# Question on Building a Hump Yard-- is it possible?



## hoscale37 (Nov 20, 2011)

Just curious-- has anyone ever succeeded in building a working Hump yard that relies on Gravity to move their Freight cars around? 

I'm sure? that it could be done with modest amounts of building up an incline so to speak with foam/cork bed/etc, and having a modest amount on the return end with the same material.

Has anyone done this on their layout with success? If so, I would be interested in seeing photos or even video of a working HO scale hump yard.


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## Gansett (Apr 8, 2011)

Looks like those cars need a way to be slowed down as the real cars are. It's possible but ??

http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oG.../**http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfWCHpoo-z8


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Yes...many times over the years...look for back issues of MR on the subject.


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## Gansett (Apr 8, 2011)

Bob, If you wanted a hump yard is there a rule of thumb for the height of the "hump" and lenght of the track after the hump or is it trial and error?
I searched MR but came up empty.


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

Jack,
I think it was Bryan, not Bob (that's me) who wanted to know about a hump yard. That's OK, because I've wondered the same thing. My Dad was a switchman for many years in Niles, MI and often talked about "workin' the hump". As a high school kid, I thought he was talking about something entirely different  since I knew nothing about railroading at the time. :laugh:
Anywho, it would seem to me that if a model train car (HO, for example) was allowed to run downhill with no braking resistance it would seriously crash into the car(s) at the bottom of the hill and make one helluva mess.
Is there any way you can simulate braking the car like on a real railroad? Is DCC that advanced? I'm too new at this to have a clue. Experts please enter.
Bob


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Getting the model cars moving is fairly easy...It's stopping it before it slams into the other parked cars is the problem!
In real RR use brakes along side the rails to slow the cars down before they crash into each other!


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## THE TYCO MAN (Aug 23, 2011)

Yep, NIMT has got it! Something called brake-retarders. It slowlys grabs the wheels and helps slow it down. I say expirement with a incline and some track until ya get it where ya want it.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Modelers use everything from air jets to nylon bristles to retard car speed, I know of at least one in the past who made working retarders.


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## Ed Gerken (Jan 23, 2012)

How about a row or two of stiff/stubby brushes that would drag on the bottoms of the cars? Not so much as to catch and pull, but just add some friction along the way.

They could even be small groups or clumps made of broom straw or plastic bristles bunched and painted to look like stiff weeds or sumpthin' natural-looking. But flexible enough to wear and not break off.

-Ed

I see Shay beat me to it!


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## hoscale37 (Nov 20, 2011)

I did find a few videos on youtube after I posted here yesterday.. it would be interesting to see, although I think you would probably have to have a LARGE layout to successfully make it work.


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## hoscale37 (Nov 20, 2011)

Just found this:

http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/t/60151.aspx?PageIndex=1


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Did you ever hear of you tube?

These are short but take a look.


HO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1LVQSEQdK8

N

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8YfSXjH7FA


After your done looking at these look at how many others show up in a search.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l56MoF3N-1s&feature=related


A real hump yard in action?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlSM_Tyfmts&feature=related


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## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

maybe a model railroading company will start manufacturing the retarder brakes that are required for having a hump yard. If you don't have those, you can't really run your hump yard.


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## bwoogie (Mar 31, 2012)

How bout magnets? Like a rollercoaster. The magnets on the track repel the magnets on the car. Then gravity is slowed down. Strong enough magnets i suppose you could push it up hill as well lol


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## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

bwoogie said:


> How bout magnets? Like a rollercoaster. The magnets on the track repel the magnets on the car. Then gravity is slowed down. Strong enough magnets i suppose you could push it up hill as well lol


or levitate the car off the tracks too....not good....tho that might be fun


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## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

it woulf be better to have the retarders, i think.


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## bwoogie (Mar 31, 2012)

New Berlin RR said:


> or levitate the car off the tracks too....not good....tho that might be fun


Lol. Your magnets are too strong then


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

hoscale37 said:


> Just curious-- has anyone ever succeeded in building a working Hump yard...


Everything I build is a hump yard! :laugh:


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## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

choo choo said:


> Everything I build is a hump yard! :laugh:


har har har lol


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