Diesel Service Facility

[fondo]

Hi all

I'm laying the service facility and I need the help of the experts he, I've  an access to this facility through main track with a double crossover. From walthers, I've the following structures:

Walthers HO Cornerstone® Series Modern Roundhouse Kit
Walthers HO Cornerstone® Series Machine Shop Kit
Walthers HO Cornerstone® Series Sanding Tower
Walthers Cornerstone Series(R) HO Diesel Fueling Facility Kit

And first I did the following position for the structures

Option1

Option 2 - Here I have set the fuel tank and Sand bin that can be filled

As this is my first time designing a layout it will be great to know your opinions? as any other position for the structures, except roundhouse and turntable.

The space I have is 4feet x 16.5inc for the module that the turntable is set. And 4feet x 8.7inch for the other module.

Thanks in advance! Hope I explain it well and clearly.

[Grampys Trains]

Hi fondo: This is how I laid out my diesel service area. Fuel and water on a concrete pad, and sand between the pad and engine house. There's also a fuel pump and filters, tank car on supports for reserve, and a compressor house that supply's air to move the sand. DJ.

 

[richhotrain]

Is access to the service facilty via a double crossover or a double slip or a crossing?  Hard to tell from the photo.

If your setup is already laid in stone, there probably isn't much you can do to simplify the track arrangement, but it really seems complicated and requires a lot of switching to get from one place to another.

it could be a lot simpler if the turntable and round house could be moved up to the machine shop location and then move the machine shop to the turntable location.

The way you have it requires too many movements.

Just some thoughts.

Rich

[fondo]

Thanks for you answer, one question I have is if the machine shop has to be near to the roundouse or turntable?? or it's real life escene to have the machine shop far from turntable?(as in Option 1)

richhotrain

Is access to the service facilty via a double crossover or a double slip or a crossing?  Hard to tell from the photo.

.....

Rich

Rich I know it requires some movements to get to final position, the access poin to the facility can be moved, and It doesn't has to be the double crossover(by the way, I understand that you didn't see the double crossover, if so here in right picture to the left of sand bin it's the double crossover).

Thanks again, and I hope it's understandable!!

[richhotrain]

fondo

Thanks for you answer, one question I have is if the machine shop has to be near to the roundouse or turntable?? or it's real life escene to have the machine shop far from turntable?(as in Option 1)

richhotrain:

Is access to the service facilty via a double crossover or a double slip or a crossing?  Hard to tell from the photo.

.....

Rich

 

Rich I know it requires some movements to get to final position, the access poin to the facility can be moved, and It doesn't has to be the double crossover(by the way, I understand that you didn't see the double crossover, if so here in right picture to the left of sand bin it's the double crossover).

Thanks again, and I hope it's understandable!!

Dunno, looks like a double slip to me.

Rich

[Hamltnblue]

Here's a few pics of our club Diesel service facility

[pastorbob]

Another perspective, not all engine facilities are complete with back shops and such.  In fact,  on my layout, which is three decks with a helix, there are no major facilities for engine service as the end points are hidden in the "mole hole".  One town, which is a major player on my layout has a very simple facility, patterned after the prototype in the 1989 era I use.  it consists of a couple of fueling tracks, nothing fancy, a set out spur, and used to have a wye for turning units.  My dad worked as a yard engineer at this town from 1945 until his retirement in the 70's, and I spent a lot of time there.  The road units that came in on trains did not require servicing so they were set in the engine area while trains were switched, then put back on the trains and sent on their way to end points that had more extensive facilities.  Yet, during the harvest season in Oklahoma, a lot of trains were on the move in and out, just didn't require service.

Point, not every layout has to have extensive engine facilities unless the town(s) were service points.

Bob

[mcddhawk4]

What is the size of your clubs diesal service area?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mcddhawk4]

What is the size of your clubs diesal service area?

 

Martin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[fondo]

Sorry for the delay, too much to study!

Here are two other options I thought and I would like to know your opinions? and any change you consider a better option?

Also, for the fuel tank, can I use the "walthers oil loading" for unloading fuel to the tank? and I would like to know or see how the sand unloading system would be?

[Mark R.]

The first thing you need to do is determine the era you are modelling - diesel, steam or a combination of both ?

If you are running steam, you are going to need to add a coaling facility and a water plug. If you aren't running steam - ditch the water tower.

A siesel service pad usually has both the sand and water in the same location, not separate from each other.

Reagarding the track plan itself, it's way too elaborate for a service facility. Slip switches, double cross-overs and diamonds are expensive to build and maintain, so would be avoided in an engine terminal if at all possible. To streamline the process, the fuel pad should be placed in series with the approach to the turn-table. Engines coming in would enter the pad, run through to the turn-table and either be put away, or sent right back out. With your stub ended service pad, you'd be stacking engines in there that can't all easily get back out - they aren't stored at the pad.

As for the machine shop, you could probably get a much better effect by breaking the structure down and using it as a double-sized backdrop structure giving the illusion this area is larger than it really is. You could still leave a small portion of it three dimensional if you wanted so a track off the table went into it. Same goes with the roundhouse - Add a few more stalls cutting off the back where it meets the backdrop. You could easily add what would appear to be an additional three stalls blending it into the back drop ! 

You have very limited space to work with - don't waste it by filling usable space with massive buildings that add no operational value - push them back onto the back drop - it will give you more room to correct your "too busy" track arrangement and at the same time make your given space appear a lot bigger than it is.

Mark.