I see this a lot on layouts, but I can't figure out how the car on the siding with the red arrow pointing to it gets picked up. I can see if a locomotive is only picking up the car that it would go in, pull it out, and then push it until it gets to the mainline, but what if you're trying to attach it to other cars and continue?
If anyone knows of a video, that'd probably help too. Thanks.
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I don't see the diagram or picture you refer to, but I assume you're talking about a "facing point spur", where a train has to pick up a car and the spur track runs out in front of the train, rather than trailing behind it. Normally, if trains often have to pick up a car at a facing point spur there will be a 'run around track', a double-ended sidetrack, at or near the spur track. The engine can then couple it's nose up to the car in the spur track, leave it on one track of the double-ended siding, then use the other track to run around the car and then back into it so it's now behind the engine. Then the engine backs into the rest of it's train and takes off.
Train is on inner loop, moving counter-clockwise. Stops prior to turnout on top of layout pic, leaving train there. Loco continues forward light into spur, then reverses into industry track. Pics up car on rear of loco, then pulls it forward into tail track, then reverses, pushing car back towards main. Attaches car to the front of train left on main. Now, continue counterclockwise around layout.
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
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And, without a run-around track, a train running clockwise would pass this up, and pick up on it's return run. The WI Northern, owned by Progressive Rail, has industries like this, and they have a second loco on the back of train for this type of opposing sidings.
Mike.
My You Tube
It looks like this is a two town layout with a scenic view block running down the middle and a double track main. My thinking is that the inner loop runs clockwise and the outer loop runs counter clockwise. There should be a runaround track some place in the top (north?) town, but there isn't one there. I see that as a layout design flaw because there is no way to get cars from this spur behind the loco without going all the way back to the other town to run around them
Thanks! That all makes sense that the train would have to run counter clockwise or have an engine at that the back which I never thought of. This isn't my layout, but I'm planning one and wondered about that. Very interesting. Thank you.
The infamous switchback. Always added to model railroads to supposedly add to the play value. And this layout has a second one on the opposite side where the engine shed is.
I hate them. They sound like a good idea, but after you switch them a couple times they rapidly become a pain. We had a number of them on the club's layout and found that they rarely got switched. I think we've killed off all but one.
This particular track plan would be improved by having the run around track closer to the facing point switch. But I do recall the local switcher from the 1960s in my home town going down the main line with cars on both ends.
In some situations the prototype could do something that would be difficult to replicate on our layouts: if there is a slight grade the brakes would be released on the car and it would roll past the turnout so that it could be more easily picked up by the locomotive. A crewman would ride the car and set the brakes when it was past the turnout.
Dave Nelson
The prototype avoids switchback sidings when possible. When somebody starts talking about, "Play value," I break out in hives. In my (not so) humble opinion, the best thing to do with one on an existing layout is spike the switch, then smother the rails with ground foam. A sapling growing between the rails makes a nice touch.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
In general (which means there are exceptions), the preferred traditional way to do things is to keep the engine at the head of the train, facing forward. Engines have couplers at both ends because there are circumstances where a car has to be operated ahead of the engine, or a backwards-running engine must pull one or more cars. Usually the crew will do whatever is necessary to get the job done, then will put things in "proper" order as soon as they arrive at a runaround point. If the engine has to push the car any distance, a crew member will ride the leading end of the car as a lookout. If your outside double track oval is a double track mainline with tracks of assigned direction, then there would usually be at least one crossover near the point where the industrial spurs join the main, so that your switch job can avoid fouling the opposing mainline any longer than necessary.
Tom
E-L man tom It looks like this is a two town layout with a scenic view block running down the middle and a double track main. My thinking is that the inner loop runs clockwise and the outer loop runs counter clockwise. There should be a runaround track some place in the top (north?) town, but there isn't one there. I see that as a layout design flaw because there is no way to get cars from this spur behind the loco without going all the way back to the other town to run around them
I think you have that reversed. The inner loop would run counter clockwise making that a trailing point spur using a switchback. No need for a runaround if the train on the inner loop is running counter clockwise. If the inner loop was clockwise, it would become a facing point spur and require a runaround. From the diagram, the only place that could be done would be on the opposite side of the oval.
jecorbett E-L man tom It looks like this is a two town layout with a scenic view block running down the middle and a double track main. My thinking is that the inner loop runs clockwise and the outer loop runs counter clockwise. There should be a runaround track some place in the top (north?) town, but there isn't one there. I see that as a layout design flaw because there is no way to get cars from this spur behind the loco without going all the way back to the other town to run around them I think you have that reversed. The inner loop would run counter clockwise making that a trailing point spur using a switchback. No need for a runaround if the train on the inner loop is running counter clockwise. If the inner loop was clockwise, it would become a facing point spur and require a runaround. From the diagram, the only place that could be done would be on the opposite side of the oval.
Not if you're running "highway style" with opposite facing traffic passing on the left. In any event, even if that is so, that I have it reversed, a runaround is still needed in this "town" to get cars behind the locomotive for the other spur, as that becomes a facing point.
The thing is that industry has room for 2 or 3 cars and the trail track has room for a engine and one car.. It would take to long to pull and then spot 2 or 3 cars and since your tying up the main guess who not going to be happy?
My advice rip it out and save the unrealistic switching.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
BRAKIE The thing is that industry has room for 2 or 3 cars and the trail track has room for a engine and one car.. It would take to long to pull and then spot 2 or 3 cars and since your tying up the main guess who not going to be happy? My advice rip it out and save the unrealistic switching.
Sometimes the railroad has no control over this. Suppose a new merchant opens up a shop that needs rail service, and that "hard move" is the only way that they could get a rail there either cheaply or r/t land ownership or other buildings in the way.
But railroads are longer than models, and the lead track could be a lot longer than your model will allow.
Not so much on this layout, but in days of yore before safe work rules were invented/enforced, thre was such a thing as the drop kick and the pole push that could help accomplish such moves. Look at your older rolling stock, and espc the locomotives and you will see the polling pockets cast into the anti-climber or frame of the cars and locos.
In this instance the locomotive scould push the cars for this siding into the pocket, uncupple and then use a chain to pull them into the siding from the adjacent track providing there is not too great a divergance. The cars could also be moved using a capstin, no locomotive needed.
ROAR
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