I am currently in the planning stages for a fairly large basement layout with two main levels and a third lower level for staging/continuous run. The staging level is reached from one end via a double-tracked mainline that decends from the bottom main level and on the other end via a helix (single track). The staging area as currently designed maintains the double-track mainline until near the entrance to the helix to ascend upward at which point it becomes single track again. My basement space is a unique shape:
I originally thought it would be best to create two separate diamond yards for staging - one for each direction of the double-tracked main. This would allow through trains in either direction that are not terminating in the staging area to continue through without fouling the staging yard operations. The through tracks are sent to the outside of the yard(s) and only have one facing point switch each. My basic question is this: By creating two separate yards I essentially halve my storage/staging capabilities as far as train length - from over 55 cars to roughly 25 maximum. But I gain better flexibility in origination and termination (I think). Is this the best decision for this layout? I can guess the answers - probably something to do with maximum train length…
Finally, this is N scale and I’m modeling a section of the Illinois Central (now Indiana Railroad) between Indianapolis and Effingham, Illinois. The primary scenes will be the IC yard at Bloomington, Indiana and the 2000’ Tulip Trestle (I can’t come close to 2000’ but I think I can do 1200’ scale feet). Primary freight will be grain, coal, stone and mixed consists with an occasional non-prototypical passenger. Thanks in advance.
In my opinion, you are focused too much on the staging itself instead of how it supports operations on the rest of the layout. For example:
You even hint at the answer - staging track length is going to be driven by train length which is driven by passing track length, distance between towns, yard arrival/departure track length, etc, on the upper 2 levels. Staging tracks that are not a whole number multiples of longest train to use that staging track are a waste of space.
How many trains need to be in staging at the beginning of an operating session? How many trains arrive in staging over the course of an operating session? To back up a step, how many trains will be needed during an operating session? For each of those trains, is it 1) already on the visible layout when the clock starts; 2) made up in a yard on the visible layout; or 3) comes in from staging? For each of those trains, the same 3 possibilities exist for the termination of the run. Does the train 1) remain on the visible layout at the end of the operating session; 2) get broken down in a yard on the visible layout; 3) depart to staging? Are any trains in staging re-used during an operating session?
Are consists of trains in staging changed between operating sessions, or do you start where you left off? How do you know which cars and locomotives to change out? Will any change-outs be done by hand, or by a secondary operating session? Where are the off-staging cars and locomotives stored?
My suggestions: make all staging tracks accessible to all main tracks (regardless of direction) and eliminate the turnouts in the middle of the staging area.
This will (1) provide flexibility for trains accessing staging tracks, (2) allow longer trains and/or putting multiple trains on individual tracks, (3) reduce expense, and (4) ease and reduce maintenance of the staging area. Typically/often, accessibility is marginal in staging.
I would caution you about putting too much stock in a through staging yard such as you’ve designed. Consider that when you’re writing your waybills, cars that leave the layout to the east, would logically be returning from the east, not appearing at the opposite end of the railroad. I didn’t realize the weight of this problem until after I had built my staging and started running some ops sessions. One of my operators pointed out the problem.
It was particularly acute on my layout, because I model a lot of bridge traffic, with interchanges from the east and west. Through freights from the west would arrive with pool power from the Norfolk and Western, which is cut off at the main yard, and replaced with Reading power for the trip east to Lurgan. If I am going to have the Reading powered train return from the east, I had to get down and fiddle with it under the layout, which quickly became a Royal Payne Diaz. Not to mention the waybills. It just seemed illogical to have a car cycle from Chicago to Baltimore, and not have it come back from Baltimore before going to St. Louis.
I am now in the process of completely rebuilding my staging as balloon tracks, which makes the process a lot more efficient, and completely hands free.
The added benefit is the average train length can increase from about 15-20 cars to 30-35 cars! That means more realistic blocking, and longer cuts for pick ups and set outs are possible. This is good news for my pusher, because it will lead to more rolling stock purchases!
Well, it’s often a choice between the lesser of two weevils. In your instance, your motive power operations virtually dictate your approach. But in other situations, not. Waybills couldn’t care less. Perhaps the first trip a car is through and continues to staging. Turn the waybill next operating session, then you could have it go to a local industry, and so on. For open loads, it is better to be circular so the returning car doesn’t come back with the same load. As far as cars showing up again going in the same direction causing operator dismay, one could just as well say “back so soon?” if the car is reversed. Unless cars are highly individualistic in overall appearance, most operators won’t notice the difference.
Waybills for individual cars aren’t a problem, but when you start blocking cars together it becomes quite an issue. You may be right, I may have a slightly unique situation. If you look at a map of the Western Maryland, it forms almost an “X”.
Cars can move from Connellsville at the west end, then either to Baltimore or Shippensburg depending on what train they’re on. Likewise, coal would move from Elkins, and could go east to either of the above, or be routed west to the furnaces of Pittsburgh. So a block of cars in BT-1 that originate in Baltimore, would go to Connellsville to the P&LE, then on to Pittsburgh. But AJ-3 started in Baltimore, but connected to the Pittsburgh and West Virginia at Connellsville, to connect with the Wabash. There could also be cars blocked to move from Baltimore to Hagerstown, then get cut into AJ-2 to go northeast to Shippensburg and the Reading. So the car would originate in East staging (Baltimore) and return to East Staging as part of another train bound perhaps for New England.
I don’t want to have to put that much thought into writing my waybills. The car goes off scene to Baltimore, then it takes a lot less head scratching to come up with a shipper in Baltimore that will send that car back onto the layout from whence it came.
Or you could do both. Replace the double ladders in the center with a set of double slips. That way you could have both the length needed for a 55 car train as well as the flexibility for shorter trains of bypassing trains sitting in the yard. Of course there would be operational considerations of the long trains and ramifications of which track it was parked. Obviously a long train would block the crossover on its track, and any flexibility that crossing had provided.
I would make some long and short paper strip trains and work with how the yard is intended to be operated to see if this is a practical solution for your scenario.
I was at an operating sesssion just last weekend where having the really long staging tracks (4 trains deep) kept messing us up. It seemed the train to be dispatched next was always behind some other train.
PigInZen, I agree that having four trains on a single staging track is a bit much, but the more systematic (less randomly-operated) and well-staged layout minimizes/eliminates the problems.
A nearby model railroad club ripped out its factory-made, #8 double-slip turnouts because of their inability to handle all variations of motive power. Caveat emptor.
