Service & Storage for Diesel Engines

[stephanh]

Hello guys,

I need help in developing a track plan for a FREMO americaN N scale module.

What I want to have is a place to service and store about 20-30 modern (1970s - present) diesel engines.
The modules are only 15 3/4'' wide and the track has to begin and end in the middle of each end of the module.

I bred over the project for a few weeks now and I have problems in finding a track plan.

There is no need for a turntable or a transfer-table or engine sheds.
Only storage tracks are needed.

Maybe I do not have enough (prototypical) knowledge to succeed.
Please let me know any ideas, sketches, hints or suggestions you may have.

Thanks in advance.

[railohio]

North American main line locomotives do not spend much time idle. When traffic is moderate or heavy, they are brought in, serviced, and sent out on the next train to depart. During time of recession, they are gathered up and placed out-of-the way tracks or in outlying terminals:

DeadLineJanesvilleWI11-3-12 by railohio, on Flickr

If you're storing the locomotives, you just need one track, or more in parallel, with the locomotives coupled together.

[stephanh]

That´s an interesting point of view.

Maybe I should add some information about the operational function of the module.

I thought it might be fun for the train operators not just to start with the ready-built train from the staging.
After the train is built and waits in the staging, the engineers get their locomotive(s) from the loco staging where they´ve been serviced and stored,
drive the locomotive power into the staging yard and put them in front of their train.
After that they can depart. (All unter Dispatcher-Control of course)

In my opinion, a combination of staging / storing and servicing point would be even more fun to operate,
because AFTER a train arrived in the staging yard, the locomotives have to be driven into the service terminal,
be serviced and then put into the locomotive staging again.

So it would expand the job and (I think) bring more fun and alternation to the train crews.

[railohio]

Here's a partial view of Union Pacific's diesel facilities in West Colton, Calif.:

DieselShopColtonCA4-27-14 by railohio, on Flickr

[ScrewySqrl]

I think for this particular setup. Prototype operation should take a backseat to fun. Rather than a modern operation. perhaps a classic turntable and roundhouse approach?

[stephanh]

Well a (full functional) Roundhouse can hardly be modeled on such narrow modules.
Maybe I should add this idea to the dusty, dark part of the shelf inside my head and review it if I will ever find it again.

[jwb]

That´s an interesting point of view.

Maybe I should add some information about the operational function of the module.

I thought it might be fun for the train operators not just to start with the ready-built train from the staging.
After the train is built and waits in the staging, the engineers get their locomotive(s) from the loco staging where they´ve been serviced and stored,
drive the locomotive power into the staging yard and put them in front of their train.
After that they can depart. (All unter Dispatcher-Control of course)

In my opinion, a combination of staging / storing and servicing point would be even more fun to operate,
because AFTER a train arrived in the staging yard, the locomotives have to be driven into the service terminal,
be serviced and then put into the locomotive staging again.

So it would expand the job and (I think) bring more fun and alternation to the train crews.

I think you have an interesting idea, though I'm not sure if a locomotive servicing point is what you necessarily want to do. The operation I'm most familiar with is the view from the Pepper Avenue overpass at West Colton, CA. The view to the west is the departure yard:

   

The engine servicing point, where the locos get inspections and running repairs, is off to the left in the distance and not really in sight. However, there's a lot of action here with locos moving into the departure yard to pick up their trains. So your ide is the loco is in some kind of loco staging yard. It moves from there into the scene we see here. The yard tracks visible here are holding full trains that have been made up and are ready to depart when they get their locos. So a set of yard tracks here can be visible staging, with locos moving in from offsite loco staging to pick up their trains in the departure yard.

Several sets of locos are nearly always visible here. In addition, depending on the state of the economy, some yard tracks are sometimes fully taken up with strings of locos in temporary storage.

[JaBear]

Gidday Stephan, A diesel servicing area would be a good idea in my opinion. Here’s a couple of links to sites that may be of assistance, if you’re not already aware of them.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://modeltrains.about.com/od/Planning/ss/Modeling-A-Diesel-Locomotive-Service-Area.htm">http://modeltrains.about.com/od/Plannin ... e-Area.htm</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.trbarnes.com/~tim/Web%20Folder/FAV1-00012AD8/FOV1-00015F5D/Diesel%20Servicing%20Facility.pdf?FCItemID=S00029084?FormID=96&listview">http://www.trbarnes.com/~tim/Web%20Fold ... 6&listview</a><!-- m -->

I model in HO and apart from what I’ve read know virtually nothing about FREMO americaN and as I understand it only the End Profile is the only standard dimension in the construction of the actual module baseboard, so is the 400mm width something that you’ve arbitrarily decided upon?
You would have to take into consideration the specifications laid out in section 4, Track, of the FREMO americaN Modular Standards, Version 2013-04-26, unless there are even more up to date versions, but would you consider something like this?
   
Some of my track and turnouts may be unnecessary, some you might add, but as far as I see it, you are only limited by the space you have to build and store the module (s) and how you would transport it to meets. It could be built in two or even three modules, just means more rail joins to get right. The real point of my schematic is to show how to get that mainline out of the way as quickly as possible, though you would have to take into consideration the 1000 mm minium radius.
Hope this helps (even if it shows you what not to do.)
Have Fun, Cheers, the Bear

[Brakie]

Bear,For modern engine service and outbound storage areas your plan is spot on and that would be the path I would choose...

[stephanh]

Well, thank you very, very much for your ideas.
Leading the "Main Line" around the service terminal is a nice and quite new idea.
But it will expand the dimension of the module into new orbits...

As I said, I will think about the whole project again and will begin / finish some other projects, first.

Take care.