Whats in your yard?

[bighead]

Can you guys put up the track plans for your train yards? because i'm planing mine, so far I have the roundhouse....

-Jake

[CMSTPP]

I have one but it's a rough copy of what it looks like. There are actually two mainlines too.

But this just one of the yards.

The only tracks that hold the cars are the first 4. the others are switching leads with industries. Like I said this is really a rough copy but it should give you some idea.

Happy railroading

James

[Anonymous]

I have just one switch at the present time on the new yard. But plans show it to be a stub ended body track times 4, one caboose track, One arrival track/departure track with a track allowing the road engine to escape to the roundhouse.

It will be set up with the drill track to the left and the body tracks to the right and there is a small District on one end of the yard and the main is on the other.

I dont have pictures yet but have a few PDF's from Kalmbach related to Operations and yards that are very closely followed with the yard design. I am not wanting to post a screenshot of the yard design from the PDF itself because MR discourages sharing of information from publications.

I expect the small yard to be functional as soon as the required switches are purchased, construction has already started in the room. Which is always a good sign.

[dragenrider]

My yard is very small.  It has an interchange track, a passing track, and the mainline. The spurs consist of a MOW/Caboose/Team track, two engine house leads, and a RIP track.  This type of yard seems to be in keeping with most other shortlines. 

Most of the shuffling is performed with an 0-5-0 in staging. 

[SpaceMouse]

[Don Z]

Here's a photo of mine....yard lead at each end, 4 tracks to use as the yard plus a run around the ladder or a caboose track at the bottom of the photo.

Don Z.

[trainboyH16-44]

What's in my yard? Let's see...

My plan...it's...not reccomended. It's got three long tracks, two short tracks on the right side of the pic as well as a stub track, then a grain track by the elevator. Then a track goes off to a 3 stall roundhouse with turntable, as shown here:

Now, the yard is too small and not good for switching, the roundhouse isn't big enough, and I have no place to put locomotive sets longer than a pair of S-2s... 

[mfifer]

Here is what I have . It has 3 tracks in and is single ended. 1 track brings in and puts out loco's and 1 track brings in passenger trains and the 3rd brings in freight.

 

Mike

[steinjr]

Can you guys put up the track plans for your train yards? because i'm planing mine, so far I have the roundhouse....

-Jake

Upper right hand corner of this layout.  

Designed for trains consisting of 1 short diesel engine, 8 40' cars and a caboose, train lengths of about 58".

Has three tracks that are double ended and accessible from the mainline in both directions - two (track 1 and 2) which are long enough to contain an entire train - ie suitable for arrival/departure tracks.

 Three stubended tracks off the yard ladder for temporary storage of cars while they are being classified.

 Yard switching lead on one (left) end which can be used without fouling the mainline - long enough for a switcher and 6 or 7 cars. Room for a switcher and one car to move from track 2 to track 3 (for runaround moves via track 3) without fouling the mainline on the other (right) end of the yard.

 If you want a lot of ideas for yards, go buy the downloadable freight yard information station PDF by John Armstrong about yard design.

 URL: http://kalmbachcatalog.stores.yahoo.net/mrpdf035.html

 Good luck in designing a workable yard.

 Smile,
 Stein

 

[R. T. POTEET]

Can you guys put up the track plans for your train yards? because i'm planing mine, so far I have the roundhouse....

-Jake

All that I can say since I don't have a functioning layout at this time - come to think of it, I don't have a non-functioning layout at this time - is that my yard has many rocks; this, after all, is Arizona and water is the most precious commodity on the desert and you don't have to mow rocks.

[wedudler]

You can see my yard and pictures at my site.

Wolfgang 

[tomikawaTT]

What's in YOUR yard?  Kinda sounds like, "What's in YOUR wallet?" doesn't it?

To answer as if it was meant that way:

• One unit coal train, with locomotive.
• One short goods train, with brake van but without locomotive.
• One work train, three gons filled with rail joiners, track nails and spikes.
• Assorted odd cars, including a cattle pullman and a 4-truck articulated well flat.
• A wedge plow, with locomotive.

To describe the yard, it's located on an outside corner of the layout, lead running along one edge, two curved (all divergent routes left) three way switches leading to four stub-end tracks each long enough to hold a 12 car train.  The tangent extension of the lead ends at a "ferry slip" for cassettes (used to transfer rolling stock from storage to layout or vice versa.)  Since the whole thing is intended to be back-in staging, and will eventually be buried under scenery (and several additional layers of track!) it is totally devoid of any visual enhancements such as ballast.

