Yard advice needed from the experienced (Long winded)

[Don Z]

Hello all,

I'm in a quandry regarding the design of my freight yard. This is HO scale, Code 83, using Micro Engineering flex track and Walthers/Shinohara turnouts. Here is a view of the stub end. The far right track will dead-end at the wall. The next three tracks to the left will penetrate the wall into my newly accessed railroad territory. I have gained a 5'x6' area in a closet for a turning loop, staging track or fiddle track, depending on the designed usage. The tracks with the white pens are in a what-if position. I'm not sure if I should add those and use a scenic backdrop on the side wall or eliminate them and use background buildings that are up to 4" deep. The turnouts noted with the paint bottles are also in a what-if position.

At the bottom of the picture, the 4 tracks to the right (including the rail with the right-hand turnout) are also yard tracks. The inner 2 tracks are outbound trains, and the outer 2 tracks are for inbound trains. My theory for the design to this point is all trains coming into the yard can escape to the right hand rail (by the edge) and back down into the roundhouse and engine facility via the left hand turnout at the angled point of the benchwork.

Finally my questions.....do I run with what I have designed so far, or would you add/remove any tracks, crossovers or turnouts???  

Here's a view looking the opposite direction:

Same questions apply; do I need to add any crossovers between any tracks, remove the what-if tracks closest to the window or change anything? I appreciate the advice and suggestions greatly!

Edited to show direction of travel and descriptions of tracks.

Thanks,

Don Z.

[Texas Zepher]

... the outer 2 tracks are for inbound trains. My theory for the design to this point is all trains coming into the yard can escape to the right hand rail (by the edge) and back down into the roundhouse and engine facility via the left hand turnout at the angled point of the benchwork.

So which way are the inbound trains coming from.  From the future 5x6 space?

[Don Z]

The trains are arriving through the opposite end....the 4 curved tracks in the 2nd picture.

Don Z.

[Dave-the-Train]

Four things:-

1. Our "resident" is not the first to find his approach and won't be the last... he's in the hobby and has the sense to ask questions... we're as happy to help him out as to help you.

2. It would be a whole lot easier to see what you are trying to deal with/sort out if you could draw out the track plan as is in one colour, photo it and then do some more with the alternates in mind using different colours for each alternate.  Then photo these. 

If you post these we will be able to see what you are thinking rather than try to visualise from your post so far.  It will probably help if you put arrow heads on the tracks that are directional and give track names where they apply.  You may find that this sorts out your own thinking in part or even in full.

3. What you say suggests that you are running one way round only... everything coming from the far curved end.  I don't suppose that this is really the case.  this is where the anotated drawings will help a lot.

4.  Don't orget that locos, locos and cabooses, even whole trains make back up moves to get where they're going sometimes.

have a nice day

[Tom Bryant_MR]

Punching through that wall has opened up a whole new realm of possibilities in operation.

Kalmbach has an excellent MRs Guide to Freight Yards.  Page 14 of this guide has all of the elements of the "ideal yard".  You have many of them on your layout already - roundhouse, servicing area, inbound vs. outbound tracks etc.

Give me a shout if you do not have this guide - I'll loan you mine.  It'll give me an excuse to get off work early.

Regards

 

[ndbprr]

For what my opinion is worth and considering the vast sum I am receiving for this advice this is what I would do.  I think the last crossover that goes to the right hand track that ends at the wall when running toward the wall is redundant and I don't understand its purpose.  I think I would move the crossover for traffic that is coming away from the wall down to that location.  Then that track would be like a  switching lead for the tracks curving out of the picture.  A small building could be placed on the edge of the layout at the end where the stub is to ease the transition into the tunnel or just a turnout off the crossover if you need the additional lead for switching.  I think you have enough room to add one of those tracks against the backdrop but two is pushing it.  Several of the Walthers backdrop buiilding are only 2" thick and would work well there.  You might want to consider putting sidings into the industries there instead of a running track.

[Don Z]

ndprr,

Thanks for the comments. Quoting you: "I think the last crossover that goes to the right hand track that ends at the wall when running toward the wall is redundant and I don't understand its purpose." My theory for this was all inbound power could escape via the crossovers to that dead-end lead and reverse back into the turntable/engine facility lead. Regarding the 2 tracks closest to the wall....if I went with both tracks, I know I'd end up having to use nothing more than a picture backdrop to represent industry or other buildings. If I eliminated the one closest to the wall, I would use backdrop buildings and that track would then become an industry siding.

