C-WW I have been tring to plan a train yard but I haven't been able to come up with a plan that I like. Whould anyone here have any ideals for one or like to help me in planing . I have a 24'x 24' room to build in and I was going to put the yard along one wall. If anyone is interested in helping. I'll post a list of what I wanted in the yard. Thanks Don [ March 29, 2006, 04:47 PM: Message edited by: watash ]
Don, I'll give it a whack. Yards are my favorite part of modeling, because they can present some interesting challenges both in design and operation.
Why don't you post your requirements, and solutions, I would like to learn too. My manual covers classification yards from pages 1002 through page 1010, with some illustrations, but is quite complicated in real life. It also depends upon if it is a freight yard, or a passenger yard, or both. I notice most modelers foul their mainline inorder to switch a string of cars in their yards, and fail to allow for through trains while switching is going on.
http://www.housatonicrr.com/yard_des.html Most excellent yard design web site. Look throught the 'layout design' forum here on train board, there have been some posts there that have some nice yards included in them.
Ok Here is a list or what I want in the yard. Locomotive service (Steam & diesel) Turntable 14" Roundhouse 3 stall rip track Cab. track Car shop Locomotive shop If this can be fitted in Transfer Table Scrap yard. (old rail cars & locos) Thanks for the help. Don
Couple more questions for you Don. Would you like a minimum number of tracks to work from, like no less than 10, for example?? I assume it would have to fit within about a 20' space (leaving at least two feet on either side for the main). How about a maximum depth of your yard, especially if it is against the wall (hard to reach more than 2 feet safely, and now you're limiting your tracks that way)? If you're not opposed to a peninsula, it might be better in terms of access. And what of turnout minimums? 4s, 5s, 6s, or a particular commercially available brand? Just a few things to think about before I get started.
I like no less then 10 tracks, and at least 30" curves. (I have a lost of 6 and 8 axle units that I will be running along with a Bigboy or two If I every get one.) As for the depth I relly don't know about that, but I was expexting it to be about 3' wide, and to think about it. I have a big place for one it can be located in the center of the room so it can be reached from both sides. As for the switches I haven't had any luck with #4 switches and I haven't tried #5 switches yet I been using Atlas #6 switches when I can, but I will be running passenger cars and auto racks. These aren't set in stone, so if you find a way to do something that I haven't listed or something try it. Thanks Donald
I just started a small yard that I have copyed from the frisco yard in west tulsa, it only has 47 tracks, east bound bowl, and west bound bowl, 8 stall roundhouse, 2 engine service tracks, 2 passenger service tracks, 1 m.o.w. track,2 cab's tracks, 2 rip tracks, 3 ready tracks, it dosnt have a modern engine shop but one could be added, in the space the refinery is/was, turn outs are no. 6's, and 8's, not the run around turn outs thay are no. 5's (for my 0-6-0's, 0-8-0's and my one 0-10-0), also has two dead tracks. If I've done the math right should hold about 300 to 450 cars when done. and two main lines which run between the two yards, I would like to see what I can come up with for your yard. O by the way my yard is 34' real feet long. BJPLOW001@aol.com
Ok, give me till the weekend and I'll come up with something for you. Peninsula space could be a plus here, but I'll give a couple of options.
I will give it try. Here are some thoughts on what tracks may be needed. Caboose Track inbound out-bound. This can be stub ended for 3-4 cabooses. MoW or track for the wrecker. Depending on era an icing track and rack. Repair in Place (RIP)track. Fuel and Servicing tracks. Of course you may want special inbound and outbound tracks As for practicality, be sure to leave about one car length at each end, so your trains won't bump going in and out. Also, in the modeling sense, leave enough room for your fingers to get in and out. You may want to try 3 inch centers instead of 2 1/2. This would also make it easier to read car numbers when you set up operating sessions. Good Luck.
