An upcoming move means that I have to dismantle the old Lehigh Junction & Greenville RR (LJ&GRR) of the past two decades and reimagine it for the new location (going from 24 x 24 to about a 14 x 22 space).
On the current RR, the double track PRR mainline is behind and above (~3-4") the main yard. Looking at the trackplan database, there are examples of plans with the main line(s) both in front of and behind the yard. For an operating layout, I would imaging having the main behind the yard facilitates switching (including any 5-fingers switching that is required) while keeping the mainline trains running “in the background” but possibly having the main in front is better from a railfan (and mainline operator’s) perspective.
I would be interested in hearing if there are any opinions or consensus on this issue …
My mainline is in front of my yard. It does make switching a bit more of a challenge as you have to reach over more tracks to get to the cars. I don’t worry about the frequency of trains moving on the mainline - there aren’t that many, but the distance from the front of the benchwork to some sidings is longer.
I have had it both ways, although my third layout with the main running closest to me and the yard behind never was completed. It helped that that particular layout was also only 29" high. Yes, twenty-nine inches. As you get higher, your elbows and belly begin to become obstacles all their own. Then you have what’s running right in front of them to contend with. When the yard is foremost, you can be a bit more careless and not knock your Niagara and three heavyweights over…or…down.
I’m currently back to the folded loop design, central operating pit, trains run on double mains around me, and the yard and roundhouse are right there in front of me. I think I prefer that arrangement.
Thanks for the replies all! One consideration is that I need to fit an 18" Bowser turntable and South River 6-stall roundhouse at one end of the yard - whether it will fit best inside the mainline curve in the corner of the room (mainline in back) or use the corner for the turntable (main in front) which seems like it might be the more efficient use of space (since the corner behind the mainline curve - 28"/30" radius - would otherwise be wasted). I was mainly wondering if people have had significant operating issues with the main in front of the yard. The yard will be on the long (22’) wall on the lower level (40" height), on a relatively narrow 24" shelf, so reach shouldn’t be an issue.
Looking forward to “downsizing” the layout - the current 600 sq. ft. was a bit much to maintain and there were some foibles and annoying whatnots mainly linked to hidden trackage, of which there will be little if any on the new layout. Much (switches, structures, trees, rockwork) can be reused so I hope that progress on the new layout will be relatively quick (still need to make the move and make some changes to the basement).
All five of my “yards” are staging yards, with the main line running between them. The yards are considered to be “elsewhere”, so have no ballast, structures or any other amenities that a real yard might have.
I could, if it were of any interest for me, “switch” them as yards, but their purpose is to originate or terminate trains, with rolling stock manually added/removed from those tracks.
The mainline is where the trains run, and, as they pass through each town (or run within any one town) they do switching of the industries located there, then move on to the next location. Neither the main nor the yards affect the other, as I am the sole operator.
Main behind yard for me. At 53" height it would be difficult to work the yard without arms interferring with runthrough traffic if the main were in front.
I’ve put my main behind the yard (and also where the engine facilities and turntable will be) for reach purposes, to keep the turntable and roundhouse front and center, and also for more interest by breaking up the vire of the mainline train behing the roundhouse, coal tower, etc. Thtorugh trains pass behind these structures as well as cars sitting in the yard and it makes a bit of a view break.
Remember that the further you push the mainline curve into a corner the tighter the radius becomes. Often putting the turntable outside the main line radius gives a better radius for running trains. Slower speed locomotive hosting and rolling stock switching can handle tighter curves.
Putting the main line in front of your yard can get you broader main line curves depending on how your benchwork for the layout corners is arranged.
Yes, I noticed that the best radius on a shelf layout takes you from the table edge along one side of a corner in the benchwork to the side against the wall at the other end of the curve. If the yard is on the long side then you get a longer yard and a broader radius mainline that way.
My small 3 track yard is behind the mainline. I wanted to have a few industries served by the tracks, which would have been difficult if the mainline was in the back. I try not to have buildings in the foreground to preserve them from the big “elbow crusher”!
