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Show off your yard!

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  • Member since
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  • 231 posts
Show off your yard!
Posted by johngriffey18ca1 on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 11:25 AM

I am looking to make a stub end yard coming off the right side of my main line.  Anyone want to share pictures of their yards to help give me visual help?  If you can post pics without rolling stock covering the points.

Thanks!

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 12:57 PM

This is more of a scenery picture than a trackplan picture.  I made the mistake of laying all my yard tracks on roadbed, which would not be prototypical, so I had to fill the intervening spaces to bring the ground level back up even with the ties.

This is an earlier shot from a high angle.  The tracks are not yet extended the full length of the yard.  The yard lead is the crossover track with the gray MOW train on it.  There are two turnouts coming towards you off of that, and each of them has a 3-way turnout, for a total of 6 yard tracks.  The 3-ways save space and give me longer tracks.  Another turnout off the other side of the lead, in the far back corner, allows me to pull cars without fouling the main.

Here's one of the turnouts.  This is an old picture, showing the original brass Shinoharas I tried to salvage from my teenage layout.  I eventually replaced them with Pecos.

 

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

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Posted by Motley on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 2:50 PM

I have a 6 track stub ended yard. All the switches are Peco (code 83) #6's. As you can see, the switches were laid out as a compound ladder.

Michael


CEO-
Mile-HI-Railroad
Prototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989

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Posted by HHPATH56 on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 3:21 PM
Hi Motley, My seven track stub end yard Is not as finished as yours is. I used double-slip switches and compound ladders, with two long drill tracks to allow access to all 7 tracks, without having the switcher to leave the yard. I used a overpass loop for the mainline with the stub ended yard. On my 7 track pass through yard, I used compound ladders and a double-slip switch with one electrical input. I don't think that this type of double-slip turnout is still made. Bob Hahn
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Posted by selector on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 5:05 PM

I have a very small and modest yard, but here it is.

 

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Posted by trainnut1250 on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 5:51 PM

 

Here is my four track stub yard.  There are two A/D tracks and the main on the right side.  The A/D Tracks are pulled off the main using curved switches.  The yard gets to four tracks pretty quick by using a compound ladder.  I didn't use double slips or triple switches as they didn't fit the rustic look I was seeking.

 

 

Guy

see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site

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Posted by Aikidomaster on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 6:09 PM

Motley,

That is impressive!!Bow

It looks great and functional. How do you plan to uncouple cars? Magnets or something else??Wow

Craig North Carolina

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Posted by superbe on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 8:52 PM

As you can see my yard is underconstruction and while a lot is still a figment of my imagination.

The turnouts have switch machines (Peco) under the turnouts.

I'll be using under the track magnets as well as between the rail KD delayed uncouplers

The yard will have an engine servicing area. With A One Stall Engine House

I want to display an older steamer with Overton passenger cars as well as some transition era diesels.

          Entering The Yard From The Main and Testing The Track

 

             Stub Ended Yard

 

 

 Long Way To Go But The Journey Is What Makes It Fun

 Happy Railroading

Bob

 

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Posted by Motley on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 10:20 PM

Aikidomaster

Motley,

That is impressive!!Bow

It looks great and functional. How do you plan to uncouple cars? Magnets or something else??Wow

Thanks! I appreciate that. It took a lot of playing around with the flex track and switches, to come up with a design that didn't take up a lot of real estate.

I still need to finish building and installing the diesel house, and transfer table. And finish up the surrounding scenery. The yard ballast is complete, using real dirt mixed with fine ballast.

When I operate the yard, I use bamboo scewers for uncloupling.

Michael


CEO-
Mile-HI-Railroad
Prototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989

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Posted by bogp40 on Thursday, May 26, 2011 5:56 AM

Some club pics

finished yard

some unfinished

Temp staging (used 7 years to be removed soon)

 

 

Modeling B&O- Chessie  Bob K.  www.ssmrc.org

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Posted by Paulus Jas on Thursday, May 26, 2011 6:44 AM

hi

just some yards:

Paul

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Posted by jwhitten on Thursday, May 26, 2011 7:56 AM

selector

I have a very small and modest yard, but here it is.

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/mesenteria/SenecaYardTTT6LastCallres.jpg

 

Yes, but there's something very believable about your yard.

 

John

Modeling the South Pennsylvania Railroad ("The Hilltop Route") in the late 50's
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Posted by ratled on Thursday, May 26, 2011 8:54 AM

It's a small yard but still offers plenty of opportunity for operations on a smaller layout.  I like the way it came out.  The one thing I would like to change is the switch from the classification tracks to the A/D.  It should be on the lead to the siding for better performance and a little more room

ratled

Modeling the Klamath River area in HO on a proto-lanced sub of the SP “The State of Jefferson Line”

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Posted by selector on Thursday, May 26, 2011 11:09 AM

It is most kind of you, John, and thank you!

Crandell

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Posted by wm3798 on Thursday, May 26, 2011 4:21 PM

Still under construction, but it will be a full, double ended yard, 10 class tracks, a RIP track, two A/D tracks, and a full engine terminal...

Last night I built the dispatcher's desk and the yard office...

Lee

Route of the Alpha Jets  www.wmrywesternlines.net

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Posted by engineAL on Friday, May 27, 2011 8:47 AM

Paulus Jas

hi

just some yards:

http://i989.photobucket.com/albums/af19/Paulus_Jas/COMPOUNDLADDERandladderswithdifferentangles-1.jpg

Paul

Is there such thing as a pinwheel compound ladder? I haven't seen anything like one but it would be kinda cool.

Modeling the Maine Central in N scale.

