Switcher in Car Shop

[FRRYKid]

Got yet another one for my forum friends: For a car shop similar to the Walthers car shop, what sort of vent/stack/fan etc. would be put into windows to vent smoke if a switcher (e.g. SW7) were used to switch cars in that building? For my yard, I don't have a real easy way to have a switcher on both sides of the building.

As usual, thank you for any assistance the forums can provide.

[mbinsewi]

My thoughts would be there are probably a lot of shops that don't have rails or rail access on both ends.

I use my go-to friend, Google.  Plenty of images of industrial sized exhaust fans.  I see the windows on the Walthers building has 6 panels per window, each panel with 24 smaller panes.  Maybe come up with a fan that will take one of the six larger panels.  Go with a fan design that has louvers, so when the fan is not running, cold air can't get in. 

The saw-tooth roof design makes it a bit difficult to put large ventilators on the roof, but it could be done.

You could also use an "idler" car, like a flat car, between the loco and the car your moving into or out of the shop.  That would limit the time a running loco would be in there.

Just some of my thoughts!  There are many ways in which this could be done.

Have fun!

Mike.

[NittanyLion]

I, honestly, wouldn't worry too much about it.  Consult this image:

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/323728/

The left and center door is for locomotives and the right door is for railcars.  Notice anything about the roof?

[cuyama]

If it's a car shop only, the switcher probably wouldn't go into the building. It would use a "handle" of cars if needed

[FRRYKid]

NittanyLion

I, honestly, wouldn't worry too much about it.  Consult this image:

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/323728/

The left and center door is for locomotives and the right door is for railcars.  Notice anything about the roof?

While that is a more modern building, that gives me an interesting idea about using the model. Doing a split function would add a little more operation to that building.

I would need to put the heavy crane (Walthers 3150) and one overhead traveling crane (3102) for the rail rather than getting two of the 3102 to bash the crane together to the proper length if it is going to be handling engines. I should be able to kitbash the heavy crane into the building with the rail.

The one question I have is does that building have a wall that separates the car part from the engine part or is it all open?

mbinsewi

I see the windows on the Walthers building has 6 panels per window, each panel with 24 smaller panes.  Maybe come up with a fan that will take one of the six larger panels.  Go with a fan design that has louvers, so when the fan is not running, cold air can't get in.

The saw-tooth roof design makes it a bit difficult to put large ventilators on the roof, but it could be done.

Pikestuff has a ventilator in their HO parts which seems I could kitbash into the needed detail.

[NWP SWP]

FRRY, figure the length of the the building and length of an older flat car paint it with a "switcher service" placard of sorts (don't use a new flat because all those are in revenue service) repeat that enough times to be able to couple to your shortest piece of rolling stock when it's at the back of the shop. That way the switcher remains outside the shop by at least half a car length and that's it!

Please note if you're wanting to be really prototypical I'm not the person to ask.

[angelob6660]

I found a 1960s CNW picture within a freight shop yard but it's not the area you're looking for.

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/freight-cars-in-line-at-clinton-machine-shop-chicago-and-north-western-historical-society.html

 

[steemtrayn]

I work in a locomotive/car shop that has gigantic exhaust fans on the roof. In the 30 years of its existence they never worked. It's our policy not to start cold engines indoors, but we drill in and out of the building all the time. If it gets smokey, we just leave the doors open until it airs out.