06-25-2010, 07:41 PM
Russ, I think maybe I have been using the wrong terminology for the yards at either end of the layout. The yards are meant to be operated like the LAJ does. So would these yards not be called interchanges?
I know I've said it before, but just to make sure in my head that what I am thinking is correct - the "beyond-the-basement" concept on the layout is to be as follows: Before an op session, I place incoming cars by hand onto the two yards at the ends of the layouts. This represents the SP and the SF dropping off cars destined for the Almeda Terminal And Gulf industries. During the ops session, the cars are picked up from the yards and dropped off at their ATG destinations. Pickups at the industries are taken to the appropriate yard to begin their trip to other destinations. At the end of the op session, the cars in the yards are removed by hand from the layout. That would represent the SP and SF picking up the cars and taking them on down the line.
I also haven't considered ownership of the yards. Does the LAJ own the yards which connect to the class 1's? Joint ownership? Not that I gave it alot of thought, but in the back of my mind I must have benn thinking those yards were owned by the class 1, hence my calling them the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific yards - well, interchange yards, because it seems to me that is exactly their function - interchange between two roads.
I'd certainly appreciate any commentary on how I should be looking at these two yards.
Also I said before, I am thinking that the "Galveston branch" under consideration would certainly add to the ops. With the current scheme (no Galveston branch), I don't see any need for classification anywhere on my line. But with the new branch, there would be some car sorting to build up a train which was headed for the Gulf.
I know I've said it before, but just to make sure in my head that what I am thinking is correct - the "beyond-the-basement" concept on the layout is to be as follows: Before an op session, I place incoming cars by hand onto the two yards at the ends of the layouts. This represents the SP and the SF dropping off cars destined for the Almeda Terminal And Gulf industries. During the ops session, the cars are picked up from the yards and dropped off at their ATG destinations. Pickups at the industries are taken to the appropriate yard to begin their trip to other destinations. At the end of the op session, the cars in the yards are removed by hand from the layout. That would represent the SP and SF picking up the cars and taking them on down the line.
I also haven't considered ownership of the yards. Does the LAJ own the yards which connect to the class 1's? Joint ownership? Not that I gave it alot of thought, but in the back of my mind I must have benn thinking those yards were owned by the class 1, hence my calling them the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific yards - well, interchange yards, because it seems to me that is exactly their function - interchange between two roads.
I'd certainly appreciate any commentary on how I should be looking at these two yards.
Also I said before, I am thinking that the "Galveston branch" under consideration would certainly add to the ops. With the current scheme (no Galveston branch), I don't see any need for classification anywhere on my line. But with the new branch, there would be some car sorting to build up a train which was headed for the Gulf.
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