GeeTee, regrettably I don't have room on my MODEL railroad layout to duplicate the prototypes,...many of us are in that same boat. And yes I suffer from trackitis,...but I am actually finding it to be a real CHALLENGE to arrange all this track and industry into a relatively small layout,..its even more of a challenge to get it this compressed while still maintaining decent radius curves, and somewhat complicated turnout arrangements. Here is latest thoughts on the central peninsula track plan,...
Switching Operations on my Center Peninsula
(I'm asking to confirm if I've 'covered my bases', or if there is something else I need to put in,....I've had very little experience with switching operations, and its not a really big priority of mine)
I have basically two tracks from the mainlines that feed the peninsula. They meet at that double-slip turnout up near the rear of the roundhouse. The trains can basically select to go to one side or the other of the peninsula.
1) One side is the container loading/unloading yard. The mainline engines might disconnect there and proceed to shutdown/repair/storage by way of escape trackage at the head of the yard, or by tailing track/runaround at the far end of the container yard. These tracks are also available for switcher engines to perform the shuffling of the cars around on that side of the peninsula.
(highlited: double-slip turnout, 2 container incoming tracks, 2 outward curving tracks, 2 container cars)
(resting spot for switcher engine(s), steam or diesel)
2) The other side of the peninsula serves the carfloat, the crane loading pier, the municipal pier building (when in use as a guest appearance), several other small manufacturers, and the allied rail rebuilder.
I have changed things around at the end of the peninsula. The carfloat and the pier crane have switched sides. The carfloat NO LONGER sits behind the pier terminal builder, but rather sits at the end of 2 tracks that run down the center of the peninsula,...
Notice also that the entire carfloat is now included on the peninsula. (it will be sunken down to water level).
One of my dilemmas is, how does the switcher engine that pulls cars from the line-up at the dbl-slip down to the carfloat, then escape??
Is it simply a matter of providing a cross-over between those 2 feed tracks,...like this? Or should that order be reversed??
I have made the prevision to have that Municipal Pier Terminal Building play a 'visiting role', it may appear at times, or it might be replaced by several other structures. When it is in place it will have at least one track running thru it to access the crane on the pier out back.
Brian