Please help me polish this yard


irocinblue89

irocinblue89

Member
I am looking for help to try and clean this design up before I commit to it. No better place to ask than here. I am trying to get all of the "should haves" for a working yard but it just doesn't seem to flow or look right. Even if I am on the right path please critique it. Anyways, please help me get this correct if you can. Thanks, Seann


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Cant see the pic to clearly but how about making the Helix go down the other way and have the yard along the back in a straight line vs curving it like you have it now.
 
MGWSY said:
Cant see the pic to clearly but how about making the Helix go down the other way and have the yard along the back in a straight line vs curving it like you have it now.
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I'm having 1 of those days... I cannot for the life of me figure out why the picture is so small. It's huge on my computer. GRRRR I'll get back to you for some more exploration of your idea as soon as I figure this pic thing out. Thanks!
 
No, I don't know how to make it bigger unless the original is made bigger and re-posted to the link.

Anyway, I'm missing something. How is the roundhouse connected? Is that the couple of turnouts going to the left from the top?

So a train arrives from the main and goes to the most bottom A/D track. How does the locomotive get from the front of the train out of that track and back to the round house? A switch engine cannot even get to that track to pull the train off without going onto the mains. I think that is a big problem. No way even to get the caboose off.

Even from the 2nd AD track the locomotive is "stuck" until a switcher works the train off the end.

I assume the track angling to the upper left below the turn table is the yard lead / drill track. It is not long enough compared to the length of the AD tracks. Especially considering the two items above.

If a train is working classifying an arrival there is no way for a 2nd set of locos to get to/from the AD tracks.

I see no RIP track, freight house, icing tracks, car shops, or passenger coach yard, commissary, etc.. I assume with a turntable like that you are modeling an era where passengers are a big deal.
 
Iron Horseman said:
No, I don't know how to make it bigger unless the original is made bigger and re-posted to the link.

Anyway, I'm missing something. How is the roundhouse connected? Is that the couple of turnouts going to the left from the top?
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You are correct. I stopped before I connected the roundhouse because it didn't feel right.

Iron Horseman said:
So a train arrives from the main and goes to the most bottom A/D track. How does the locomotive get from the front of the train out of that track and back to the round house? A switch engine cannot even get to that track to pull the train off without going onto the mains. I think that is a big problem. No way even to get the caboose off.

Even from the 2nd AD track the locomotive is "stuck" until a switcher works the train off the end.

I assume the track angling to the upper left below the turn table is the yard lead / drill track. It is not long enough compared to the length of the AD tracks. Especially considering the two items above.

If a train is working classifying an arrival there is no way for a 2nd set of locos to get to/from the AD tracks.

I see no RIP track, freight house, icing tracks, car shops, or passenger coach yard, commissary, etc.. I assume with a turntable like that you are modeling an era where passengers are a big deal.
Click to expand...

The drawing is just a small "cut" if you will of the whole layout. The yard will be double ended but to try and make the picture larger I trimmed a lot of it out. I can post it if necessary. The original is over 4mb and when I open it in paint it's huge. I can't figure out where I'm losing the size. I will try to work on that. Thanks Iron!
 
I darkened the Picture a little & the lettering shows up a little better.
If this pic is not bigger I'll delete this message.
 
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I tried to make it bigger in my Print Shop, but it got distorted & blurry.
 
I'm not sure if I'm polish or german.....but my friend was commenting about me once and said "you can't polish a nerd"...at least I think he said nerd. :p:rolleyes:
 
railfan said:
I'm not sure if I'm polish or german.....but my friend was commenting about me once and said "you can't polish a nerd"...at least I think he said nerd. :p:rolleyes:
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haah. You had me second guessing my spelling of polish. I even pulled out the dictionary. Now I take it as you think it's a "nerd". If that's the case then at least you responded. :D
 
Great looking yard, but two things that jumped out at me having grown up in a large yard (Dad was a long time WP/UP carman). #1, the leads are a little short for a yard that size. I am assuming you enjoy switching that yard (who wouldn't! I'm afraid you wouldn't see me running on the main much, I'd spend most of my time on this RR with an Alco S4, or SW-9 or SW-10 banging out the yard!) and #2, you have all that yard trackage, a BEAUTIFUL roundhouse and engine servicing area.... but no RIP track? No car shops? Come on! You need those!

I really like this yard though, like I said, that's layout enough for me, the mainline would just be a bonus for when i got bored in that beautiful big yard!
 
cct70 said:
Great looking yard, but two things that jumped out at me having grown up in a large yard (Dad was a long time WP/UP carman). #1, the leads are a little short for a yard that size. I am assuming you enjoy switching that yard (who wouldn't! I'm afraid you wouldn't see me running on the main much, I'd spend most of my time on this RR with an Alco S4, or SW-9 or SW-10 banging out the yard!) and #2, you have all that yard trackage, a BEAUTIFUL roundhouse and engine servicing area.... but no RIP track? No car shops? Come on! You need those!
Click to expand...

Yeah, I tried to make the leads as long as possible without making the yard limits the whole upper level. I could shorten the yard a few feet on each end and that would essentially make the leads a lot longer. What do you think? As far as a RIP track and car shop you are ABSOLUTELY correct! I will have to work on that.
I have a question though. Where do you put crossovers in the yard tracks? Is there a rule of thumb? Do you divide the yard in half with them? Thanks!
 
irocinblue89 said:
haah. You had me second guessing my spelling of polish. I even pulled out the dictionary. Now I take it as you think it's a "nerd". If that's the case then at least you responded. :D
Click to expand...
Sorry....no.....I meant I myself was the nerd. It was my bad for making a dumb post....too late to explain. I like your layout! :)
 
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