I noticed, in the December issue of MR, on the Roseville Roundhouse Model Railroad Club's switching layout, that, no matter which direction you're facing, there are both trailing and facing point switches. The problem is that there is no run around track so that the engine can be run behind cars so that they may be shoved into the facing point switches. I was just wondering, did they intentionally design the trackwork that way, or was it a basic design flaw? And, did anyone else notice that?
Maybe the runaround is farther down the line, so they can switch trailing point spurs on the way out, then turnaround and switch trailing points (formerly facing points) on the way back?
E-L man tomtter which direction you're facing, there are both trailing and facing point switches. The problem is that there is no run around track so that the engine can be run behind cars so that they may be shoved into the facing point switches. I was just wondering, did they intentionally design the trackwork that way, or was it a basic design flaw?
Actually there is a lot of industrial leads that lacks runarounds. On the PRR our solution was to place the engine in the middle of the train with cabin cars on both ends. Problem solved.
That was then.
Today railroads uses two locomotives for such industrial leads one on each end so,a runaround is not needed.
We can do the same with DCC by consisting the locomotives and isolating the one not needed to do the work just like the prototype.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
The push-pull saved the crew a long wait or walk next to where I lived a long time ago. There was a customer who received an occasional centerbeam flat load of lumber, I forget what they made there. The siding back to their loading area was in really bad shape - mostly ties on mud, little to no ballast. One day it happened. The crew pulled the car for setout, started backing down the siding, and as they got alongside the rest of the train parked on the main, the whole thing tipped, wedging the centerbeam car against the cars standing on the main.
The crew got out and walked around a few times, figured they were well and truly stuck, so they shut down the loco on the siding, switched over to the other loco on the rear of the train (luckily on the end facing where they had to go) and headed back. Next morning I watched as a couple of cranes pulled the centerbeam car back vertical enough to free the rest of the stuck cars. Later when I looked, it didn't seem like they had done much to actually repair the track, but they must have shored it up a bit since it didn't happen again.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
As I was looking at the track plan, another solution came to mind. There could be an industry-owned, dedicated locomotive, that is always parked there in order to service the facing point switched industries. The cars would have to be set out on the siding in the appropriate spots, so as to enable access by the locomotive for the respective industries. This also adds a little more thinking requirement to switching operations, as to which cars go where.
E-L man tom As I was looking at the track plan, another solution came to mind. There could be an industry-owned, dedicated locomotive, that is always parked there in order to service the facing point switched industries. The cars would have to be set out on the siding in the appropriate spots, so as to enable access by the locomotive for the respective industries. This also adds a little more thinking requirement to switching operations, as to which cars go where.
Progressive Rail uses 2 SW1500 at their Airlake Industrial Park operation since there is no runarounds..
A privately own switcher would not be allowed to operate beyond its own track. In short the industrial locomotive crew would not be allowed to operate over the serving railroad tracks since they are not qualified under the FRA,and GCOR guidelines or the railroad operation and safety rules.
BRAKIEA privately own switcher would not be allowed to operate beyond its own track. In short the industrial locomotive crew would not be allowed to operate over the serving railroad tracks since they are not qualified under the FRA,and GCOR guidelines or the railroad operation and safety rules.
Good Point Larry; unless, of course, the "main" is actually part of a spur, but, yes, the locomotive would have to cross the main via the crossovers in order to service both facing points.
E-L man tom BRAKIE A privately own switcher would not be allowed to operate beyond its own track. In short the industrial locomotive crew would not be allowed to operate over the serving railroad tracks since they are not qualified under the FRA,and GCOR guidelines or the railroad operation and safety rules. Good Point Larry; unless, of course, the "main" is actually part of a spur, but, yes, the locomotive would have to cross the main via the crossovers in order to service both facing points.
BRAKIE A privately own switcher would not be allowed to operate beyond its own track. In short the industrial locomotive crew would not be allowed to operate over the serving railroad tracks since they are not qualified under the FRA,and GCOR guidelines or the railroad operation and safety rules.
Tom,Another thought is to have the industrial lead privately owned therefore two switchers could get the job done.
My Slate Creek Rail is such a operation and none of my Slate Creek ISLs had a runaround because like the industrial parks I studied all switching is trailing point..
I had thought of emulating Progressive Rail's Airlake operation with two DCC equipped SW1500s or maybe two Bachmann DCC on Board GE44 tonners but, decided to freelance with trailing point switches.
Does the layout have operating sessions that require switching? Or are the spur's there more for show? If most of the club trains are just simple looping trains on the railroad, the lack of a run around might not be that big of an issue since they wouldn't be switching that much.If they are switching stuff though, the solutions mentioned in this thread all seem like simple ideas to fix the problem.
If the local runs in both directions it could be handled the way we did it on the B&O. Switch the trailing point switches going in one direction and switch the facing point switches when returning in the opposite direction. Then they become trailing point.
Mark Vinski