I've been building my new layout now for about 2 months. I keep throwing around different track plans and keep changing my mind. What I would like to be able to do is have train operations. My biggest question is that if I have an industry does it have to have a siding as well as a passing siding? If not, say I am picking up a box car with a steam engine, how do I get that car behind the engine?
Rick, there're two operation ways: If you want to set out the first yellow car, it's easy with a trailing point spur / industry. With a facing point spur you need somewhere a runaround, perhaps a siding. And you have to push the car this way. Often this industry is served on the way back, if your train is a turn. Or it's served by a local in the other direction when for this train it's a trailing point spur. Wolfgang
OK well taht makes sense. Is it alright though for that train to tie-up the mainline in order to pick a car up?
This train has in its schedule (or from the dispatcher) some time for traveling from town A to town B. This time includes some work like picking up a car or setting out cars. The train crew knows at which time they should be at town B. So they can work as long as they reach town B in time. Wolfgang
Thanks for your help thus far Wolfgang. I have a coal mine that serves three tracks. Would the entire mine need to be on a siding, or should one of those tracks serve the mainline? I also was looking at your layout and it looks great. Do you use the underside of a sction of your layout to serve as staging?
1. It depends on the main track. Is it a busy mainline I would say NO. But for a branch line I think it could be possible. But I'm not the experte. :angel: 2. Yes, my yard at Westport is build just above the staging yard. Westport is build in segments. This way I can remove it if necessary. Wolfgang
Any passing siding can be used as a runaround track. A runaround track can be off the main entirely, in which case it's no use as a passing siding. Likewise, it can be on the main, but if it's only long enough for a car or two, you cna use it for switching, but not to let two trains pass.
I want to start laying track for this operating layout, but how do you develop a plan? My layout is L-shaped. The longest leg is 20 feet long, the ther is 6 feet. It is 30" deep on the 20 foot leg, and four 48" deep on the 6 foot leg. The 20 foot leg opens up to 48" as well at about the last 36". Really what I'm wondering though is being a swithing layout where do I drop off cars? How do I develop realistic scenarios for operations that will be realistic?
I would go with a loop, at one side a town, at the other side some staging tracks, i.e. sidings. Think about some structures for the town. These will be industries. One big industrie with perhaps two or even three tracks and smaller industries. A brewery with more tracks, a whole sale warehouse, coal yard / oil dealer, a ... factory. You town has a siding from the siding branches the spurs to the industries. Just an imagination. Wolfgang
turning around a passenger train I made a figure eight with four switches so that I could turn a train around from ether direction. John
I feel like figure eights aren't really what I'm looking for, it's just too much like a kids 4x8. No offense to those that are looking for that kind of layout, but I'm looking for a realsitic operating railroad.
Order from Kalmbach (Model Railroader's publisher) a copy of John Armstrong's "Track Planning for Realistic Operation". Its the best book on the market for planning a layout. It will answer all of your questions, including those you haven't thought of yet!