A similar yard (for longer trains) is currently under construction on the opposite side of the main.  The basic design is similar, except that the lead is curved 90 degrees and the body tracks curve an additional 90 degrees, making it a complete 180 degree hairpin.

I can get away with the odd track arrangements because I build my own specialwork, from raw rail.  I wouldn't try it in the same space with commercial turnouts!

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

[bighead]

What's in YOUR yard?  Kinda sounds like, "What's in YOUR wallet?" doesn't it?

 

That is what it was supposed to sound like lol

-Jake

[Anonymous]

In the yard? Well... I agree with the "In your wallet" thing.

At the moment, very little in way of rolling stock. The HO scale crew can probably show up, switch and go home for the day by lunch time LOL.

[myowngod]

Here's what I've come up with after quite a few revisions.

.

This is what you'll see when you walk into the room from the hall

Even after construction started, once you see how everything fits in real life... revisions happen.  The basic plan is based off of a John Armstrong plan.  Flipped, stretched, and reversed into something that works for me in my space

[jims trains]

My yard is basically a smallish interchange yard, with an inbound cars track, an outbound cars track, and a short spur for storing cars if necessary. There is also a short turnaround spur on the east (right hand) side. As the yard is part of an industrial railroad, and there are normally only transfer and  locals departing and arriving, there is no dedicated drill track. All tracks except the spur are double ended sidings. 

You can see a map of my layout, including the interchange yard, on my website:

http://www.stanfordnorth.com/jimsjunction

then click the C&SFT option fom the menu, then the Track Plan link. 

 

 

[bogp40]

Here are some pics of the club layout yards. It is a very large layout and many of the staging tracks are rather long. The configuration of the yards might help though.

These are of our temparary staging.

Besides the staging this is one of the completed permanant yards.

West end and engine facility, leads out to both divisions

Overveiw for a prospective of yard. This entire leg is dedicated to the yard, engine facility, yard industries and both east and west leads.

This yard is not wired yet. I use it for display/ storage.

 

[reklein]

Myowngod, I REALLY like that plan man. I my have to print that out for future use. I like the big curves and totally adequate yards. I suppose there's problems somewhwere but I sure don't see em yet.

[D&HRR]

Here are some pics of the club layout yards. It is a very large layout and many of the staging tracks are rather long. The configuration of the yards might help though.

These are of our temparary staging.

Besides the staging this is one of the completed permanant yards.

West end and engine facility, leads out to both divisions

Overveiw for a prospective of yard. This entire leg is dedicated to the yard, engine facility, yard industries and both east and west leads.

This yard is not wired yet. I use it for display/ storage.

 

 

Is that a D&H 5015 RS36 in the top pick??, very nice.

[myowngod]

Myowngod, I REALLY like that plan man. I my have to print that out for future use. I like the big curves and totally adequate yards. I suppose there's problems somewhwere but I sure don't see em yet.

I could do better than printing it out... If you have XtrakCad program(free) I could email the file to you and save you alot of time.  From there you could tweek it out for your specs. 

Thanks for the compliment.  Yes there was "during construction re-engineering" of the plan, but nothing to major.

Here's what the original plan looked like before I started modifying. Notice the yard is is on the opposite side of the main, on the "north" side.  That was the major mod I did to the plan, otherwise the engines couldn't get to the yard except through a major switching operation (while crossing the double mainlines)... which is rediculous.  I seperated the yard area, mirrored the image, and then rotated it 180degrees.  It ended up fitting perfectly on the other side of the main by just moving the mains to the edge of the platform.  This allowed better access to the roundhouse and the branchline(green track).

The plan also managed to squeeze in 5 staging tracks, 3 in the mid level and 2 on the bottom level reversing loop (not seen in picture).  So the yard can be used for what it meant for, sorting trains, not storing trains.

 

 

[Pruitt]

Here's my minimalist interchange yard at Laurel:

Mainline is to the right, passing siding adjacent, then two body tracks. To the left is an under-constuction engine terminal.

Here's my planned classification yard at Casper:

And a small branchline stub-end yard at Cody:

There's one more branchline stub-end yard, at Lander:

This one is more just a few industry tracks with a passing siding and engine turning facility than a yard.

