I'm having a little trouble figuring out a staging yard.... The track splits before entering two seperate tunnels... One would be an "east" to staging and one would be "west" to staging... I was hoping to have this as a rev loop for possible continuous running, with the actual staging in between. This will all be under another level 6-7 inches above. The area between levels will be open on the sides for easy access.
If I were to put in turnouts after entering the tunnel and just have parallel tracks running around the loop, by the time I get to the 3rd track in, the radius starts to get a bit tight. So, should I just have to stubs coming from east and west, with a connection for rev. loop???
Heres a design of the space... Grid is 12" squares, and its in HO.. Would like 2-3 tracks for staging shorter rolling stock. Train length wil be no longer then 7-8 cars at the most. Any ideas??? Please help
Mike
How do you want the staging yard to work?
Single use staging with manual reset, a train going to staging doesn't return in that session?
Multiple use staging, a train running into staging can run out of staging?
Self restaging?
Manual restaging?
If you want a little of both, then put one or two switches immediatley inside the tunnel on both legs. Run a two or three track loop around the the outside of the space. On the inside of the loop put one to three stub tracks off each side of the inside loop into the center of the loop. You may be able to curve then to lengthen them.
Up side : you get both singe and multiple use staging and you can stage at least one humungous train.
Down side : the hidden staging becomes very complicated. Almost always a bad thing.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
I would like to have trains running in and out of staging. I'm hoping to keep the tracks that I may have to reach into close to the edge of layout.. So putting tracks into the middle of the loop is not an option. I threw some tracks together into an idea.. Train can go into top tunnel and back into stub tracks up near wall, so then engine can escape... Or train can go into bottom tunnel and park on inside/oustide passing tracks.. Middle, shorter track could stay as the main/lead for ladder... . All curves are R18" turnouts #4 What do you think???
18" curves are pretty tight... can you get 20-22" in there?
I'm assuming of course that yuo're going to run things a little bigger than an 0-6-0 with 40-50' cars through there...
-Dan
Builder of Bowser steam! Railimages Site
MPRR I would like to have trains running in and out of staging. I'm hoping to keep the tracks that I may have to reach into close to the edge of layout.. So putting tracks into the middle of the loop is not an option. I threw some tracks together into an idea.. Train can go into top tunnel and back into stub tracks up near wall, so then engine can escape... Or train can go into bottom tunnel and park on inside/oustide passing tracks.. Middle, shorter track could stay as the main/lead for ladder... . All curves are R18" turnouts #4 What do you think???
Make the loop double track and then put the stub tracks down the center and in the upper left corner. The real question is how will you tell when things are in the clear or need to stop befor running out of track. The problem with hidden staging is access.
It'll be modeled in the 1920's.. So there will be shorter cars. Engines no larger then 4-6-2's. I'll go back and see what I can do with your suggestions..
Here's another try at it... Two seperate small staging yards, "east" and "west".. Is there still something I'm missing... I really feel like there is but staring at this just isn't working.
MPRRIt'll be modeled in the 1920's.. So there will be shorter cars.
1920's era cars aren't that much shorter than 1950's era cars. Most boxcars are in the 40 foot range, reefers are in the 36-40 foot range. Gons are generally 40-46 ft long. Hoppers are typically between 30 and 40 ft long. Passenger cars run between 60 and 80+ ft long. The late teens and 1920's were an explosion of steel cars. Wood underframe cars were scrapped as they wore out in many cases. 34 ft boxcars, very common in the early 1900's, died out rapidly
MPRR Here's another try at it... Two seperate small staging yards, "east" and "west".. Is there still something I'm missing... I really feel like there is but staring at this just isn't working. Mike
It really seems like those 3 stub end tracks at the top left are very hard to reach/access.
I started out with three stub end staging tracks on my layout and since then I have spent a considerable amount of time and money redoing the layout to make those 3 tracks pull-through. It might be just me, but I will never even consider stub-end hidden staging on any future layouts. Just not worth the frustration to have the xtra storage.
Like I said, just my opinion.
Check out the Deming Sub by clicking on the pics:
el-capitan MPRR Here's another try at it... Two seperate small staging yards, "east" and "west".. Is there still something I'm missing... I really feel like there is but staring at this just isn't working. Mike It really seems like those 3 stub end tracks at the top left are very hard to reach/access. I started out with three stub end staging tracks on my layout and since then I have spent a considerable amount of time and money redoing the layout to make those 3 tracks pull-through. It might be just me, but I will never even consider stub-end hidden staging on any future layouts. Just not worth the frustration to have the xtra storage. Like I said, just my opinion.
There is only one wall on the top. I can stand along the left side..
Hi!
My existing 11x15 layout of 14 years is pretty nice, but has three flaws (in my view). Two of them concern what you are looking to do. My staging area is under the main layout level. It is accessed by two tracks going into a tunnel portal and down a long 2 % grade, which includes a reverse loop. My first "error" was to include the reverse loop turnout so as it is out of sight and hard to get to. I do not use it much as I often caused derailments as I had it switched the wrong way. Secondly, the staging tracks are not low enough (from the main level) to provide easy access or viewing. And of course maintenance is a bear. Thankfully, the code 100 Atlas track is put in solidly, and the solenoids are still working.
My forthcoming layout rebuild will eliminate the reverse loop, and use a 2 1/2 percent grade to allow for a couple more inches of vertical space access.
Good luck!
Mobilman44
ENJOY !
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
mobilman44 Hi! My existing 11x15 layout of 14 years is pretty nice, but has three flaws (in my view). Two of them concern what you are looking to do. My staging area is under the main layout level. It is accessed by two tracks going into a tunnel portal and down a long 2 % grade, which includes a reverse loop. My first "error" was to include the reverse loop turnout so as it is out of sight and hard to get to. I do not use it much as I often caused derailments as I had it switched the wrong way. Secondly, the staging tracks are not low enough (from the main level) to provide easy access or viewing. And of course maintenance is a bear. Thankfully, the code 100 Atlas track is put in solidly, and the solenoids are still working. My forthcoming layout rebuild will eliminate the reverse loop, and use a 2 1/2 percent grade to allow for a couple more inches of vertical space access. Good luck! Mobilman44
I've thought about those same problems while trying to come up with this. There will be 6-7 inches between levels. And I'm trying to keep all tracks near edge for easier access. The reverse loop turnout will be outside the tunnel.