Several years ago, I found an article by Bill Darnaby about interchanges on the Maumee available online for download (if anyone remembers where it was originally printed, I'd love to find out).
In it, he described how he set out to build "living" interchanges. Instead of merely pretending a Maumee train was receiving cars from an imaginary Pennsy or C&O train, an actual train from a foreign road would appear from a small staging yard behind the backdrop.
Several others, including Tony Koester, have used this for their own layouts, but I do have a question: while this works well for trains coming from the direction of wherever the backdrop is facing, what if one wanted to have a train come from the other direction, from the fascia? I don't think this is a problem that can really be solved satisfactorily, but I'm certainly willing to hear suggestions.
ncandstl576 what if one wanted to have a train come from the other direction, from the fascia? I don't think this is a problem that can really be solved satisfactorily, but I'm certainly willing to hear suggestions.
what if one wanted to have a train come from the other direction, from the fascia? I don't think this is a problem that can really be solved satisfactorily, but I'm certainly willing to hear suggestions.
Just to be clear: You're standing facing your layout. It goes from left to right. There's a backdrop.
You want a train to come from, roughly, where you're standing (the fascia).
No problem:
You will have a swing down bridge that connects the fascia with the staging yard across the aisle (behind your back). You swing it down to get your train across. When not in use, it can swing back up for "pedestrian passage".
If you are unfortunate enough not to have that staging yard across the aisle, you can go with Plan B: a car float operation. You build a car float on top of a cart. The rest is obvious.
Ed
7j43k Just to be clear: You're standing facing your layout. It goes from left to right. There's a backdrop. You want a train to come from, roughly, where you're standing (the fascia). No problem: You will have a swing down bridge that connects the fascia with the staging yard across the aisle (behind your back). You swing it down to get your train across. When not in use, it can swing back up for "pedestrian passage". If you are unfortunate enough not to have that staging yard across the aisle, you can go with Plan B: a car float operation. You build a car float on top of a cart. The rest is obvious. Ed
Yes, that is right. That could probably work, provided there is nothing on the wall behind you (like the rest of layout, if it's a walkaround-style layout). Otherwise, the car float option would probably your best option.
Thank you Ed!
That's from the duckunder/lift bridge...
I think the illusion only works with a low angle diamond. the question I ask though, would every train stop and pickup only 5 cars? Why wouldn't the RRtake possession of all the cars at one time? Or twice a day?
My layout is an around-the-room style, and the photo below shows (sorta) four of the layout's five staging yards...
...and the lower two tracks, closest to the aisle, allow trains to enter the layout on this lift-out...
....while the two tracks just above and set back a little further from the aisle, allow trains to enter the layout near the front (aisle-side), first appearing at the end of the dead-end street, at right in the photo below...
...and just around the corner, comes fully into view...
Likewise, the upper level staging area (barely visible in the first photo) allows trains to enter the partial upper level of the layout in the same manner as the first photo...
The fifth staging area is in another room.....
...but trains won't be visible until they reach the turnout in the foreground...
...which, in 3'-or-so, will put the train almost at the front of the upper level, on the track nearest the fascia...
Perhaps not as effective as a carfloat, but it's origin will be well hidden once the scenery is in place.
Outsailing86the question I ask though, would every train stop and pickup only 5 cars?
Where did the 5 car limit come from? All of my staging tracks have room for more cars than that.
Wayne
doctorwayne My layout is an around-the-room style, and the photo below shows (sorta) four of the layout's five staging yards... ...and the lower two tracks, closest to the aisle, allow trains to enter the layout on this lift-out... ....while the two tracks just above and set back a little further from the aisle, allow trains to enter the layout near the front (aisle-side), first appearing at the end of the dead-end street, at right in the photo below... ...and just around the corner, comes fully into view... Likewise, the upper level staging area (barely visible in the first photo) allows trains to enter the partial upper level of the layout in the same manner as the first photo... The fifth staging area is in another room..... ...but trains won't be visible until they reach the turnout in the foreground... ...which, in 3'-or-so, will put the train almost at the front of the upper level, on the track nearest the fascia... Perhaps not as effective as a carfloat, but it's origin will be well hidden once the scenery is in place. Outsailing86 the question I ask though, would every train stop and pickup only 5 cars? Where did the 5 car limit come from? All of my staging tracks have room for more cars than that. Wayne
Outsailing86 the question I ask though, would every train stop and pickup only 5 cars?
Very nice, doctorwayne, it's certainly thought-provoking.
By the way, does anyone remember which Model Railroader magazine included Bill Darnaby's article on interchanges?
If the interchange can only be worked in one direction, i.e. a connection on only one side of your main line, then you don't need a train in both directions, because a train in the other direction can't work the interchange. Easy, peasy.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
dehusman If the interchange can only be worked in one direction, i.e. a connection on only one side of your main line, then you don't need a train in both directions, because a train in the other direction can't work the interchange. Easy, peasy.
True, and therein lies the rub: what do when this is not the case.
ncandstl576By the way, does anyone remember which Model Railroader magazine included Bill Darnaby's article on interchanges?
Are you certain that the article was by Bill Darnaby and was in MR? I think Tony Koester has done a couple articles on this topic where he may have mentioned Bill Darnaby. And I think at least one of those articles may have been in Model Railroad Planning.
maxman ncandstl576 By the way, does anyone remember which Model Railroader magazine included Bill Darnaby's article on interchanges? Are you certain that the article was by Bill Darnaby and was in MR? I think Tony Koester has done a couple articles on this topic where he may have mentioned Bill Darnaby. And I think at least one of those articles may have been in Model Railroad Planning.
ncandstl576 By the way, does anyone remember which Model Railroader magazine included Bill Darnaby's article on interchanges?
It may well have been Koester, though I do know the article was focused the Maumee. I believe it may been MRP, though I'm thinking it was one of their other specialized books, like "Realistic Model Railroad Design," or a similar title.
ncandstl576True, and therein lies the rub: what do when this is not the case.
Why do you need to work the interchange from both directions? All you need is a train to pick up the interchange and drop cars for your railroad. Does it really matter which way the other railroad's train is going?
dehusman ncandstl576 True, and therein lies the rub: what do when this is not the case. Why do you need to work the interchange from both directions? All you need is a train to pick up the interchange and drop cars for your railroad. Does it really matter which way the other railroad's train is going?
ncandstl576 True, and therein lies the rub: what do when this is not the case.
It doesn't - when the foreign road keeps going in both directions. However, if the line terminates around the interchange, then it doesn't work.
ncandstl576It doesn't - when the foreign road keeps going in both directions. However, if the line terminates around the interchange, then it doesn't work.
If a line terminates around the interchange (with no runaround or anything), then the interchanging road will just have to runaround them somewhere up the line (could be a good distance away) and shove their cars down to the other RR's line. Happens all the time in real life.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
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