"Hump yards'

[sanvtoman]

Does anybody know of or have pics of an operating hump model rr yard?I think i saw one in MR years ago?

[tomikawaTT]

The late Ed Ravenscroft had an operating hump yard on his Glencoe Skokie Valley RR layout. It had four tracks and operating air retarders (low-pressure compressed air blowing uphill, not prototype wheel-squeezers.) The air was timed so fast-rolling cars would get a full shot, slower cars would only get a partial reduction and the slowest-rolling cars wouldn't be retarded at all.

I saw it in operation once. Very impressive, but also a big space-eater (it ran the full length of the front of his main peninsula.)

I'm sure there are others who have modeled hump yards, but I cannot describe them from my own knowledge.

Chuck.

[sanvtoman]

Thanx for the info Tom

[Anonymous]

Didn't this thread appear just a couple of weeks ago? And the discussion went on to describe the difficulties of making a model hump yard functionable.

[jimrice4449]

Yes. I thought I was the only person around w/ an operating hump yard but it turns out there were quite a few.
Mine is 12 tracks w/ the longest track 12 ft. I use the Ravenscrof compressed air retarders and they work great. I have three banks per track and you can operate them w/ a push button to accomodate varying roll rates. The big problem is in finding (affordable) solenoid valves to activate the retarders. I lucked out and found a source of 12V. solenoid valves that were surplus from after market smog control devices. They were intended for use w/ vacuum but I tweaked them so they would hold 30PSI of compressed air, though w/ quite a bit of leakage. I recently found another source, this time for compressed air that will hold over 50 lbs (that's all I tested for) and I'll soon be converting them. Some cars (notably flats) need more than a 30 lb shot to slow them down. This should eliminate the only drawbacks I've found, other than space (mine takes up an entire 25 ft wall w/ the lead to the hump starting an an adjacent wall.

[waltersrails]

mine isn't really a hump yard but it doesn't take much for my cars to be hump because of a small grade.

[Walter Clot]

I hope to put in a yard in the next year. I would like to have a slight grade to operate as a hump yard.

[Anonymous]

Naw, but there's one in a city about 25 miles from me. Brosnan Yard in Macon, Georgia.

[dinwitty]

I made one on some modules and looped around the backside. It was to be a loopable run. Never really finished it but the hump worked. I doubt I would build a hump yard again and stick to the ole push/pull design...
tho my layout design could call for one with the Belt Railway of Chicago involved, I think there are too many variables involved for me to want to try it again.
their neet tho.