# Is this track plan crazy?



## dboone (Mar 22, 2021)

I was playing around with fitting a yard in my track plan based on a classification yard in "Track Planning for Realistic Operation" and came up with the following. Am I crazy for thinking about doing this?


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## Magic (Jan 28, 2014)

I don't see a reason for the three big loops, they all end up in the same place
and don't seem to serve much purpose other than laying track.
The tail tracks on the left of the yard are too short to shove anything but a small train
into the yard

That's a lot of track for a very small yard.
A turnout or two off the lead on the left and a yard off that would produce a better yard IMO.

Magic


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## Dennis461 (Jan 5, 2018)

One comment..


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## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

I'm assuming the switch marked "useless" in the previous post is intended to attach to a curve heading "down" around the L at left which simply hasn't been added yet to complete a loop around the layout... As long as that track continues to loop around to the left, the crossover is far from useless - in fact it's CRITICAL for trains in the inside loop tracks to leave the yard travelling clockwise and needs to be in the exact orientation that it is in. If the main track does not continue, then the crossover should be reversed to double-end that track, but somehow I'm guessing that's not the case.

The yard tracks are very short, so the long siding(s) inside the loops could make sense for a passing siding and/or "arrival/departure tracks" to build out a longer train. Especially ones arriving or leaving counter-clockwise - you need a double-ended track for that. Using the inside loop track to build out an outbound train is certainly what I would do if I were operating this yard.

The lower stub track at left offers a rather short lead track, but the yard "body" tracks are also pretty short, so it looks like you've got enough room to actually pull a whole track out there. (The very bottom track might not be able to be completely pulled if it's 100% full, but all the rest should be - while ideally you'd like to be able to pull a whole track, I've seen prototype yards that have short leads that you could only pull 1/3 to 1/2 of a track at a time...) I'm not sure of the purpose of the track immediately "above" it - if it doesn't have a specific purpose and you drop it, the double-ended track bypassing the yard ladder would make a nice caboose service track (using it as a track to park cabooses on would make it difficult to use the little stub track for anything, as access would be blocked by parked car(s). I am assuming the two left facing tracks at the "top" of the yard are your engine service tracks.

So yeah, all in all, I'd say this yard makes reasonable sense, is pretty much what you can fit into the space, and probably the only thing I'd change is dropping that little short stub track so you can just use the double ended track as a caboose track. If you use the "loop" track(s) to build up a train by pushing/pulling cuts of cars out of the yard tracks, and you don't need to push anything into that little facing point spur, having an additional runaround inside the yard isn't much of an issue, and you can always move the caboose(s) or use the main/siding in an "emergency".


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## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

Magic said:


> I don't see a reason for the three big loops, they all end up in the same place
> and don't seem to serve much purpose other that laying track.


Disagree whole-heartedly. Long passing sidings and runaround tracks are good.


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## J.Albert1949 (Feb 3, 2018)

The yard is all wrong.

If you make up a train using the ladder track, there's no way (not enough room) to get it "out onto the main" and get an engine on the head end.

You should "reverse the direction" of the yard, with the lead/ladder pointing in the opposite direction.

Set up the "inside loop" to become "the main lead" for switching.

Now your switcher can work the yard, get the train made up.
Enginehouse/storage tracks can be "flipped", too.

It's back to the drawing board and a "start over" on this one.
Otherwise, it's going to be an operational nightmare.


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## dboone (Mar 22, 2021)

cv_acr said:


> I'm assuming the switch marked "useless" in the previous post is intended to attach to a curve heading "down" around the L at left which simply hasn't been added yet to complete a loop around the layout...
> 
> The yard tracks are very short, so the long siding(s) inside the loops could make sense for a passing siding and/or "arrival/departure tracks" to build out a longer train.
> 
> I'm not sure of the purpose of the track immediately "above" it - if it doesn't have a specific purpose and you drop it,


Yes that is correct, the switch marked useless will a continuation of the mainline. 

I'm dissatisfied with the length of the yard tracks, for sure, but using them for some classification and then moving on to the other sidings would work, as you suggested.

The track above the lead is for caboose storage. 

I'm still tweaking stuff. Visually I think it looks pretty cool, but the curved main and through freight sidings aren't very prototypical.