Rob, Matt (Stickymonk) pointed me to this topic, to look at the "Ten Commandments" on building a yard. This has now been printed out, to see how many sins I have committed on my layout VERY interesting
Well, here is the first option I came up with. The border lines are just over 3 feet wide, and you can certainly move them in as there is space. Most of the yard tracks are at least 8 feet long, and the total length of the peninsula is 20 feet - assuming you have the track arrangement off of the mainline, and that it is centered off of a 2 foot shelf. So if you move your main closer to the wall in this spot, you can gain half a foot or so of ailseway (Assuming 2 foot shelf on other side, you'd have 24-30 inches of room). All tracks in the yard are on 2 inch centers (this is about 14 feet on the prototype, which is roughly accurate), and all turnouts are Atlas Mark III #6s. When these turnouts form a crossover or a yard ladder, they are on 2 inch centers Here is how I envision operation of the yard. Entering trains will arrive on the north or south main track, then enter the north or south yard, depending on your system. The locomotives stay on the "main" (tracks 6 or 7) until they can drop the cars and run around the train on tracks 5 or 8 (1 being the north-most track). I left 2 feet of track for the engine consist, you can adjust that as you need to. Now they can enter the facilities while the switcher goes to work. The caboose tracks are located as such since most of the time cars will not be stored on tracks 5 or 8 due to the runaround, but are easily accessible for any train. The switchers will also have most of the wye leg for drilling room. The radius of the wye legs are 30 inches. I recommend a crossover from the eastern track to the western track on both the north and south sides of the wye, so that trains on any track traveling in any direction can enter the yard.
Here is the next one, a through yard along one of the walls, using all 24 feet. This assumes either double or single-track main. The yard is symmetrical, save for the "extra" facilites. The innermost curve is 30" radius, outermost 34" (again, everything on 2" centers). Atlas Mk3 #6s again as well. Outermost tracks are mailines (if single track, middle track is main) from the curves, then it goes down to one main. Again I recommend a series of crossovers in this order, starting furthest from the yard. Outer to middle, middle to inner (to create inner track) then middle back to outer. If it is a single main, then just swing one turnout in each direction. This includes the Transfer Table you wanted, and you could throw in an extra switch with the "junkyard" on it right off the Transfer Table lead. The caboose tracks are both now through, and the engine facilites are located on the southern half of the yard. I think the symmetry makes it look neat, and the capacity is probably comparable to the other yard, if not a little bigger. But you loose mainline run to a yard. The turntable seems close to the edge, and can be moved over slightly. I forgot to mention that both plans use 15 degree spacing between tracks for the turntable. The Walthers roundhouse is only 10 degrees apart, so they can be tighter depending on your structures. The transfer table has the dimensions of the Walthers model, which has since been discontinued. I'm sure you still might be able to find it though. There is now a lot of run-around room, and extensive leads. So this is my other option, and that'll do it. You can tweak it here or there. I found there were a few restrictions in how much you could do, especially with the #6 turnouts. Hope this helped you out a lot.
Great plans! Thanks for the ideals. Would it matter to use #4 instead of #6 turnouts? I like big rolling stock but it takes up space fast, so I don't have meny. I mostly run 50 to 70 foot cars and most of my locos are 6 axle but only time they would be in the yard is on the main line, loco shop or around the turntable, so do I realy need #6 turnouts in the yard? Donald
Really the only difference between the Atlas Mk. 3 #4 and #6 turnouts would be the length of the track, and we're not talking very many cars here, maybe 20 more or so. There will be a difference in full #4 and #6 turnouts (the diverging end on the Mk. 3s is shorter), but you would really have to tighten the distances between tracks to get full advantage of the #4s. 6 Axle diesels will run over #4 turnouts, as long as it is at low speed, as if you were bringing trains into the yard, or power up to hook on to an outbound. The way I see it, if you have the room, go with the #6s. If you really want/need to, go down to the #4s, and add a few car lengths to the plan. This is one of those decisions only you can make.
