I would like to model a modern era interchange where a short line or branch line ends at or near a division point yard of a main line. My dumb question is, how would the short-line engine get turned around to go back the other way? In the real world, would they simply run the engine in reverse, or include some trackage (wye, balloon, whatever) to turn it around? (I’m assuming turntables are primarily a steam-era feature.)
All of those that you suggest are possible solutions. And as for turntables, most are gone, but some are still in use. There one in Cheyanne, WY. that is used all the time. Theres one in Portland, OR. too. And as for short lines, I know the Belfast & Moosehead Lake RR just took up the 1890’s era TT in Belfast, ME, last summer. They still have one in Unity, ME. The interchange they have is in Burnham Jct., ME, and it’s a wye arrangement. They just got bought out, but they did run steam and diesel. There’s no reason you couldn’t run a diesel backwards though, unless your RR’s rules dictate against it (some do).
Why is it necessary for the short-line engine to be turned? Many diesel locomotives can be run in both directions, or failing that they could send two engines, one pointed in either direction, to do the pulling, or the meet set up so the short line’s locomotive will be pointed in the right direction as it leaves.
The interchange itself could be set up on a wye, in order to facilitate reversing of trains and serving interchange traffic in multiple directions.
Turntables are certainly still used today–they are not as common as they used to be, largely because of locos that can operate in either direction, and they normally aren’t accompanied by roundhouses anymore.
Here’s a link to the Belfast & Moosehead Lake RR history. If you scroll to the bottom of the page you can get schematics of the track arrangements by town name. Burnham Jct. is the interchange. The Unity plan doesn’t show the TT because it was added later.
http://www.cprr.org/Museum/BMLRR/
EDIT: Here’s Burnham Jct.;
http://www.cprr.org/Museum/BMLRR/BML_Yard_Diagrams/I_BML_Burnham_Junction.html
And heres the other end of the line, Belfast.
http://www.cprr.org/Museum/BMLRR/BML_Yard_Diagrams/A_BML_Belfast_Yard_1925.html
These diagrams illustrate two ways that the prototype turned equipment.
Excellent! Thanks, guys!
The more I learn, the more I discover that I don’t know.
Depends on the operation. Out my way:
East Penn (Wilmington) - sends two (or more) back to back units.
East Penn (Telford) - one unit - doesn’t get turned
Wilmington & Western - one unit - doesn’t get turned
Our (CSX) locals:
Lansdale Locals - two back to back units
Wilmington Locals - one unit - doesn’t get turned
Stoney Creek Local - two back to back units OR one unit - doesn’t get turned.
Nick
On 2 branchlines near where I live, One on CSX, and the other on NS, they usually run 2-3 diesels, and never turn them. The NS branchline has a wye at the junction with the mainline. They run about halfway to the end, the rest has been spun off to a shortline operator. Their interchange is little more than a passing siding. The CSX branchline has no wye or TT, runs all the way to the other end and interchanges with NS.
On my layout, I run my branchline in a push-pull fashion, since I don’t have a turning or passing arrangement. It basically runs to a mine with 3 short stub tracks.
Brad
Here in Tulsa, the UP operates a train from their small Tulsa yard to the BNSF Cherokee Yard. They enter BNSF trackage at an old interlocking that is within the yard limits of the Cherokee yard. The Cherokee yard is a division point hump yard with approx 44 bowl tracks and numerous arrival/departure tracks. Pretty nice operation.
They (UP) usually have at least two units and many times three. The engines are set up so the trailing unit is facing backwards relative to the lead unit. Once they have transfered their cars to the BNSF in the yard, the yardmaster usually gets the to the head end of the cars the BNSF is giving to them. They have used the Y in the yard on several occasions, instead the of the crew moving to the other end of the consist. This usually depends on how traffic in the yard is. Once they are back on the outbound cars, they are headed back to the interlocking and their own tracks.
I have taken this operation and added it in a similar way to my layout. I have a hidden staging yard with 5 tracks (all of my interchange trains originate from this yard) and a jucnction on a brachline that joins the mainline just East of my yard limits (didn’t want to make it to easy on the dispatcher). The trains come from the staging yard to a control point where they must contact the branchline dispatcher to enter the branchline. They get a trackwarrant from the control point to the mainline junction (on the branchline). Then when they get to the mainline junction, the have to contact the mainline dispatcher (same dispatcher by the way) for permission to enter the mainline via another trackwarrant. Just to make it interesting, since the distance from the branchline/mainline junction is not very far (less than 8 feet), they must call the yardmaster for permission to enter the yard limits since the dispatcher doesn’t control that trackage (I did this to add some operating “fun”). Once the yardmaster gives them the authority to enter the yard limits, they are on their way. They
It is not a dumb question. The first statement in the search for knowledge is “I DON’T KNOW”. Here in Louisiana I’ve seen trains on branch lines to small towns. On some occasions they simply back the train all the back to the main line. On others, they disconnect the locos and run around the train on a siding and reconnect to the rear then go on their way. If the area has a wye, it serves much the same purpose, except that the loco that was leading on the way in also leads on the way back out. No reason to change MU stations. A real real plus if you’re running 2 locos and #2 happens to be a slug (A unit with no diesel power. It gets it’s electricity for the other loco. So you can run 2 locos for the price of 1. Neat trick.)
The answer is any way you can imagine. Strasburg in Pennsylvania runs steam backwards on the return from Lehman Place at the junction with the PRR/CR/CSX/Amtrak. Others have a wye. Others used turntables but I doubt many ever turn them any more since most are diesel operated and basically function identically in either direction
No such thing as a dumb question!
Here’s my concept for an interchange on my revamped Cedar Branch & Western:
The Cedar Branch & Western is a shortline RR which interchanges with the Missouri Pacfic Railroad.
There are 2 shortlines operating near here.
The Brampton Orangeville interchanges with CPR in Streetsville. The junction used to have a wye, but now only has one track. CPR has a small yard, but BO has a single passing track the other side of the road. Since there is no turning facility at either end of the line, their sole diesel runs backwards to get home.
The Goderich and Exeter joins with CN and has maybe a 20 mile run along the CN track to Macmillan yard (North Toronto). GERR usually has 4 or 5 old GPs on their train, pointing all sorts of direction. I think they just reverse them, although the yard has a wye connection to the main. I don’t know if GERR has any other turnarounf facilities. (GERR is a RailAmerica line. If you see 5 GPs, you will probably see 5 colour schemes.)