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## dboone (Mar 22, 2021)

J.Albert1949 said:


> The yard is all wrong.
> 
> If you make up a train using the ladder track, there's no way (not enough room) to get it "out onto the main" and get an engine on the head end.
> 
> ...



This is the exact same layout as the yard in "Track Planning for Realistic Operation" on page 26 figure 2-9, so I'm not sure I agree that it is "all wrong". The modifcation I made was to put the main line and siding for through freight on a curve. 

Your point that there isn't enough room from the ladder track to get an engine on the head end makes some sense to me though. I did try reversing the direction of the yard, but it didn't give me any more room to make the ladder longer. Unless I'm misunderstanding what you are saying.


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## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

You're getting pointed and honest appraisals, so I hope you are managing to keep your equilibrium and not getting dejected or a bit annoyed. All points so far are worth some serious pondering and experimentation to see if you suddenly hear a bell ping. You're doing well and keeping an open mind, it seems, so good on you.

The inside corner where the turnout ends abruptly the 'main'? Is that correct? If so, what you have depicted, with that very close inside benchwork corner, is unrealistic. If in HO, you'll need about a 15" radius, maybe, to complete a 90 deg turn there and go south. Maybe I am misinterpreting what you are intending there...? Whatever it really is, it will be very tight and severely limit your trains' pleasing passage through there. It may even limit what you can run if the radius is at or below 18", so think about that a bit.


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## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

J.Albert1949 said:


> The yard is all wrong.
> 
> If you make up a train using the ladder track, there's no way (not enough room) to get it "out onto the main" and get an engine on the head end.
> 
> You should "reverse the direction" of the yard, with the lead/ladder pointing in the opposite direction.


False.

The only thing that does is change which direction is difficult to get into the yard.

The yard can work fine if you apply the right procedures to it.

1. Use the two inner tracks in the loop as arrival/departure (A/D) and runaround/passing tracks. Inbound train in either direction arrives on the inner track. If the train is running clockwise, the engines cut off, and run through the yard up to the engine tracks. If the train is running counter-clockwise, the engines cut off and run-around the train on the middle track. The only complication is dancing around the yard unit, but he can tuck away anywhere. You need to have some empty space in the yard in order to even accept the train anyway.

2. Yard switcher breaks down train by pulling cuts of cars out of the A/D (inner loop) track and sorts them into the yard.

3. When ready to build a new train, yard switcher pulls cuts from yard tracks and pushes them into the A/D track.

4. When train is built, engines run out from the service track and reverse the steps in #1.

Totally workable as long as you give the yard time to build and send out a train before sending another one in. With only four short stub tracks (the top one is the lead for the shop and can't be used as a class track) the yard doesn't have a lot of car capacity anyway.


Without the loop tracks as A/D and runaround tracks, the yard is very difficult, since it's small, cramped and has no real runaround ability, except for the ladder bypass. A clockwise train can run straight onto the yard lead and back into a track, but a counter-clockwise train has more of a problem as they'll end up nose-in to a track. Reversing the yard design only changes the directions in this description, and may end up not fitting in the space. This suggestion also loses ability to use the loop tracks from the yard lead, which is what's actually making the yard work.

I've run yards on a few different layouts and I'd happily run the OP's yard with access to the loop tracks as A/D tracks. (The only sore spot might be physically coupling on the curved tracks depending on radius - but schematically it works fine.) I can't see your suggestion making anything better, as you completely nerfed the A/D track(s).


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

I'm a big switching fan and at first glance there appears to be a
lot of switching opportunities here...but as I see it...the yard tracks are
far too short, the tail tracks are also. As to building trains on the long
curved tracks...how many of you have had success auto coupling
Kadees on curves? You'll have to HOG couple every car.

Then there's that turnout marked useless...It truly is...any curve
downward from it would be too sharp to permit most locos.

And, finally, there's no opportunity for continuous running...I feel that's
an important aspect of a model railroad.

There are many very good switching and continuous running layouts
displayed in this forum that are much more usable and more fun.
The best way to take advantage of these is to find a yard you like, 
sections of continuous running that appeal to you...industry scenes...and even 
hobo camps track side...combine these in the space you have
and you can take pride in designing your own layout.

Don


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## TheSleeper (Oct 7, 2010)

I don't know much about operations and all but I like that design.


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