and I keep all the tracks on cork. While I lose some realism, I don't worry about derailments. What a trade off!
Thank you to all for the input, I'll mull it over, still have some time until actually laying track in the yard.
Coaster The mains will be on Midwest cork roadbed, so the question is, in the yard area do I maintain this height for all the yard tracks, drop the mains down to yard level, or keep the mains at roadbed level and have all other track in the yard at a lower height?
The mains will be on Midwest cork roadbed, so the question is, in the yard area do I maintain this height for all the yard tracks, drop the mains down to yard level, or keep the mains at roadbed level and have all other track in the yard at a lower height?
I gave up on Woodland Scenics Foam TrackBed and decided to use Midwest Cork. But, I have always disliked the 5mm drop to the subroadbed, too steep for my liking.
So, I installed Midwest N scale cork sheet, 1/8"" (3mm) x 3 1/4" x 36", for my double mainline. By installing the double mainline to the edge of each side of the cork sheet, I was able to maintain a perfect 2" on center track alignment with a more gentle slope for the ballast.
When I reached the yards on my layout, I installed turnouts off the mainlines. From there, flextrack gradually sloped to the subroad surface to the yard tracks. I then filled in the space under the sloping tracks from the mainlines to the yard tracks with ballast. Works like a charm and looks prototypical.
Rich
Alton Junction
At least for the yard area that is a major chunk of my current layout, I built all the track on the same level. I used a piece of midwest cork for the outside edge of the track and 5mm cork sheet for all the rest of the areas. As already said, probably not prototypical but especially when there is a track about every 9" or so, sloping is not exactly easy to do.
Dealing with elevations, if you go from a raised roadbed mainline with cork to a yard, you don't have to have a ramp. Simply mount the mainline with cork so the surfaces match between the cork and the yard elevation.
At the bottom of the photo, the cork is at the same level as the Homasote. Of course you have to build this into the benchwork design but it eliminates unnecessary ramps.
On my last layout the main and yards were all as level as possible but I gave it the illusion of elivation. Had canyons etc. It would be best to make the yard level with the main and work your majic in other ways so that the yard looks lower. Choise of ballast color and ballest highth can make the yard look lower.
riogrande5761 Dealing with elevations, if you go from a raised roadbed mainline with cork to a yard, you don't have to have a ramp. Simply mount the mainline with cork so the surfaces match between the cork and the yard elevation. At the bottom of the photo, the cork is at the same level as the Homasote. Of course you have to build this into the benchwork design but it eliminates unnecessary ramps.
Rich. Since much of a mainline is typically mounted on risers so the scenery can rise or fall around the track, it seemed common sense to just match up the mainline track with the yard.
riogrande5761...it seemed common sense to just match up the mainline track with the yard.
I agree, but hadn't thought of it at the time, although I did a similar alignment for those staging tracks in another room.
In most of the other on-layout places, I ended-up simply sanding the cork roadbed down to the level of the plywood where there are yards or industrial tracks...this one took about 10 minutes of time, and no additional cost for material...
If you don't have some decent coarse sandpaper, a Stanley Surform will do the job, too, as long as the cork is securely cemented to the plywood.
crossthedog cowman An alternate way to create a slope off the main is to use wood shingles or wedge shaped shims, used when installng doors or windows. I tried using shims, but even long ones I had were really steep. To come down off the main into yard level (and siding level) I eventually used a method someone told me about in here... laying down many layers of masking tape staggered every eighth- to quarter-inch so that it creates a gradual rise. It worked like a charm. I can't remember who told me about this trick but I'm grateful. -Matt
cowman An alternate way to create a slope off the main is to use wood shingles or wedge shaped shims, used when installng doors or windows.
I tried using shims, but even long ones I had were really steep. To come down off the main into yard level (and siding level) I eventually used a method someone told me about in here... laying down many layers of masking tape staggered every eighth- to quarter-inch so that it creates a gradual rise. It worked like a charm. I can't remember who told me about this trick but I'm grateful.
I think that was Mark P. aka "Pruitt". He's got a layout build thread about the CB&Q in Wyoming and you can search the pics to find one of his Casper yard. Its really a good job.
BTW, haven't seen him post in a while. Probably busy making a new video.
- Douglas
riogrande5761 Rich. Since much of a mainline is typically mounted on risers so the scenery can rise or fall around the track, it seemed common sense to just match up the mainline track with the yard.
wp8thsub Coaster In the yard there will be the 2 mains on each outside edge, then moving inward there is an arrival/departure track for each main, then classification tracks in the middle. Befiore getting too far into the design, note this is model thinking that gets repeated on the forums and in the magazines. A prototype yard the size most of us can model would hardly ever have dedicated arrival/departure tracks, and trains would come and go from whichever track worked for that at the time. That may change how you want to approach roadbed and track elevations (or not).
Separated mains runing around either side with the yard stuck in the middle would also be "highly unusual" from a prototype point of view.
If you have a double track main, the yard would be off to one side or the other with crossovers for trains to access either track. The yard could have an A/D or running track that runs around the opposite side bypassing the ladder(s), but it wouldn't be a main track.
Chris van der Heide
My Algoma Central Railway Modeling Blog