Logging Locos, Logging Track Plan, Logging Mill, Mainline Pick-up

[railandsail]

Modifications to Saw Mill Scene
Invariably one change leads to another. It started out at the 'Y' turnout. I had to twist it around a bit more to get a good smooth 27” radius track to feed into the helix tunnel opening. That meant the track going down the grade to the other side of the layout needed be angled back towards the rear wall a bit more,...and that meant I might have trouble fitting in the very sharp turnout I was thinking of to service the saw mill with a small switcher to move cut lumber over to the planning mill area.

Original idea,..

...and to tell the truth I was not real excited about have that small Peco 'set track' turnout along that mainline, nor making an abrupt change in height to reach down to the saw mill.

I decided to eliminate that turnout off the mainline up there, and rather have it join in with the other track I had coming into the saw mill location from a lower point,..


Here the track comes into the sawmill area on a track that splits to serve the turntable, then two other tracks. One of those will be a flat car loading track to carry cut lumber stacked up outside the saw mill over to the planing mill in the far corner. The other track will be the chip loader (white paper flat) that can handle at least 2 cars at a time.
 
The reason for that servicing track to be located as it is with respect to the turntable is so that a connected logging consist (loco and cars) could be pulled directly across the turntable, into, or out of the timber servicing area.

 
This sawmill service track will connect back into the mainline with a double curve Peco turnout, just barely visible at the bottom in this photo,..

 
BTW: I have become quite enamored with these Peco curved (I term them double curved) turnouts. There are 3 right in this area, and I believe I have a total of something like 8 so far.