Looking again at the plan, you know, you could just make the track between the wall and the river into two stub-end sidings. Well, one would be a stub end, the other 'main line' or interchange track. No need for a runaround since the distance is so short. That way you can run the switcher out of the yard, pull the interchange cars back to the yard then begin sorting. When you've got a block of cars ready to ship out, you shove them down to the interchange siding and run light back to the yard. Put an uncoupling magnet on the siding and it's hands free. Well, of course until you use your hands to lift cars off the track onto the shelf (or into a drawer, however it is set up) and put others back in place.
You could still leave a few of the short sidings close to the yard for industries, and use the 'interchange main' as the switching lead for those.
Nice to see the construction thread, btw.
Galen
I may not be a rivet counter, but I sure do like rivets!
nomad Wrote: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
Some of you probably remember this.
Well, my wife decided that she no longer wants the layout in the house.
So, She gave me an extra foot of width in the garage, just enough to add an extra foot to both lower tables. The two tables will now be three feet wide, and my industrial switching layout will be incorporated into my garage layout on the island table, as shown in the new plan in red.
At the same time Galen (Ocalicreek) showed me an idea of adding a second line. That runs from the left table at 8" height, down to the island on a 2.7% grade, and then back to the left table at 0 elevation. I am considering making that a logging line, or I might make the upper elevation high plains cattle country and run down to a stockyard/slaughter house below it. I am leaning towards the cattle scene, since I already have some stock cars and the stockyard.
So, whatcha think ?
Oh, and I will have to live with the tracks running parallel to the table edge. That is the only way I can keep the industry switching I want.
Loren
I got my first train when I was three,
put a hundred thousand miles on my knees.
The sudden change is due in part to my daughter and family getting evicted (again) from there new apartment. Which means my grandson will probably be living here for a while Needed to make extra room.
I am very happy with the change. The way I envision this, the switching district will be totally isolated from the mainline. And, since it has it's own interchange, it will have it's own loco. Cars will be delivered and picked up at the interchange by the yard tramp, but that is the only connection it will have with the rest of the layout. It will be a job all by itself, with it's own switchlist.
And another reason I like the change, It's like adding instant layout. The garage layout looks half done already.
Loren
I got my first train when I was three,
put a hundred thousand miles on my knees.
Back to Xtrk Cad I go.