[reklein]

For myowngod, thanks for the offer. I did print out the plan from the forum,hope you don't mind. I liked the way it filled a large square area,and the large sweeping curves. A lot of todays layouts tend to be very linear so as to follow prototype. But I dont have a linear space. I do have a layout in an 11'X14' room so I'm not ready to build your plan just yet.I'm always looking for switching schemes on curves. I know ,thats probably asking for trouble, but in a 11'x14' room half the layout is curved. Your plan also looks like it would benefit by having access to both sides which I don't have room for either. Nonetheless I'll file it for reference.

[SilverSpike]

My main yard is also the staging for the lower deck of my layout. The original plan as seen in this image does not show the actual 11 tracks that are in the yard.

Here is a view of the actual yard as it was being built. Remember, most of the time plans do represent what will actually be built, however, in this case I found a bit more room and was able to add a few more tracks than originally planned.

[Anonymous]

In my main Classification Yard, I have 3 sorting tracks, an A/D track, a ready/caboose track, some track, I guess I'll cal it another A/D track, an intermodel tracks, a MOW storage track, and a loco servicing track. Also in the the yard is the seperate mainline, with a connecter to the yard, and the East Ladder and West Ladder tracks. The yard is right next to the double ended staging yard on 1 end, and the mainline to the rest of the layout, eventually going to the other end of the staging yard.

[Seamonster]

Weeds!

Sorry, just couldn't resist!

[PB&J RR]

I planned the yard on my railroad using this site... and it is still one of the best resources I have found... no Bull, straight forward...

http://www.housatonicrr.com/yard_des.html

[spidge]

Check out Colton on this plan. There is a discription next to it. The odd tracks off to the right are industries, and I will be adding a diding oposite the drill track to facilitate a citrus packing house.

Click for a bigger/readable view.

When designing there are many things to consider, take notice and your experience will be a good operating yard that operates indipendently of the mainline.

[cchnguage]

You didn't say what gauge you are modeling. I modeled the NS Earnest Norris Yard in Irondale, AL. Money is going to be one of the items you need to think about. I model N-scale. The entire yard area covers 24 ft by 3 ft.

I have 12 tracks in the Hump yard, 3 tracks departing Eastbound, 3 tracks departing Westbound, and 3 tracks arrival. I also have fueling, engine house, car repair. I also have a drill track on both ends of the yard. My main line parrallels the yard. I have not finished putting in buildings but the track is all laid.

Craig

[Gandy Dancer]

The photo was taken to show off the bridge but "Whats in my yard items are in bold" .... Just out of the picture to the left is the service track for the commisary, REA (see lower photo), other railroad's express facility, and "back door" to Union Station.  The passenger car shop is going to be on the one track to the far left seen under the bridge (under the cab of the red dump truck). 

Then From left to right is:
A small coach yard (three tracks)
The coach yard entry track, with a pocket track to spot the coach switcher on (an Alco S2 is sitting there at the moment).
The main line. One can see the turnout branching to the lower left which is to the passenger station mentioned above.  Looking under the bridge just past it is the turnout for the "wye". In the background along the top of the photo one can see local "in yard" industries.
The departure track (crosses over to the main as well as continuing).
The drill track (if one looks just past the bridge one can see where it crosses over to the departure track - thus being the yard lead from that point on).  So yes, one has to cross the drill track to get a loco from the loco facilities to the passenger station.
Coming off the drill track (back toward the camera) is another crossover (the important one) to the departure track,
         the classification yard ladder proper (8 tracks),
         the arrival track (the one with the Kadee magnet uncoupler),
         the caboose track,
         and the ladder bypass track to the diesel locomotive servicing facilities.
You can then see the diesel servicing/maintenance facilites themselves (three tracks).
Then finally to the far right is the diesel facilities service track (w/2 tanks and a covered hopper).

As usual, click the images to enlarge.

Railway Express Agency Building  behind the end of the Union Station passenger platform. 

[Anonymous]

My layout has both passenger and freight yards. The passenger facilities consist of a depot track, and three coach tracks, with their own lead, so as not to interfere with freight operations. Through passenger trains use the mainline side of the platforms, and originating and terminating trains use the depot side. The REA building is right nearby the passenger depot.

The freight operation has it's own long lead, to allow switching long cuts of cars, without fouling the mainline. It has six tracks, and a runaround track, with a caboose track and engine facilities off the runaround track. The freight yard is double ended.