# ideas for a intermodal yard extension



## marti427 (Feb 18, 2013)

I want to add a intermodal extension to my layout ether 4x2 or 4x6 on my HO layout. Has anyone done this before or have any ideas, I looked for a few but didn't see much that caught my eye. Thanks for any tips or suggestions!


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## sstlaure (Oct 12, 2010)

Are you talking about a peninsula? FYI - Intermodal cars tend to be pretty long. Even with a 4' length, you'd only be able to fit about 3 car lengths on each track, and you'll lose some track length due to the turnouts needed to fan the tracks into a yard.

I'll eventually have a large intermodal yard when I expand into the rest of the basement, but it will probably have a length of at least 8'


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## marti427 (Feb 18, 2013)

That's why I was leaning toward a 2x6 so I could still have some length but not in full, right now I'm working on a 8x4 so I don't have them as long as I would want, I to plan to expand when I get a bigger room but I would like to try to add some kind of yard for now.


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## sstlaure (Oct 12, 2010)

A 3 track set-up would work fine. 2 tracks would be storage for either empty or loaded intermodal cars arriving/departing, and one kept empty for loading/unloading the seacrates. Use a simple tractor style unloader rather than the overhead crane type to save some space.

If you want to see a really good, compact intermodal yard....go into Bing maps and look up the intersection of Interstate-96 and M-39 in Michigan. On the NW corner is an intermodal yard with an industrial building behind it just MADE for a background building. if you use the bird's eye view you can get a really good feel for the set-up.

The North border has a long low building as a backdrop, sea crates are stacked parallel to the building, the tractor picks the crates from the north, turns 180 degrees and deposits them into the cars on the single loading track. A fence then separates this loading track from the yard tracks. The yard here has many tracks, but I only ever see intermodals on the first (2) tracks adjacent to the fence. I pass this yard just about every day and would take some pics but I broke my camera.

Here's a link that may work, you can see the yard tracks running parallel to the Jeffries Freeway (I-96) to the West of M-39 (Southfield Fwy)

http://www.bing.com/maps/#JnE9LkktO...3ZTE5LjgxOTYyNTkxMzc1NTUlN2UtMTM4LjAwMTUwMjk5


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