I was wondering what everybody’s opinion on live staging vs. hidden staging is. On my former layout, its size did not permit hidden staging, but I had room to stage 1 train before I operated on a spur. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? I would like to take both options into consideration as I start planning my next layout.
Each type of staging is better than no staging!
Somewhere a spur where you can pick up cars or even a train can start is good. Perhaps you can attach a temporary board to the layout, like an interchange.
Wolfgang
First off, every layout should have staging - the more, the better.
However, there are a bunch of variables which will influence whether you prefer visible to hidden staging. (FWIW, IMHO all staging is ‘live.’)
- Do you have a layout where one single ended staging yard serves as two ends of a modeled division?
- Is your staging occupying layout space that you also want for a branchline or the top of a long mainline grade?
- Do you have a wide passageway behind the backdrop, where the staging would be easy to access but hidden from the visitors up front?
- Will complete trains simply sit on a staging track until run, or do you need to fiddle the consist?
- Do you feel that a yardful of motionless trains would distract from the mood you are trying to create?
I consider staging to be the equivalent of theatrical dressing rooms, where the actors (trains) wait until they are scheduled to perform - and I prefer to keep them hidden. Others may consider staging to be equivalent to the players’ bench at a football game, where all the non-performing players are in plain sight. Depending on personal taste, either approach, or a combination of the two, is good. One size does not fit all, and what works for one layout may or may not work for a different layout.
Just my [2c]. Feel free to disagree.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with LOTS of hidden staging)
I second what Chuck said. Also there is no reason why you can’t consider some of each… I have hidden staging on one end of the layout, but also have two yards where trains can be made up and quickly dispatched.
Not to overlook the obvious:
If one wishes to make-up or re-sort trains in staging during an operating session, the staging tracks need only be visible and accessible to the person(s) performing that function. If this can be done behind a viewblock or in a room separate from the rest of the layout, it can still be hidden from those operating the visible part of the layout.
Restaging trains on hidden staging track is done between operating sessions using the visible portion of the layout.
Mark
A staging yard can also be used for interchange traffic. In this case it doesn’t have to be hidden. A couple of yard tracks that could hold a train length of cars each. A make-believe train from another road would leave the cars there, and one of your trains would come along and swap out the cars it has for the cars on one of the interchange tracks.
The way that I think “staging” would operate would be to have a track or two that would hold a complete train including loco and caboose. This train would represent a train from another area coming into your territory, either to do work or drop off and pick up cars, and either continue on somewhere or return to staging.
For me, staging is a critical part of keeping the layout interesting. My prototype, the Western Maryland, was part of the Alphabet Route, so in addition to the usual coal mine to port and other on-line business, there was a great deal of overhead traffic that ran from one end to the other.
As such, I’m trying to work out staging that represents points to the east and west to make this traffic a part of the modeled picture. My visible yard will be Hagerstown, which saw just about every train that ran on the railroad in either direction, but only originated local trains, so it wouldn’t make sense, or be practical, to use space there to stage trains.
Really, in the real world, you could say that Rutherford Yard on the Reading to the east, and Rook (P&WV, later N&W) and Dickerson Run (P&LE) were the staging yards for the WM.
My train room, though, has limited space, so I’m stuck with hidden staging.
I originally designed it as a simple through yard, where trains that disappeared to the east would re-emerge from the west. I’ve realized that what I really need is loop staging for each end. That makes writing waybills a lot easier, since cars headed east can more logically return to the layout in a westbound train. So, I’m in the process of re-designing the staging access to allow for loops at each end. I’m going to provide a connecting track that keeps access to the through route, though, to facilitate coal loads that will generally move eastbound and empties that will typically go west.
It will be tricky, because part of the yard that needs to be reconfigured is under a finished part of the layout…
Live staging would be great, because it would allow for easier re-blocking of trains before they re-enter the layout, but until a few more kids graduate and move along, I’m stuck with what I’ve got.
Hi cahrn: There’s lots of good advice from all the posters. My vote would be for off the layout, open staging, if you have the space. I am lucky enough to have the space to do that. My West staging is a reverse loop with 6 stub end staging tracks. My East staging is a double reverse loop, and 4 stub end staging tracks for my branch.
On my layout, my staging area simply represents a yard on my system, so it serves the purpose. I think it all depends on what you need for your layout. But I do have to say I am a believer in having one if you can.