For the A/D track capacity, consider that you can always double a cut into or out of one of the other yard tracks and onot a cut in the A/D track easily enough, so you aren't strictly limited by the capacity of the A/D tracks only.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
You could post a layout sketch and we can help more. Have you read 10 commandments of yard design? (Look up Houssotonic Railroad) Two quick things I would mention is you seem to have all body tracks double ended ... Single ended will increase capacity.
Second, I don't see a yard lead. Do you have one?
NP.
I am designing my first HO scale model railroad classification yard and would like to calculate the operating capacity of my yard.
Yard is approx 12 feet long and I have 2 A/D tracks that each hold 12 cars. Four classification tracks each hold 8-12 cars (see image above).
My thought is to run 10 car trains + locos and that's about as far as I've got....
Any thoughts on how to optimize for best results? I am open to any redesign ideas as (other than the mainline) no tracks are down yet.
Thanks!
Bernard