various items like x staging and cassette staging

[joanwayne]

I have just read the posting and replies concerning "HO layout or guest room" and have a few questions.

A note of introduction:  I was involved with Model Railroading back in the 70's, and through two successive marriages(one ending in divorce, and one ending as late as last year through death) so I kind of put model railroading on the back burner.

 Now to cut to the chase, I am not acquainted with the terms "X" staging and "cassette staging" so could someone fill me in on this please.

Wayne

 

 

 

[tomikawaTT]

As I understand it, X staging is what you have when the hidden trackage is connected to the loop main line by two turnouts, installed so the points face each other and almost touch.  A train can either head into or be backed into either track, or it can head into one track, back directly into the other and then be set to resume its travels facing the same way it had been before stopping.

Cassette staging means that the off-scene staging is actually a series of "car ferries," which either attach to the end of a track or drop into a slot in a traverser or sector plate (two other options for staging, explained below.)  In my case, one track of my hidden yard is fitted with a bascule connection, to which I can hook 'cassettes' made from lengths of steel stud with track caulked to the inside, rain gutter style.  By using several cassettes, I can change out freight consists so that the train that leaves staging isn't identical to the one that went in.  It's one solution to the, "Too many cars for the layout," problem.

A traverser is a sliding panel which has several parallel tracks laid on it.  By moving the traverser sideways a specific track can be aligned with the one approach track - a yard without a ladder of turnouts.

A sector plate does the same thing, but only one end moves - in an arc.  The fanciest version has a turntable (for the locomotive) co-located with the pivot point of the sector plate, allowing the locomotive to escape, turn, then run through an empty track to the other end of its cut.

An extreme version is a turntable with up to five or six approximately parallel tracks - run a few trains onto it, turn the whole staging yard 180 degrees, then either run those trains off or add a couple facing the other way, to be turned later.

I have seen very long traversers, and sector plates can be made almost as long.  Cassettes are limited to a length that can be handled easily (my longest are 48 inches,) and turntable staging is limited by the maximum diameter of the turntable - usually less than the minimum radius.

Hope this helps,

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

[SpaceMouse]

I am building a layout with a traverser. The area marked "Sliding Staging" is on cabinet drawer hardware and rolls forward to allow trains to pass on and off the layout.

  

[pghanson]

Hi Wayne -

It was my layout design that prompted your questions, so I'll chime in.

Chuck does a great job of describing the various types of staging. I'd never though of cassettes as just like an offline car ferry, but that is exactly what it is.

Many of these ideas originated in Europe, where modelers tend to have less space than in the US. Iain Rice, a Brit who models American prototypes, has written a number of articles and a couple of books about track planning. I first heard about cassettes (and most of the other things Chuck explained) in his "Small, Smart & Practical Track Plans" which shows a number of examples.

I first heard of X-staging in Model Railroad Planning 2004, an annual special issue from the folks at Model Railroader.

- Paul

[Musepro]

I have just read the posting and replies concerning "HO layout or guest room" and have a few questions.

A note of introduction:  I was involved with Model Railroading back in the 70's, and through two successive marriages(one ending in divorce, and one ending as late as last year through death) so I kind of put model railroading on the back burner.

 Now to cut to the chase, I am not acquainted with the terms "X" staging and "cassette staging" so could someone fill me in on this please.

Wayne

 

 

 

Wayne,

Depending on the TYPE of space you have, either could be used. I've just designed and laid the track on a friend's 14x14 HO layout, which is an around the walls design with a duck under entering the room (we're still young with good backs!). I was able to employ X-staging around the perimeter of the layout, against the walls, behind the back drop and have enough staging for 8 trains (6 trains each with 2 six axle locos, 15-16 fifty foot cars and caboose, then 2 spots for an east and west bound Amtrak train consisting of 1 loco, 4 Superliners and a material handling car). My friend pretty much wanted it all in his small deisgn; lots of staging, broad curves for long cars and lots of switching for the local, all while staying in HO. Thus, in 14x14 feet, we have 8 staged trains, 6 industries, an interchange and curve minimums of 30" and turnouts of #6 and #8....and it doesn't look too bad! That's a lot of HO railroading in less than 200 square feet!

So in short, x-staging can open A LOT of operation where it otherwise would not be possible. Staging makes all the difference in layout operation.

jt burke
Marion, OH

[cuyama]

When I wrote the article on X-Factor staging in MRP 2004, I just gave a name to a configuration that's probably been around for a long time. Two hidden stub-end staging yards face one another across a short section of (typically) hidden track, as seen below. This relationship suggested the letter "X" to me.

Trains may pull straight into staging when they complete their run over the visible layout. Later they may be backed across the "crux" of the X to the other staging yard, ready to run over the visible layout again, as seen below.

I first used this on a layout I designed depicting the Santa Maria Valley RR. In the image below, the X-factor staging yards are along the top and the left sides of the plan.

You can read more about that layout here, or in MRP 2004.

Worked great, even backing strings of N scale cars with truck-mounted couplers. Each staging yard sloped gently down to make the backing move more reliable. I've since used it on other designs and it seems to work fine.

I realized later that I was probably inspired a bit by Joe Taylor's HO bookshelf design in the October 1994 Model Railroader, although the staging in that design does not look much like the "X" configuration. The idea of connecting two separate staging yards with a hidden section of track was likely planted in my mind by reading about Joe's design, which was published right around the time I was doing the SMVRR design.

Byron