New track plan # 2

[Russ Bellinis]

Here it is. The final track plan with a turntable added to the island.

Loren

Looks good Loren. I also have an additional idea to add to this latest iteration of your layout. You could put the interchange track at the top of the layout only bring it off of the the track going out of the island toward the turntable on the right end of the layout through a crossing on the spur that goes right to end on the left. You would put in a track from the interchange to the turntable to reverse the engine. Your classification yard is on the end of the island. Here is how I would visualize a typical operating session.

You take a locomotive and caboose from the classification yard to the interchange track. The caboose is dropped, and the locomotive goes to the turntable to be turned. You now pick up the loads that have been left for delivery. Pick up the caboose, and return to the classification yard where you will build a train of loads to deliver and empties to spot at the industries on the left leg of your layout. You take that train out to the left leg or left side branch. You spot loads to be delivered, empties ready for loading, and pick up previously spotted cars which were either emptied or loaded. You turn the locomotive on the turntable, put the caboose at the rear and bring the train back to the classification yard. Now you build a train for the industries on the right leg of your layout. You turn the locomotive on that turntable, and couple the caboose to the end of the train and head out to work those industries, turn the locomotive on the turn table when that work is completed and bring the train back to the classification yard. I forgot to mention, but you would only work trailing point switches. If you encounter a facing point switch, you catch it on the way back in both cases. Back at the classification yard, you will have loaded cars to go off the layout to far away destinations and empty cars that were previously unloaded at your modeled industries. The empties you leave in the classification yard to be available when an industry calls for an empty to be loaded. The loaded cars you couple behind the engine, hook up a caboose, and take them to the interchange track to be dropped for interchange after the session is over. Turn you locomotive on the turntable, pick up the caboose and return to the yard. With the inclusion of a classification yard, I visualize your railroad as more of a short line than a branch.

What do you think. I'm jealous! I want to operate on that railroad. If you had some local model railroader friends, you could actually keep 2 or possibly 3 operators busy. In fact if you had one person switching the classification yard, one working to and from the interchange track, and one working each leg of the railroad, that would keep 4 people busy. If you add in a dispatcher to keep everything rolling smoothly, you have 5 people working your railroad!