I have spent the last few days working on my "underground" staging casette/yard. Even though it was one of the first features that got "built" when I started this layout, it was never operational. But with the arrival of my "Super Chief" I needed a home for it. Since it's going to be a large consist I needed a place to "park" it when it's "away". I began by laying down the track from the turnout off the main, but had a helluva time with the length that's on the lift-out section. Once I got over that, the rest of the track went pretty smoothly, and joined it to the staging yard lead which had been laid when it was first built. I then proceed to wire each of the staging tracks. Each one can have power turned off via a rotary switch. Each track is "locked" in place by a sprung latch so track alignment is always "dead-on".
Here's a few pics of the "inaguration" of the staging yard.

The lead to the lower level staging-




Branching off the main and begins its descent-




Entering the "underground"-


In the underground-


A bird's eye-view of the open casette and the 4 staging tracks-


And a couple of other views of the open cassete-




I also needed to get this done before starting work on the peninsula. That's a job I've been wanting to get to, but needed to "clear the decks "of any other "major" work before tackling it. Stay tuned-more to come....

Looks great, but technically, it does not seem to be a cassette.

A cassette usually only have one track laid in a U-shaped channel that is attached to the layout temporarily to run a train onto the layout or off the layout. When not in use, one or more cassettes usually just lies on a shelf somewhere.

What you have here is a great looking traverser (also called transfer table) - a flat "drawer" with tracks that can be moved sideways so a different track on the traverser aligns with a given track on the fixed part of the layout.

But it sure looks functional and well built.

Smile,
Stein

Yup - "Transfer Table" is right.. You had the terminolgy a bit off, but the work is GREAT!!!

I had a 3 track Transfer Table in "G" gauge.. It took up so much space, it didn't last long

........... I always will have a Soft Spot for the Warbonnet headdress on an A unit, it was the first "O" Gauge my father bought for us to have trains running around the Christmas tree.....

Can't Wait To See More Work On This Layout!! I love watching someone else's work taking shape!!!

Cutting those rerailers in half is genius! Great idea.

Thanks for the comments.
You're right, of course...It is a transfer table (should'a known.... )

Forgot to mention...I got two coaches and an observation car coming in to make up the full train. I want a diner as well but have been unable to find one. With that the SC will be complete ..!!

Question....The observation car has a light in the back...What color light would have been used..??

very nice work..

That's brilliant! Had I seen this thread several years ago, I'd have copied your idea while designing my layout (which could use more staging).
Ralph

Steamtrains Wrote:Question....The observation car has a light in the back...What color light would have been used..??

I think it would have been a lighted "Super Chief" drum head. I think Tomar still makes lighted drum head signs in ho scale for passenger trains including the Super Chief.

You guys are too kind.

Ralph - "Brilliant" is a little over the top. "Most excellent" would have sufficed....
As I recall, I showed a how-to on this waaayyyyy back. It might have been in the old Gauge. Probably was...

Thanks for the tip on the obsv. car light. I'll check it out.

I found a diner and an RPO coach... This baby is getting bigger by the minute....

Now thats great !
like the open grid layout

That looks great, Gus, and I like the solid-looking construction, too.

Wayne

Herc Driver Wrote:Cutting those rerailers in half is genius! Great idea.

So they had a real use!!! Thumbs up!

Nice staging idea... It may be useful in a not so far future!

Matt

Thanks TJ... Welcome to The Gauge..
You'll find a bunch of good folks here with an excellent disposition to lend a hand, and tons of good info...

Doc W. and Matt, your comments are always appreciated...

If I may jump in, that looks great. I'm particularly interested in the underground part.

Can I build a tram from scratch?