The yellow arrows I added are items I'm not certain of yet. Do I need to add crossovers where I have arrows? Any advice is welcome!

Does this help clarify the mud?

Don Z.

[johncolley]

Sorry, but I have to ask: How many units will you be running on the head end? The engine escape track at the far right end, first picture has to be long enough for your head end power to uncouple from the train and be hostled back to engine service. In the picture it doesn't look like more than 2 units long, eh? It does look long enough for a switcher and caboose for outbounds. If you plan your operations at the same time you may find you might get by with one long A/D track which will give you more classification tracks. Happy railroading! jc5729

[Don Z]

Johncolley,

Just when I thought i had provided enough info.....the track you questioned is 34 1/2" long. The largest power I own are Proto 2000 SD60M's. This track is long enough to hold 3 of these units lashed together. The entire length of the wall in the pictures is 15 feet.

I forgot to mention the the reason for 2 inbound and outbound tracks: I'm running 2 different roadnames that share a common yard and engine facility.....switching duties in the yard will be shared by both roadnames.

Thanks again,

Don Z.

[Tom Bryant_MR]

The staging tracks at 5 and 6 are needed for this yard as you have discrete arrival and departure tracks for the two RR's being serviced.  You need somewhere to put the consist that the loco drops off.

Here is where I think you need modifications if you want to keep 5 and/or 6.

1. Loco arrives at #2 and disconnects consist. #2 proceeds along white dashed line and escapes to engine servicing terminal/round house.

2. Switcher #3 moves along dark blue dashed line to cut the cars and deliver to either #5 or #6. Switcher follows light blue dashed line.

Problem: Switcher is at wrong end of the consist now as it has to pull the cars into #5 or #6 and then has no way to escape. I see no way for the switcher to get at the other end of the consist so that it can "push" the cars into #5 or #6.

You will need turnouts behind #5 and #6 for the switcher to have an escape path.

Oh yeah ... don't ask me why I started this with #2 instead of #1 ... brain not fully engaged yet.

[Anonymous]

Don, I don't understand your yard. Seems all you're doing is just cutting off motive power and that's it. Remeber- the purpose of a (classification) yard is for sorting cars accoring to their destination (cars for train "CPME" on track 1, cars for the local on track 2, for example)

Also, where is your yard lead?

[Don Z]

dingoix,

Thanks for replying to my post. Here is a photo of my yard that has incorporated a few changes:

The yard lead (as it is) is at the top left corner of the picture. The 4 curved tracks (3 with rail, 1 with cork) will be the area where inbound and outbound trains are held to be torn apart or staged once they are assembled. The tracks in the foreground (2 closest to the wall) will be 11 feet long for staging and will ladder back into the 3rd track from the wall. That track will be a turning loop/staging track that returns on the 4th track from the wall to either turn a train or to be used for more staging area.

The turnout lead that heads off to the edge of the benchwork is my turntable/engine facility lead. Does this description help?

Thanks for any suggestions you might have.

Don Z. 

[Anonymous]

That helps. The plan seems fine for what you're doing. However, you're using an awful lot of double-slip switches.

[S&G Rute of the Silver River]

Hope you arn't running RS units threw those dubble slips I had to remive mine becouse of that. (got one RS, tried it, tried my buddies and still didn't work. Its probly cheaper anyways. I'm running all alco works creations. I may need to instal smoke generators in those diesels.

[Don Z]

S&G,

I'm not sure I understand your statement....I've run a small NW2 switcher, a 6 axle diesel and my Big Boy 4-8-8-4 steamer across the double slips without any problems. What was wrong that you couldn't run an RS through a double-slip?

Don Z.

[ctrainzs]

just a thought regarding your yard.  you have greater minds than mine helping with your planning and the suggestions make sense to me.  have you thought about using a mirror on the end of the tracks.  make the mirror so that you can only see scale items in it and you will double the apparent length of your yard.  John allen had a great article in mr in the 80's, published after his death, that outlined the use of mirrors on a layout.  woth thinking about anyway.