What is a staging yard?

[SpaceMouse]

And why would I want one? I get the idea that it is specific to models and is for seting up trains for operations. I saw one peson say that it should be separte from the layout and does not need landscape.

Wouldn't a classifying yard do the same thing? Or better yet couldn't you do your staging from a regular layout yard?

[Eriediamond]

Well Spacemouse, I'll try to explain here. A stageing yard is or could be a seperate yard where trains are placed on the layout for operation. Say you carried some trains to a friends layout or club layout. you would build your train on the tracks of the stageing yard so as not to disrupt the layout operation and to wait your turn or in other words your train would be ready to bring out onto the layout. Also, lets say your layout is restricted to a two train operation, but you have five trains. Three would be stored on the staging yard. Ken

[Don Gibson]

A STAGING YARD is a designated 'hands-on' area to put equipment on - 0r take off - before running onto your mainline. It is generally not a part of your 'running' design and rarely scenic'd. 'Offstage' so to speak.

It can also be a storage area with connecting tracks.

[egmurphy]

It allows you to create the impression that trains on your layout actually "go somewhere" and "come from somewhere" rather than just running around on your layout.

For example, if some of your industries ship out product that doesn't end up in other industries on your layout, how do you create the impression that the freight train that you just made up in the yard is actually delivering product to a city beyond your layout? Interchange tracks (an exit track from the main layout connecting with the staging yard) and a hidden staging yard allows you to run the train off the layout. It gives you that ability to make it look like product is actually going somewhere without the need to have a huge layout where you could actually create a significant destination city/yard. Same idea with bringing in a train from somewhere else that drops off cars to be delivered to local industries on your layout.

They're not required, but they have become fairly popular lately.

I'm sure someone else can describe this better, but there's a first stab at it for you.


Regards

Ed

[camarokid]

Sure you can. But how long do you want your passenger cars sitting around in the open for all to see? How many freight cars already made up into trains that you don't want to break up can you have in your table top yard? How long before you get tired of running the same train or trains all the time and have to remove and replace cars by hand? There are probably more reasons for a staging yard than against, but it would be close.
A staging yard lets you keep your trains all in one place and in one piece. Sometimes you can even build it out in the open and disguise it to your liking. It can have as many or as little trackage as you want. It is also a great place to hide a train that you want to convey the appearance of traveling a great distance by running it in and turning it off to restart it later. The greatest problem is where to put them. Most modelers hide them below the layout via a helix or a steep grade. I'll use the helix to save space. That's my 2 cents worth.
Archie
PS: You really don't need one if you don't want one. Only time will tell you if you do.

[dehusman]

A staging yard is 'the rest of the world".

When you stand by the tracks and watch a train go by, it appears from some place to your right (that you can't see) and it disappears to someplace on your left (that you can't see.) Those places are where you put staging yards.

If I am modeling a portion of a railroad, the staging yard represents the rest of the railroad beyond the area I've modeled. I model a portion of the Reading Co. The branch ran from Reading, PA to Birdsboro, to Coatesville to Wilmington, DE. My layout is the the portion from Birdsboro to Coatesville. I have a staging yard that represents Reading and another that represents Wilmington. When a train pulls out of staging into Birdsboro, it has just arrived from Reading. When it pulls out of staging into Coatesville it has just arrived from Wilmington. When I load a car of steel at Coatesville going to Chicago, I put it on a train going to Reading.

Staging yards have been compared to the "wings" of a stage. A train waits in the wings, hidden from view until the time comes for its part, then it enters on to the stage 9the visible portion of the layout, does its thing and then exits the stage back ito the hidden wings. The only time the "audience" (operators) sees the train is when its onstage.

Dave H.

[SpaceMouse]

Okay I sort of get it. I think I want one, but my problem is I still don't really get the significance of operations. That being said a staging yard might be built under a layout, accessed by a grade or a helix (or an oval helix).

So further questions:

I envision a single ended ladder yard used for train storage rather than classification. Or would you rather have a classification yard with engines stored separately?

Would you also put a track on the outside of the layout for placing cars on the track maybe with a re-railer or two?

[SpaceMouse]

Ooh Ooh Ooh.

You have a big heavy full of a zillion cars that comes in from Outer Mongolia that pulls into your classifiaction yard. You then use you switcher to build a bunch of smailler trains that deliver to your industries etc.

Then you have your trains recollect the cars, take them to the classification yard and the big heavy takes the cars back to Outer Mongolia. Am I close?

[egmurphy]

Yeah, now you're starting to get it. Congrats.



Regards

Ed

[rrinker]

Yup, that's EXACTLY the idea, Chip.

Operations are what keep you from being bored by watching trains endlessly circle the same loop. I feel there are varying degrees - you can go whole hog with all the prototypical paperwork (event to he point of being relieved from duty for making a mistake!), or just shuffle cars from yards to industries. I think ALL fo that is operations.

When I was running my first test track, a pure oval of EZ-Track on a folding table, I dug out an old Atlas switch and a couple pieces of snap track and added a siding. Just one siding, room for one car and a tiny bit. HOURS of fun taking my train and shuffling cars, even if it was a real jury rig setup.

--Randy

[dinwitty]

I've always looked for good scenic ways to do the same thing, and Walther's Carfloat is my answer, as a scenic way to introduce cars to the layout.

but they don.t produce the model anymore, its reired, so I watche ebay for an occasional one laying about and see if I can buy it overpriced....sheeshe...retire a popular product...