Walthers Oil Loading Platform

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

Hi,

I’m actually planning my oil storage for the layout. I was planning to use the Walthers Oil Loading platform. As you know, it can be served by two tracks. What would be the optimal track spacing (center-center)?.

Thank you.

Matt

2

Matt,

I’ve got just such an install going myself. It looks pretty good where mine is at, which is 3.125". One of the tracks is just curving into parallel at the first spot, so it’s a little wider than it needs to be. 3" will work well, but you may be able to squeeze it down to 2.75" if needed.

The manway ramps will look about right at my track spacing, but will be closer to landing exactly beside the dome at the narrower spacing if that’s a detail you want to plan for. In my case, I prefer slightly wider spacing for clearance when cleaning the track, plus my terminal is dual gauge, so I’m OK with the ramps not being exactly right.

Right now I’m waiting on my second kit to arrive. Somehow I missed getting 2 when I was scoping this project out several years back. Being able to load four cars at a time makes for a busy looking terminal in a relatively small space.

3

Thanks for your detailled answer Mike,

From what I see, your terminal has the same configuration as mine (4 tank cars). The track curves well before the first spot so I’ll go with 3".

Matt

4

Matt,

I will defer to Mike’s measurements if he tried to exactly line up the oil tanker car towers with the oil discharge pipes, but I went down to my layout and measured mine and the tracks are exactly 4 inches apart on center. That looks pretty good to me and leaves room for stubby fingers to manipulate the oil discharge pipes on the platform. 3" on center seems too close to me.

Rich

5

Hi Rich,

Thanks for your feedback. I used Google Earth to measure a real life prototype of similar nature in my area. Tracks are exactly 25’-0" appart, which is approximately 3 1/2 inches in HO.

Matt

6

Hi!

For my Mobil Oil terminal facility, I connected two of the platforms together with piping leading off one end into the “ground”. My track spacing is 3 inches, but I think you could go plus an inch or minus 1/2 inch without a problem. The thing is, make sure the “spouts” can be moved out to meet the domes on the tank cars. Also, I would extend the sidings about 3 inches past the end of the platform to allow for the loading of two cars at a time (on each side).