I’m planning a new section for a turntable and roundhouse on my layout. I was reviewing the Walthers Engine Servicing Facility and they show a Modern Coaling Tower, I hadn’t thought of this before and I just don’t know exactly where one would be located in a service facility. I don't really have a lot of room to add a siding near the roundhouse and I was wondering if one could be put farther away from the service area. My only alternative besides abandoning it altogether is maybe having it off one of the turntable tracks.
Normally the coaling tower is located on the tracks approaching the turntable. Yard - Coaling Tower (-Sand - Water) - Turntable - Roundhouse
So would it be ok to have everything passing thru the coaling tower to the round table? I don't know much about the modern coaling tower, would the sand and water be a separate structure?
Johnny, How you illustrated the coal tower is fine. Most railroads had two tracks to the coaling tower. One to service the locomotive and the other a delivery track for coal hoppers. Kind of a supply and demand thing. You have four dead end spurs shown in your plan. Anyone of which could be used for the coal tower and the coal hopper dump. You can put in a water tower or water spout on the same track as the coal tower. To do this right you would also need a sanding tower. Now, if you aren't discouraged by what I've shared and/or my suggestion. I have another that would liven things up. Typically a steam engine servicing facility would have a ash pit, where the ash from the stoves can be dumped. You can create a pit, throw in some ash, a flickering light to simulate coals, a smoke unit to simulate the smoke from live coals. If you get my drift. Downside, is you would need to put this on a separate track. Upside, just think of the fun the grand kids would have. Push the button, holding it down and smoke comes up out of the pit. From Rick's "For What It's Worth Department".
Thanks Rick. I saw the Walthers Cinder Conveyor and Ash Pit, but I’m not sure if I can fit it in. I was also thinking about buying the Walthers Shady Junction Structures Kit, but I’m not sure its in the correct time era as the modern roundtable & modern coaling tower. My biggest problem is space. After I get my two modular layouts up and running, I want to build a shelf above the other layouts to run my steamers. I’m planning on a helix from the lower layouts to the shelf and thought I could squeeze a round house above the helix. It’s also important to keep it light weight and modular, so I plan on having the helix and Engine Service Center as one piece setting on a table in the closet. If I can sneak in another Switch (turnout) before the entrance to the service area above the helix, I could maybe add a Parallel track just outside of the helix as long as I don’t interfere with my overhead track clearance
Johnny, You've seen my layout. I don't remember if the old Atlas turntable was still in place. I'm planning on installing the Walther's Self Indexing unit. The "Self" being me and I get to Index it. Your plan isn't so far off from mine. Your plan is workable and flexible enough to do the things you want to. Incidentally, as turntables on the 1X1 foot scale go, a lot of the older service buildings stood for decades after the turntable was officially shut down. Just some more fodder for fun.
I am not sure if you are talking about a coaling tower or a sand tower. Below is the NS Yard in North Kansas City, MO. The sanding tower is off on a siding connecting to the main thru the yard. The old engine house is off to the side of this siding. Hope this helps.
Yes I do remember your layout. I’ve been trying to keep the Engine Service Area within a 3x3 ft square and approx 10 to 11” high without the buildings and with the exception of a 12” section extending to the shelf on top for the entrance to the service area. I’m now thinking of changing that to a 3x4x1 ft cubical module which will give me a little room in front. I haven’t built the helix yet so I’m not sure about the finial height, but the entire layout broken down in modules must be able to fit into the back of my covered Pickup
Thanks, I was talking about the Walthers 933-3262 Concrete Coaling Tower Kit and after looking at those photos. I decided that I don’t like the idea of having all traffic passing through the coaling tower to the round table. I think I’m definitely going to add some parallel tracks to the front for coaling tower and all the other stuff needed for steam. The only real thing I don’t like is the height of this coaling tower. This whole Service Area expansion is the result of my new Challenger that I got for Christmas. I normally run Diesels and already have a service area for them. I wanted the steam to have their own layout and I could also store them in the round house.
Darn you Sleeper! It never occurred to me to think of a service facility for my excursion train locos. Arggg! I've the Bman J Class, the Kato Mikado, and Model Power 2-6-0 and um, an small Atlas something. Then there are the bullet train needs. Hmm, looks like time for a track leading "off table". I love the plan though I have no suggestions on how to help.
Most roundhouses would have 2 tracks leading to the turntable. One for inbound locos that would run under the coaling tower, and one for outbound locos that would run in front of the tower. The standpipe for water would be between the 2 tracks so it is available to both inbound and outbound. The sanding tower was many times located so that the hostler could both add coal to the tender and add sand to the sand dome at the same time without moving the loco. Then the hostler would pull forward to the ash pit to clean the fire and ashes. In addition to the 2 locomotive tracks there would usually be another track to deliver coal to the coaling towers bucket hoist. This track would also serve to have an empty gondola spotted beside the ash pit to receive the dead ashes. So if you can find the room I would run one track under the tower, another in front, and the third track to the rear of the tower.......Mike
Steve, I think that if you modify the engine service area in your plan a roundhouse would fit.Many railroads used the steam roundhouses to store and service deisels for many years after normal operation of steam was discontinued....Mike
Thanks Mike, thats been real helpful :thumbs_up: It never occurred to me to have two tracks to the turntable. I don’t actually have a turntable yet because waiting for the new DCC to be released at the end of the week. But from the Walthers template it appears that I can have another track attached to the front of the turntable. I like this idea and I started playing around with it in XtrkCad to see how it’s going to work. The one problem I have is the difference in track spacing between the Coaling Tower and the Ash Pit. One appears to be approx 2 3/4” and the other closer to 1 5/8” which means I need an two tracks for the gondolas to bring in coal and remove ash.
I've been busy and was away from the computer. Your plan looks good. Looks to be one awesome layout. I read through the other suggestions. Lot's of good ideas. You can pick and choose what you want and run with them. Have fun.
Steve, Look also at The Age of Steam roundhouse that Jerry Jackobson is building in Ohio. He used to own Ohio Central and has many steam locos. He is building a private roundhoust to restore and store his collection. You could set up something like this for your vintage equipment.....Mike Age of Steam Roundhouse
Oh go ahead and hi-jack it. The last time I heard no one but the owners of TrainBoard owns the threads. A thread goes where a thread goes. And, we can all learn from it. I think!
I tried having service tracks leading into the turntable, but I don’t have enough room. The offset took up a lot of space and even if I added a third track. It would have added another turnout, which was also added to the track length. I had to make a bend and move the whole thing to the side. I’m going to study it for a while before I start actually building it to see if I like it. Oh I just threw the other Shady Junction buildings in to get an idea of where they might go, but I haven’t spent much time on them since they can be moved around pretty easily. I was mainly concerned about the track placement for now. This version uses a turnout to back a single gondola behind the Cinder & Ash Tower. It also only has room to operate a small Yard loco to place it there. but it is a one stop engine service. This one uses an offset in the track but take up a lot of space and the Engine has to move forward to remove the ash & cinders after loading up with coal.
Interesting choices. The first one you would need a switch engine see sawing back and forth moving coal cars. The second one will need a switch engine pulling a string of them. Efficiency would ask for number two. I like certain aspects of both designs. Coin toss! Grin.