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Posted by cuyama on Saturday, May 28, 2011 12:22 PM

WWtrain
Is there such thing as a pinwheel compound ladder? 

Not really. The definition of a pinwheel ladder is that each successive turnout springs from only the curved side of the preceding straight turnout. In a compound ladder, succeeding turnouts come from both the curved and straight legs of each preceding turnout.

It's not necessarily a useful arrangement versus more typical prototype ladders, but it is theoretically possible to build a compound ladder from curved turnouts:

I guess it would be possible to have a split ladder made up of two side-by-side pinwheel ladders, but I doubt it will be very useful and is likely not found often (if at all) on the prototype.

Tags: ho
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Posted by leighant on Saturday, May 28, 2011 6:11 PM

This is not a "real" yard but an open staging yard, and it is about all I have built on my layout so far.  It is just in front of the painted background.  I need to get the back part of the layout running before I add stuff inside of it, working into the middle of the room. This is the ladder/ throat of Demara Yard...  5 tracks deep.

This is further on the body of Demara Yard.  Most of the background is drawn in Photoshop, or manipulated from photos.  Imperial Sugar import terminal at right was a real feature in prototypn on which my scene is based. Drawn in Photoshop from a 2 inch square photo in a book and a hand-copied sketch from a historical photo in a museum.  The big ore unloading crane visible over the tops of the shed buildings is a cutout of a Walthers ad.  Sorry, Walthers, I didn't have room for the actual model...

This is the far end of Demara Yard.  I had been looking for something to buy in the only hobby shop in the area.  They are friendly but I am just too particular for them I guess.  But they had some bumpers and this yard has a spot where the bumpers are NECESSARY.

 

 Here is "Plan D" of my layout master plan which shows how Demara fits into the scheme of things. 

 This open staging yard will sit behind the 3-track port terminal railroad yard AND the 5-track Santa Fe yard, so it sorts of blends into the sea of tracks and the fact that it contains trains which have supposedly left town won't be too conspicuous.  It is open staging impersonating as part of a yard arrea so large that the distant tracks are sort of anonymous.  I named it Demara for the title character in the ca 1960 movie "The Great Imposter" since it is an imposter of sorts!

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Posted by jrbernier on Saturday, May 28, 2011 7:56 PM

  What I have is a 4 track 'wide' spot on the mainline for a small town yard.  Not a big terminal or division point, but  a couple of englines 'live' here and work the local industries and the branch line,  Road freight pickup/setout as they pass through town.  There is a wye and a turntable/2 track roundhouse just out of sight.  The #1 track will hold two engines/15 cars/caboose:

Jim

Modeling BNSF  and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin

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Posted by hobo9941 on Wednesday, June 1, 2011 11:22 PM

Not a very good picture here. The freight yard is double ended, 6 tracks, with it's own long switching lead, so trains can be switched without fouling the mainlines. The passenger yard is four tracks, with it's own lead to the main. Not much landscaping done yet.

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Posted by Motley on Thursday, June 2, 2011 4:35 AM

That's a very nice looking yard...and layout you have going there hobo. Great work, should really look good after you get some scenery done.

Michael


CEO-
Mile-HI-Railroad
Prototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989

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Posted by dragenrider on Saturday, June 4, 2011 10:14 PM

An early, overhead view of the CB&W's yard at Hawksbill Station.

 

And another, more recent shot.

The Cedar Branch & Western--The Hillbilly Line!

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Posted by Grampys Trains on Sunday, June 5, 2011 1:15 AM

Here's a shot of my yard, it's double ended. DJ.

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Posted by Hamltnblue on Sunday, June 5, 2011 8:58 AM

West half of the yard at The Club

 

Springfield PA

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Posted by J.Rob on Sunday, June 5, 2011 9:09 AM

Very nice, both yard and layout plan looks like it will be a great deal of fun to both own and operate.

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Posted by jwhitten on Sunday, June 5, 2011 10:55 AM

Grampys Trains

Here's a shot of my yard, it's double ended. DJ.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm237/GrampysTrains/Yard%20Scenes/P1010953.jpg

DJ, two questions-- what is the spacing between yard tracks in your yard, and the second question-- do you have a track plan for it? Or an overhead shot by chance?

John

Modeling the South Pennsylvania Railroad ("The Hilltop Route") in the late 50's
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Posted by Grampys Trains on Sunday, June 5, 2011 12:18 PM

Hi John: My yard tracks are on 2" centers. I don't have a track plan, I used Andy S. book on yards as a reference. Here's an overhead shot. DJ.

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Posted by jwhitten on Sunday, June 5, 2011 2:09 PM

Grampys Trains

Hi John: My yard tracks are on 2" centers. I don't have a track plan, I used Andy S. book on yards as a reference. Here's an overhead shot. DJ.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm237/GrampysTrains/Track%20Plan/P1040208.jpg

 

Thanks for the picture! At 2-inches, does that ever give you any trouble re-railing cars? Like if the yard is full?

 

John

Modeling the South Pennsylvania Railroad ("The Hilltop Route") in the late 50's
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Posted by Grampys Trains on Sunday, June 5, 2011 3:16 PM

Not really, John. I don't have many derailments, and if I did, I'd just move enough cars out of the way to fix the problem. I wanted to get as many yard tracks in as I could as I was limited in width of the benchwork at that point. I also try not to have the yard full of cars, when a train is made up, it moves on down the line. DJ.

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Posted by farrellaa on Wednesday, June 8, 2011 9:47 PM

Not finished but shows overall plan and size. HO code 83 on cork sheet and roadbed.

  - Bob

Life is what happens while you are making other plans!

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