06-02-2011, 07:32 PM
Another way to add to your realistic yard operations is to add a "Team Track" somewhere in, or around, your yard. A Team Track is similar in construction to a RIP track with one exception: a Team Track is used by customers who want to ship or receive product by rail, but their business is not located on the railroad. The customer has to truck their product to/from the railroad. This sounds a bit odd, but it's a done daily.
I'm not sure where the term "Team Track" comes from. My thought was that it may have once been a place that one can use his "team" of horses or mules to transport goods to/from the railroad. :?
A Team Track can be simply constructed with a few simple (spare) items - which you may have laying around. All you need is:
1) a switch (right or left)
2) a piece of flex track (sectional if you prefer). Flex is best to give the "seldom used", "twisted" look to your siding.
3) a bumper (optional, but it's more realistic)
4) some sort of loading platform to show that boxcars and flat cars can be handled.
Check out Gary S' thread under HO modeling about "BNSF Team Track". Great ideas there as well.
All of us has had that urge to add "just 1 more track", right? The problem was that we didn't have the room to add another building or, we didn't have another building to add. This gives you the chance to "add that one more track".
Ballast is optional here because "Team Tracks" are often "at the bottom of the maintenence list". I''ve seen them buried in mud or covered in weeds. For a more realistic look, "damage" some ties. Usually every 5th or 6th tie is the "good one" anyway.
Team Tracks can be used to for just about any type of product to be loaded/off loaded. You can use:
1) flatcars to load/unload lumber, steel or machinery (don't need a dock for some of these materials)
2) boxcars for just about anything
3) tankcars for liquid fertilizer, certain gases, any other liquid products
4) gondolas for pipe, poles or even ties for MOW use
5) covered hoppers for grain or plastic
That's just a few ideas to get you going. All railroads have Team Tracks somewhere, usually located in or near a yard. But, they can be easily added ANYWHERE on your layout. By placing 1 in your yard, you have easly constructed a realistic yard operation for your local switcher. You can research your favorite railroad to model a team track or you can just "wing it". Anything goes. You don't need to be prototypical to be functional.
So, now your yard switcher can be productive after all, by actually "earning money" by switching cars. The best part here is that you don't need a "physical building" to have a trackside industry. All you need is a spare "Team Track" and a little imagination.
Have Fun!
I'm not sure where the term "Team Track" comes from. My thought was that it may have once been a place that one can use his "team" of horses or mules to transport goods to/from the railroad. :?
A Team Track can be simply constructed with a few simple (spare) items - which you may have laying around. All you need is:
1) a switch (right or left)
2) a piece of flex track (sectional if you prefer). Flex is best to give the "seldom used", "twisted" look to your siding.
3) a bumper (optional, but it's more realistic)
4) some sort of loading platform to show that boxcars and flat cars can be handled.
Check out Gary S' thread under HO modeling about "BNSF Team Track". Great ideas there as well.
All of us has had that urge to add "just 1 more track", right? The problem was that we didn't have the room to add another building or, we didn't have another building to add. This gives you the chance to "add that one more track".
Ballast is optional here because "Team Tracks" are often "at the bottom of the maintenence list". I''ve seen them buried in mud or covered in weeds. For a more realistic look, "damage" some ties. Usually every 5th or 6th tie is the "good one" anyway.
Team Tracks can be used to for just about any type of product to be loaded/off loaded. You can use:
1) flatcars to load/unload lumber, steel or machinery (don't need a dock for some of these materials)
2) boxcars for just about anything
3) tankcars for liquid fertilizer, certain gases, any other liquid products
4) gondolas for pipe, poles or even ties for MOW use
5) covered hoppers for grain or plastic
That's just a few ideas to get you going. All railroads have Team Tracks somewhere, usually located in or near a yard. But, they can be easily added ANYWHERE on your layout. By placing 1 in your yard, you have easly constructed a realistic yard operation for your local switcher. You can research your favorite railroad to model a team track or you can just "wing it". Anything goes. You don't need to be prototypical to be functional.
So, now your yard switcher can be productive after all, by actually "earning money" by switching cars. The best part here is that you don't need a "physical building" to have a trackside industry. All you need is a spare "Team Track" and a little imagination.
Have Fun!
Doing my best to stay on track and to live each day to it's fullest, trying not to upset people along the way. I have no enemies.....just friends who don't understand my point of view.
Steve
Let's go Devils!
Steve
Let's go Devils!