Yard #2 Union Lumber

[SpaceMouse]

Once again, I'd like your feedback.



The Union Lumber Company is the only terminal for the California Western and therefore needs to have a higher capacity thatn the Willits yard. There are incoming logs and out going lumber. There are incoming and outgoing supplies. There is fuel oil for the engines. Storage of full and empty cars is as important as or more important than classification.

Starting at the top, the top track and siding are on the bluff above the mill and is the main from Willits to Eureka.

The next track down is the Engine Service track.
The yard, of course, is below that, with the bottom track being supplies for the logging camps.

In the upper right are three tracks. The right most is the log dump, the two other tracks are for storing empties.

The lower right two tracks are for loading boxcars with cut lumber.

The lower left are industrial tracks. The top is the Company Store and a casket company (or brewery). The bottom is a team track.

The passenger station is in the middle right at the end of the walkway.

It's not pretty, but it works. I'm open to ideas.

[Anonymous]

I dont see many flaws chipper, Im sure you will have a fine operating layout when all is said and done.

[ukguy]

Well Chip, apart from the fact that I know diddly squat about operations or for that matter yard design, I like it, it looks operational and flows well.

I read something in an earlier post about 'escape routes' or tracks for the loco out of the yards, is this not needed in your upper left ladder? will trains back in and pull out?

Looks great to me, I'm picking up a thing or to from these excellent threads of yours.

Have fun & be safe,
Karl.

[selector]

Chip, I think it looks very good! If you were to press me, I would be concerned about how compact the area is around your turntable. I know this is just a schematic, but it looks cramped to me. Specifically, the run-by on the left; seems very tight there.

If you were to really haul on my arm, I would also point out that your top inside corner, in the aisle, has the tracks too close to the edge. Consider a redesign of the table edge, not necessarily of the rail plan.

[ukguy]

Chip, on the area Crandell is refering to (inside aisle) if the reason for the close to edge proximity is access, ie maintaining that 30" reach, I may have a solution for you.

If your grid is 12" squares the aisle looks to be 30", correct? why not have a hinged (or removeable) 6-8" deep, 30" wide 'shelf' portion attached to the bench at the end of the aisle. This would accomplish 2 things.

1: You could run the track right along the edge of the actual bench with the joint just under or right next to the road bed, thus hiding it and maximising trackspace. Place a station building (isnt that where the passenger station will be?) or parking lot, or just lightly scenic the shelf.


2: In the event of access being required, ie: derailed lil guy (if he ever gets rerailed) or access to a switch, you could simply drop the 'table leaf' thus restoring your 30" reach to the back of the area.

Just some thoughts for you.

Have fun & be safe,
Karl.

[SpaceMouse]

Thanks guys. I am concerned about reach behind the roundhouse.

Good idea about the fold down area.

I plan to shape the table edge to conform to the layout, but I haven't figured out how to do that on the program. There are a lot of things about 3rd Planit that I could do easier in reality better than I can virtually.

[Adelie]

I think it looks good, Chip, particularly with your description of each track or section's purpose. I like Karl's idea of the fold down attachment, assuming the scenery and structures can be protected when it is tucked away.

As far as access, it looks like the farthest tracks at the top are elevated above the rest. If your basement is like mine, the ladder lives down there and can get pressed into service. The access to the storage tracks on the right might be a little dicey where they head behind the roundhouse. You might consider shortening them a little to lessen how far they tuck behind the structure and thus how much is an access problem. I'm thinking maybe a removeable section in the wedge of space below where the three tracks take their 15-degree right bend. I'm assuming the only things going all the way to the end of those tracks are freight cars, which are probably easier to drag out than stubborn locomotives.

[claycts]

QUOTE: Originally posted by SpaceMouse

Thanks guys. I am concerned about reach behind the roundhouse.

Good idea about the fold down area.

I plan to shape the table edge to conform to the layout, but I haven't figured out how to do that on the program. There are a lot of things about 3rd Planit that I could do easier in reality better than I can virtually.

Amen Chip, the tape on the floor and carboard mock ups are my test bench. Looks like a good working design with a few good inputs from the others. My plans have more color in track than you do. Are you using multi layers or 1 for track and 1 for other? have you tried scrtch building buildingd in VR land, A pain but helps in the check out process.
Thanks for your posts and input on my mess.
Cheers

[SpaceMouse]

QUOTE: Originally posted by claycts


Amen Chip, the tape on the floor and carboard mock ups are my test bench.

I'll need to do a "clean sweep" and a remodel of the basement before that is possible.

QUOTE: Looks like a good working design with a few good inputs from the others. My plans have more color in track than you do. Are you using multi layers or 1 for track and 1 for other? have you tried scrtch building buildingd in VR land, A pain but helps in the check out process.

Not yet, I plan on doing a lot of that further down the road. I'm still very new to 3rd Planit. I know I'm going to have to scratch build a lot of the structures so I might as well scratch them in VR as well.

As for track layers, I have lower level, which both yards you see are on. I also have upper level, transition track, tunnels, and staging as their own layers.

QUOTE: Thanks for your posts and input on my mess.
Cheers

My pleasure.

[SpaceMouse]

Based upon input. I've decided to cut the roundhouse to 3 stalls.

What I neglected to tell you is that a Lumber Yard is a huge operation--much larger than the space I have available. So I am going to attempt a John Allen and double everything using a mirror along the right side of the image on the backdrop I intend to split the mill and log pond in half and with the reflection it should seem whole. There will be a second level above this point so, the illusion has a good chance of working. Only if a person crouches down in one area should then be able to see their own reflection.

The finished lumber stack and the tracks at the bottom will seem doubled.

The only part I don't reflected is the round house and turntable. By eliminating half the round house and planting a stand of scrub oak, I can block the round house reflection.

I also neglected to mention that the small stub track to the right of the round house is a paint shed.

Thanks for the input.

[Texas Zepher]

I really like it. Perhaps reduce the engine house tracks off the turntable to only 3 or four. It looks a bit crowded, especially next to the log dump & car storage.

[Noah Hofrichter]

Chip, I think your decision to cut to three roundhouse tracks was a good one. I'm currently building a module that is 4 feet by 30" and I've learned that it may look fine on the plan, but when you actually get it layed out, make sure that things are in line with the turntable, and that you have the correct clearences for the roundhouse doors, you won't be able to fit quite that many tracks in. I did.

Noah