About to lay yard - what do you think?

dhutch

dhutch

Member
Nov 14, 2004
114
0
16
37
www.spurstow.com
After much (too much) thought and testing, and time off, im going to start laying my yard.

This is a photo of the paper "test" layout.
layout.jpg


- What you you thing. Peco code55 thoughout, with peco TTable and small radius points. (and maybe a few med radius ones that i have) :thumb:


Daniel
 
Looks good. My suggestion would be to consider a run-aound more convenient for switching the yard. You sort of have one in the leads off the mainline but, but to use it as a run-around means blocking the mainline.

Looks like a fun layout.

Wayne
 
I did see that earllier but not sure why I thought it was inconvenient to use. Proceed with the track laying!

Is there a story behind the hinges on the wood blocks? I assume the blocks are to give some height when the yard is flipped upside down. Or is the idea to flip the main portion of the layout vertically for storage?

Wayne
 
My first thought is that there are compound "S"es in your yard ladder design. Trains are most apt to derail when being pushed, and "S"es make it even worse, especially as tight as some of those raddii are. You might find yourself more frustrated than having fun with that kind of setup. I would suggest that you arrange things so that you eliminate any "S"es in your yard ladder. In the attached picture, I've shown another ladder layout that eliminates the "S"es, just to give you an idea of what I'm talking about.

My second thought is that the runaround track that you do have is very short, and the one only has room for a single engine or car, which could severely limit your operations. I would try a few combinations relocating the runaround track to parallel the track that currently acts as the yard throat and turntable lead.

Anyway, that's what occurred to me when I saw it. The paper planning stage is when you want to take the time to try all sorts of combinations.

---jps
 

Attachments

  • ladder.gif
    ladder.gif
    3.2 KB · Views: 63
sputnik said:
My first thought is that there are compound "S"es in your yard ladder design.

My second thought is that the runaround track that you do have is very short,

Anyway, that's what occurred to me when I saw it. The paper planning stage is when you want to take the time to try all sorts of combinations.
Click to expand...

Thanks, that what i want :thumb: ( Mad :mad: )

- Urrm, ooo, ahhh. I see what you mean, now that i look at it, its not a very stright lead is it!

- Wait, I'll be back

Daniel
 
Ok, after a bit of cut and stick,
- hows this?
layout_remodel.jpg


- I know its still got a double bend, but atleast its not two, and i have used a med radius on the point the its the bend in the lead, and i could use a meduim for the first siding.
- With this arrangement, its only one "S" which is the same as and simple siding that have a sharp curve at the biggining
- Also, the rearrangment as ment i can increase the total length, so now theres room for a loco and a carrage, or the loco and two waggons/vans


Daniel
 
Also, i could move the whole right hand end in another 5" if i used a double slip for the takeoff on the left. - woudl this provide acceptable reliabiltiy?

A photo of what i would like with the double slip (which would be mechanised)
layout_doubleslip.jpg



Danel
 
Initially, you looked to have more storage room around the turntable than in the yard. I think it's improved now.
I have a pair of Peco turntables in OO and I like them. Can you get close enough to turn it by hand? The mechanisms I have are not that great.
 
Livesteam said:
looks great
Click to expand...

So no one had a problem with using a double slip on the "mainline" in terms of reliablity issues?
- I might to that then, which would increase then lenght of the yard some more.

- And you, i cen get round to that end of the layout to operate the TTable :thumb:


Daniel
 
LiveSteamer said:
Looks Great So Far :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:
Click to expand...

What do you mean? if you do not think it ready for laying, please let me how, if you think it is ready to lay, please tell me also, because as i sayed, i'd quite like to get it layed as i have the week off and not much to do.


Daniel
 
Personnaly I love those double slip switches as they add so much to the look of the throat. You sure have done your homework Daniel. The yard looks prototypical to me and I am sure it will be fine for switching so I would say go ahead and start laying track. The TT track and the small yard look fine too but what will the small yard be used for?
 
Personally ,I would lose the turntable,put in a Wye for turning trains and use that entire area for a yard with some hidden staging tracks tucked behind a backdrop.(this will give you the (attached to the rest of the world feel and operability of other road names for interchange)
As it is now your longest classification track is about 5-6 40' lengths.
Now this is my opinion based on how i like to operate and how most operations oriented layouts are set up.Your idea's of how you want your rr to operate may differ.

A yard is not for storing trains or cars.It is for making up trains and getting them moving making money.
A yard that is 40% full is workable, a yard that is 60% full makes working it a nightmare.I hope this gives you some food for thought.

If the yard doesnt work right,it will effect the entire railroad.This is no time to be in a hurry.If you get the yard right for what you want your RR to do,operating it will be alot of fun.If its not right, you will tear your hair out and want to tear it out and redo it.
An extra few days now in planning how you will operate so that you can lay out your yard properly may save you alot of time later

It would be nice to have at least a couple tracks that would hold full trains(size is of course up to you but i would think a 12 car minimum would be good to shoot for ;)
Some hints

Think in order of priority-mainline,Arrival/departure1 track minimum 2 is nice,Drill track long lead preferable so that it can hold an entire train to be set out on the ready(or a/d) track,interchange through freight classification tracks and local freight classification tracks.
Hidden staging of at least 1 eastbound and 1 westbound prestaged train(more is better but 2 is enough to add alot of interest to operations and keep your yard people busy switching)
Add to this LCL (with freight warehouse(possibly as a flat with loading dock)and team track or tracks .If you have additional room,follow this with any service tracks you have room for.
 
Personally, I would avoid that double-slip. Not due to reliability, but due to the awkwardness. I would remove the switch that goes from the mainline to the existing two-track spur. I would then connect two-track spur to the yard lead via the track that currently crosses the "seam" (and not connect it to the main at all. I then would relocate the switch a little further into the curve, so that the connection from that part of the mainline avoids another "S", and look better.

Does that make sense? Even if it does, you might not like the idea anyway, which is okay.

---jps
 
Maybe i should have sayed earlyer. This is my first yard, the "main layout" was layed by me, but my uncal designed it, an built the base board (then his kids got fed up, and i didnt finish it)
- I will be running the limited about of GWR steam stock (a tender loco, a push-pull tank, 2branch carrages, 3 mainline carages, and about 12 vans/waggons)
- I have never operated a yard before, so im basically design this "in the dark" in the hope that once i start operating it i can learn about what works for me, and then proberble relay it all in a few years (i wont bother ballesting it or adding much else) - what i enjoy most is laying track and wiring etc

Matthyro, thanks. I'll use the double slip then, it will save space anyway. as for doing Hwk i have to addmit its not really my design, more an alteration of one i found before. im no quite sure what the small yard is for, i had it in mind to have some small industral area there, and i might extend it later.

Tileguy, my idea with the TTable was to have a "round house" over the paralel tracks. and to experiment with diffrent ways to mechanise it (that what i do for fun) also, im not sure what my mean my a "wye"
- As for the hidden storage, i really dont have much stock to hide and im not really into the senary/protypical thing, infact id rather be laying track or pulling wires than anything else.(as i sayed)
- As for taking time, ive been wanting to lay this for over a year, and would just like to get one with it so i can get a feel for what things are like to opreate
- I though i could use the "small yard" for storge if i made the tracks a little longer?


Daniel
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom