Just wha I was looking for

[Pitchwife]

Boy, this forum came along just in time. I've been scouring all the articles in every issue of MR (only a couple of years worth) and any source I could lay hands on and could never found a satisfactory answer. I've seen countless layouts that have a stub end like the one in the attached picture but have never figured out how to service the industry in the bottom left corner, especially if the train is traveliing clockwise. By the way, the layout is roughly taken from Model Railroad Planning 2004, X Factor Staging.

The solid blue line is the mainline.

 

[b28_82]

I would say you need a runaround track of some sort at that point, long enough to run around the whole train.

 

[Pitchwife]

Please expand on your solution.

How would you go about picking up or dropping off 2 or more cars and then have the train continue on it's way? Wouldn't it have to back up all the way on the mainline.

This is one of the reasons I have always tried to at least put a reverse loop on each end of a track.

 

[Ralph]

Yep, you'll need a runaround siding to push cars into that industry. How about eliminating the building served by the spur that runs off to the right just below the top section of the layout and use that turnout as the entrance to a siding that follows the main and ends short of the industry at the bottom left that is served by the three spurs? That way a loco could runaround a train going either way and serve both ends of the layout.
Ralph

 

[Pitchwife]

Is this what you're talking about?

 

[Ralph]

That's the sort of thing I had in mind!
Ralph

 

[Pitchwife]

OK, that makes sense. I am still wondering about all the layouts that you see in MR and other sources that are set up more like the the first picture. There must be a secret but I sure don't know what it is.

 

[Ralph]

I'm guessing on those layouts they intend trains operating from the top right to the bottom left to be switching runs with the loco in the rear pushing a cut of cars. This is prototypic in many settings for branchline runs to some mines etc. On your layout, having a runaround gives you a lot more flexibility.
Regards,
Ralph