A Short Look At Yards

brakie

Active Member
Andrew,I suspect that is a outlaying yard that handles locals that work out of Orangeville.You see a division point yard is a massive yard that handles several sub divisions as well.
It would make a nice size layout yard though.:thumb:


Big Steel,You will need coil cars,gons and flat cars to haul the finish steel.
 

spitfire

Active Member
BigSteel, the best thing you can do is research. When I started I was all about finding the perfect yard plan already done, so that all I had to do was reproduce it.

As I researched and read more, I began to understand the underlying concepts behind yard operations, so that I could confidently start to plan my own.

There's an old, but still really good book called Track Planning for Realistic Operation by John Armstrong that has a ton of information on the different types of yard design.

Alternatively, you could locate a prototype yard to model. Google Earth has aerial views, but of course you have to know where to look.

I had made the decision to model Parkdale Yard in Toronto, for the simple reason that I used to live near enough to it to hear the trains shunting in the night. It was also a relatively small yard and that made it a good choice to model.

Meanwhile, my research has led me to a gentleman who actually used to work there, and he and I have been corresponding for the last month or so. He's provided me with some invaluable information and the more I learn the happier I am about my choice of this yard to model - it's perfect for me.

Anyway, like they say, research is half the fun. :D

Val
 

Squidbait

Recovering ALCO-holic
Here is an example of a small yard that I'm familiar with. I think this will jibe with Brakie's explanation. It's on the double-track Dundas subdivision of the Canadian National at Brantford. There is a branch line to an oil refinery (among other things) off to the east, and industrial switching further down the main to the east, as well as in town itself. Once upon a time, the line leading into town was actually a subdivision that headed southwest and serviced rural communities as well as an auto-parts plant at the far end.

Looking at the yard, you can see the main on the south side, passing by the station. North of the main at the west (station) end is the switching lead, and 4 double-ended tracks for set-outs and lifts. The west end of the set/lift tracks passes over the scale, in the open area north of the station.

There is a runaround track north of the setout tracks, and then north of these are 5 "storage" tracks, where long cuts of local cars are sorted by the yard crews for the various switching jobs. The northernmost track also serves as a RIP track, and sometimes LCL.

South of the main is the south switching lead, which used to go to a feed mill and roofing plant south of the main and west of the station. You can see some tracks coming off the south lead towards the station. These used to go to the freight shed (a remnant of which is visible just SW of the station) and the express yard, where TOFC were loaded and unloaded. Now it serves as storage for MOW equipment.

This is a modest little yard, and if scaled properly, would be very good for a medium-sized model rr.
 

Squidbait

Recovering ALCO-holic
I should also add that in the wedge-shaped space between the storage and setout tracks, there used to be a roundhouse with turntable, and steam engine servicing facilities.
 

MasonJar

It's not rocket surgery
That is very similar to the CPR yard at Orangeville - lots of features now mostly gone from the scene. Orangeville had a station (now a restaurant downtown; replacement rebuilt for the Credit Valley Explorer in 2006-07), a bunk house (burned last fall), freight house, roundhouse, cattle pens, grain elevator, and MOW shed (all demolished). It also served a fuel dealer and lumber company (extant, but no longer served by rail). It also continues to serve the Union Carbide plastics factory. There was also a lime kiln just outside of town, but I cannot find any info on it.

Orangeville Yard Satellite

At the resolution available, it is hard to tell how many of the yard tracks remain. Although I was able to tell that they have completely rebuilt my public school just to the north...! :(

Andrew
 

bigsteel

Call me Mr.Tinkertrain
ive just posted my yard part of my layout in the track planning forum.i think that im pretty close to prototypical and operational.its for my steel mill which will be in the open space in the top.
 
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