If your railroad is a short line, the classification yard would probably be separate from the interchange track which is where your railroad makes connections to the outside world. I say "probably" because my railroad is the Los Angeles Junction Railway which is a subsidiary of the Santa Fe first and now of the BNSF. They have three yards on the railroad which occupies approx 10 square miles in the cities of Vernon and City of Commerce. The A &B yards are in Vernon and the C yard is in the City of Commerce. Their interchange tracks are the yards. In the old days, the S.P., S.F., & U.P. would just drop cuts of cars in one of the LAJ's yards and the LAJ would deliver the cars accordingly. The LAJ would then deliver cuts of cars to go out to Hobart Yard for the S.F., Main Street Yard for the S.P. or Washington St. Yard fro the U.P. Now of course, the U.P. has taken over the S.P. and Main Street Yard is no more. Hobart Yard is now BNSF property, so the LAJ delivers BNSF freight to Hobart and U.P. freight to the Washington Street Yard. Both of those yards are primarily intermodal, so I think BNSF hauls a mixed train from Hobart to Barstow where the freight is classified for trains going all over the country. I think U.P. does their classification at Colton Yard near San Bernardino and actually close by the California Speedway, but I'm not sure on that point because a don't know much about the U.P.
Here is the latest reincarnation. I need to do some more tweaking, this is just a general idea. I now have a 3 track class yard and a 2 track storage yard on the island. How's this look?
Loren
I got my first train when I was three,
put a hundred thousand miles on my knees.
I like it. The drawing shows some tracks where the peninsula comes off the "L" short cutting off the table. You can easily add a couple of triangular sections between the peninsula and the "L" on each side of the peninsula. By the way, how far is Elk Plain from Spanaway(spelling?), Wa. My friend Galen (Ocalicreek) is moving from Kelso to Spanaway.
I like this one as well. It took me a few minutes to notice that you had extended the peninsula. The wye off the peninsula was a good addition, though it looks like the base turnout for the left leg might be squeezed pretty tight. I'd be tempted to add another turnout to the base of the right leg, shortcutting the current turnout by a couple of feet, and to add a turnout between the second and third tracks of the peninsula (from the right), to shorten the peninsula end of the wye. This would give you a more compact turning option at the peninsula base, would create a short run-around / interchange at the right leg base. You might even be able to do without the peninsula turntable.
Although I have to admit I like the rambling nature of the wye as you have it - it disguises that purpose.
Matt
<edit - corrected second to last sentence in first paragraph to read right leg instead of left leg.>
Wow ! Thank you guys !
But, I am seriously thinking about taking off the straight section of the wye to simplify wiring. Since my last post I have done that and added caboose storage and run around tracks at the interchange, the island and the two industrial areas. I am also working on the yard. I am going to try and the have the two main line tracks going through the island narrow into one track going into one yard.
Loren
I got my first train when I was three,
put a hundred thousand miles on my knees.
Presenting the new Nomad Valley R.R. !
The class yard and storage yard are now combined on one track. The east and west industrial areas are now completely separated.
There are caboose set out and run around tracks at each area. Each turntable also functions as a run around when a train pulls in. All turnouts are # 6, except the island which is all ready built. Fluesheet mentioned the curve going into the west area. It is 22" radius and I will have nothing bigger then 0-6-0 tanker or 4 axle diesels and 40' cars so that should not be a problem.
And I promise to take pictures.
Thank you for all your help Russ. This is going to be a great railroad !
Loren
I got my first train when I was three,
put a hundred thousand miles on my knees.
I probably missed it, but what is the purpose of the crossing in the upper left corner? I had an idea, not sure if you'll like it, however the stub that goes to the right says to me, "hidden staging" underneath the layout. You've got 19' feet to work with before you reach the far end if I counted correctly? Possibly the stub to the left as well too, if you wanted to add a bit of a curve to it?
Hi Tetters.
The crossing will be my biggest industry/shipper ( maybe Gern ). The siding on the left will be receiving and the siding on the right will be shipping. I really have no plans on putting in staging. I have so much going on now for a solo operator I don't think I would ever use it.
Loren
I got my first train when I was three,
put a hundred thousand miles on my knees.
The latest plan looks good, Loren. The only problem I see is that you have no convenient way to get from the interchange track to the turn table to turn the locomotive. I think an easy fix would be to run a spur off of the run around track either to the turn table or tied into that stub siding near the run around track.
nomad Wrote:Hi Tetters.
The crossing will be my biggest industry/shipper ( maybe Gern ). The siding on the left will be receiving and the siding on the right will be shipping. I really have no plans on putting in staging. I have so much going on now for a solo operator I don't think I would ever use it.
Loren
Understood. Man that one big sucker you've got planned there! :mrgreen:
That's a real nice track plan you've got there. I don't think you will ever get bored with all of the switching opportunites you have. I can guarantee that there will be things that will be changed once you start operating but I say build it and have fun. I look forward to seeing some progress pics. Nicely done
CandO7430 (The poster formerly known as IandOFan71)
T. Blackstone,
Division Superintendent,
Ohio Div, Chessie System Railroads
Just picked up this thread today and skimmed over it so I'll have to go back over it again and follow the path of changes and evolution of the plan in depth some other time. I'm reading it from work right now, on lunch break. Which, btw, is only a couple miles south of Elk Plain down Mountain Hwy. Can I drop in sometime?
Galen
I may not be a rivet counter, but I sure do like rivets!
ocalicreek Wrote:Just picked up this thread today and skimmed over it so I'll have to go back over it again and follow the path of changes and evolution of the plan in depth some other time. I'm reading it from work right now, on lunch break. Which, btw, is only a couple miles south of Elk Plain down Mountain Hwy. Can I drop in sometime?
Galen
Galen, your welcome to drop in whenever you can. Let me know when and I will pm or e-mail you a phone number for directions.
Loren
I got my first train when I was three,
put a hundred thousand miles on my knees.
Welcome to another episode in the never ending saga of the Nomad Valley R.R. track plan.
My wife ( who has never shown any interest in model railroading ) has put her foot down :cry: She wants the layout I have now staying in the house. She likes it and wants it to stay.
I also get extra financing for the added materials I will need to buy So now I get to create a track plan for the island section Back to Xtrk Cad I go.
( sighs loudly )
Loren
I got my first train when I was three,
put a hundred thousand miles on my knees.
). The siding on the left will be receiving and the siding on the right will be shipping. I really have no plans on putting in staging. I have so much going on now for a solo operator I don't think I would ever use it.
I don't think you will ever get bored with all of the switching opportunites you have. I can guarantee that there will be things that will be changed once you start operating but I say build it and have fun. I look forward to seeing some progress pics. Nicely done 
