I am workin on my first layout, simple 4X8 and have a track desginated for engine service area…I don’t have the room for a large round house and stuff of that nature. Was wondering if you guys had any suggestions for a small single track area?
Thanks
Brad
You’ld probably have to write the NMRA library to get the plans, but back in the 1960’s MR published an article for building a “bucket” coaling station and a water tower/pump house/sand house structure. Finescale later produced these as kits, maybe try ebay? Add an engine shed and maybe ash pit, and you would about have it.
Have fun
Hah! thats great… cuz i have been meaning to make the same question here; i’ve got a 4x8 “starting module” of a layout, and I need a small engine service facility. I was thinking just an engine house and then a refueling/sanding station on the same track.
I like the idea of an ash pit, something modest and utilitarian, a coaling facility accessible both at the service area and out on the working tracks (so the engine doesn’t have to trundle too far afield to get fuel), and a small water tower of the D&RGW type maybe? Then, at the end of the service track, a small engine house/backshop.
What would you guys recommend as the bare minimum to include in this situation: small mining town, basically serving through freights that are picking up loads and dropping off empties that are coming from/going to main Class I lines to Elsewhere; there will also be an industry or two, a team track, and a freight house/depot in the same ‘yard’ that will also have one classification track. The engines are basically SD9’s, GP7/9’s, SD35/45’s, and some RS-1’s.
sorry to threadjack, but i figure it serves to answer your own questions, lol. There was an MR insert about steam servicing facilities fairly recently; i’m not home, so i can’t check the date, but i can find out for you.
What do you mean by “engine service area” ?
Need room for more than one engine - ie a ready track ?
Steam or diesel era ?
Smile,
Stein
On a 4 x 8, in terms of diesel fueling, if you’re going to model that, just use a delivery truck for the fuel instead of a dedicated facility.
See it all the time around here.
Thanks…for all the response. I am modeling the tranistion era. Soo I need alittle bit of both…My Grandfather gave me his collection of MRs…dating from 50-70s… soo I’ll be looking through them for that article…I think I have seen something somewhere that used an elevated tank car… The idea is that I’ll be running freight with F units and have an 0-6-0 that I’m going to use for switching. Sooo I guess I just need a little refuel site and clean up area.
Thanks for the Info.
Brad
No offense intended, but “a little bit of both” is generally a bad idea for a small layout, where space is at a premium, and you need to maintain focus.
You don’t need a clean up area (a washing rack type of thing ?) for a place that is not an engine terminal. Steam facilities usually takes more space.
If you just want to model refueling a diesel, just stick a diesel fueling diesel fueling pad alongside the mainline or along a siding - doesn’t need to be much more than a short concrete platform (made out of styrene) with a couple of pumps.
Maybe something like this: http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/147-5200
Or something slightly more elaborate, like this one: http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/683-103
Or you can add a tank - either kitbashed from an old tank car or from a kit.
Just my 50 ore (about 10 cents) worth [:)]
Grin,
Stein
Allow a good deal time for that project, you are going to get side tracked by stopping to read some very interesting articles.
Have fun
The bare minimum might be something like this;
A tanker truck for diesel fuel
A repair truck for emergency repairs.
Note that both would only appear on occasion. The engines would probably be simply parked near a roadway and left to idle.
Have fun
yeah I really liked the 2nd link steinjr just posted, thats what i’m looking for. Maybe a couple other little details like a shed, and then a single-track engine house to park engines in and/or do repair/maintenance on
My layout is fair-sized, but I’m trying to cram a lot into it - so I have to go with minimum engine facilities:
This is at an engine-change point very close to the summit of a line that climbs steadily from both directions to reach it. The story is that maintenance and major servicing is done at much more extensive facilities at the bottom of the hill in both directio
Klambach put out a very good book dedicated to railroad service facilities a number of years ago. From a small trackside coal bucket operation to 25 stall roundhouse’s with a complete service area. found several copies available at the Barnes&Noble website in their used and out of print section.
I’m assuming you’re working with HO scale. If not, ignore the following.
On a 4x8 layout, anything much more than a single spur for a diesel locomotive service begins to dominate and squeeze out other stuff on the layout. The most successful adaptations I’ve seen consist of a rectangular extension off of one corner making the layout in the shape of a “p” or “q”. Something like 1x2 feet would allow a nice locomotive service area. Extend it to something like 4 feet would also allow room for a nice yard and/or an interchange. You could have a wye at the beginning of the extension which would allow direct approach from either direction and a method to turn around locomotives.
Mark
Redskin,
I built this for my Miami/Hialea, Florida layout. Most of the fueling would normally happen at the Hialea yard, but I wanted to add some type of fueling facility. As was mentioned before, you could have just a tanker truck pull up and refuel any locos. I have a storage tank, but I’m not sure if I will be using it. I like the presence of a small servicing facility, where there is some security. I need to add a small office and lighting.
Larry
A good resource is Engine Terminals and Facilities. As has been said, these can range from a single track or siding where a truck simple pulls up to service said loco to the very elaborate.
I choose a single track off the yard and lined up the “services” along it. Small building for very minor repairs, water and sand.
The sand service spur will serve both a single load of sand as well as a tanker for fuel. Plan to put a single tank for storage at the end of the sand “box” and will have to scratch build a small trianglar diesel stand.
Regards,
Brad,
How 'bout a small coaling tower, sand house, water tower, ash pit, and fueling platform?
Click picture(s) to enlarge
My fueling/servicing track probably takes up 3-4’ and is located on a stub-end track. But you could still have one that is a thru-facility.
Tom
Camaro: is that a scratchbuilt fueling area, or did you buy that as a kit?
Deadhead,
The concrete bases are .060 sheet plastic that were airbrushed Reefer Gray and then oversprayed with rattle can flat white. I then added a wash of Steam Engine black and alcohol.
The Snyder Fuel Cranes are American Limited Models and can be purchased as kits or built-ups through Walthers that includes a built-up sanding tower. Very nice.
The fencing is Micronart etched brass.
The oil tank is a Walthers but I don’t remember what kit it came from.
Larry
Larry