Dave and Rich, i really appreciate you guys helping me out, i am just so frustrated that i have kind of built myself into a corner so to speak. Anyways, i did make a few adjustments but i am still stuck. i like the drawing Rich did as well as the suggestions but i am not sure what all would be involved in doing it that way. Dave, you have a valid point as far as whats more important regarding me not being able to move my turntable. i would not care to move it if i was sure where to relocate it to but with 12 stalls on the roundhouse and the turntable the current location is the only place it would fit unless you know something that i am overlooking. anyways, please take a look at the newest track plan attached and tell me if i am going the right direction or if i need to replan again…also, i use anyrail track planning software so if either of you also use it i would be glad to send you the track plan file to edit as you saw fit…again guys, i really appreciate your help and guidance…im hoping to get this yard/engine facility ironed out so i can move on lol…
Rich, i am not 100% sure how i would make the adjustments as you have sketched there sir…would the the far right outer line be represenative of my outer most loop on the right side? Thanks again for your help sir! Also, if you guys thing i should or would be better off i have no problem with building a stub yard so please, keep the comments and suggestions coming guys!
Yes, the far right outer line on my drawing would be representative of your outermost loop on the right side. Also, keep the double ended yard because it will allow traffic in and out of the yard to flow more smoothly.
The latest version of your track plan is an improvement over the prior version. By the way, you show an S-curve to reach the turntable, but there is nothing that says that you cannot form a single curve to enter the turntable at a point higher than shown on your track diagram.
One other comment. You still have more tracks entering and exiting the yard than you really need. Considering simplifying that portion of your track plan even more. I will follow up with some suggested modifications.
Thanks Rich, i really appreciate your suggestions and i will give them a try. On the turntable end you say to remove all the green marked track, under that i see blue…Would i add a right hand turnout off of the main for the yard lead? Thanks again!
That blue line running horizontally across the bottom of that diagram is the mailine running underneath the yard. I didn’t take the time to curve it, but it would curve downward as it heads around the turntable and roundhouse. You will have to experiment with your track work to decide how the yard lead would connect smoothly to the mainline. It could be a right or left turnout, depending upon how and where the connection is made.
Rich, thanks for the clarification…One last thing…On the turntable end, after i remove the tracks marked in green and re route the main line to come around under the turntable…How do you see me being able to join into the yard tracks coming from the other end of the layout? Thanks again sir!
Rich, here is my latest plan edited with your suggestions…Please let me know what you think sir…The stub end tracks on the left side i would like to route to my 3 bay engine service facility but i havent gotten that far as of yet lol…
Trainz, I like it, but the question is, do you like it? As we say, it is your railroad so you want to be sure that it does what you want it to do.
Have you thought about how you will operate the yard? Will your road locos actually pull freight car consists into the yard, or will a yard loco or switcher perform that function? Same question for freight car consists that are leaving the yard for the mainline.
I do like how the mainline bypasses the yard. How about you? Do you like that arrangement?
Rich, thanks sir and yes, i do like it better than what i had originally. As for yard operations i will most likely be using a dedicated yard switcher(s) to to pull and arrange freight car consists coming into and leaving the yard. I do like the new arrangement, only regret i have is that i wish i had thought the process out more in the begenning lol…I already had the outer main line laid so yesterday i spent several hours taking up sections to create your suggestions. After it was all and done i really liked it though…Now all i need to do is figure into the space and track plan the location of where the 3 stall loco service shop will be located…I actually have 2 different 3 stall facilities, one of the older brick Walthers 3 stall engine service facility as well as one of the newer metal type Walthers 3 stall engine service facilities…I will post some pics when i get to that point…Thank you again Rich for your help and guidance Sir!
OK, that helps understand your yard operations. You will use a switcher for these operations.
As I count the tracks in the most recent version of your track diagram, there are 8 tracks involved. The top 3 tracks will be the car shop tracks. The 4th track is your turntable lead track. The 5th, 6th and 7th tracks are your yard tracks. The 8th track is your mainline track at the bottom of this 8-track configuration.
A few observations about this 8-track configuration.
One, you have reduced the number of yard classification tracks to three from your previous track diagrams. Are three classification tracks sufficient for your operational plan?
Two, the 5th track, one of the three classification tracks, also leads to the turntable. Is this ttack extension to the turntable useful since it will be typically blocked by freight cars awaiting classification?
Three, there appears to be adequate space to create one or two more yard classification tracks, perhaps even an arrival/departure track. Any interest in an A/D track?
Rich, as usual, thank you…And yes, i am very interested in a A/D track…Can you recommend a good location for it please? I also have a lot of caboose that i would like to have a track for if possible…Thanks!
Rich, as usual, thank you…And yes, i am very interested in a A/D track…Can you recommend a good location for it please? I also have a lot of caboose that i would like to have a track for if possible…Thanks!
Hello everyone, i need some help in planning out my yard. As you can see from my most recent edit i have edited yet again my plan. I have removed all yard tracks and re routed the main line as suggested by Rich and i do like it much better now that the main is seperated from the yard. Now i need help or suggestions as to how the best way to build the yard would be while still being able to access the turntable and round house. As you can see i have 2 entrance points from the main line into the yard space, one on the left in the curve on the turntable side and one at the far right next to the bridge that crosses over main line. This track has already been laid and wired for DCC. Now i need some ideas on how best to utilize the open space for a yard as well as an A/D and caboose track. I will be using yard switchers to work the yard after road locos drop off the consists. Any and all suggestions and ideas are welcome and appreciated…Thanks everyone!
Trainz, my best advice to you is to lay some track on a temporary basis and test run some trains to see if, operationally, it meets your needs. If not, then reconfigure the track plan and test run some trains again until you get to where you want to be.
Assuming that you have all the space required build in a 3-track yard, an A/D track, a turntable track, 3 car shop tracks and a caboose track, how about this proposed track plan?
The blue line is the mainline. The red lines are the yard tracks. The green line is the turntable lead track. The gold lines are the 3 car shop tracks. The purple line is the caboose track. The A/D track could be that bottom yard track. A road loco would pull onto the A/D track and drop off its consist and then head to the turntable track.
