# My new classification yard



## MikeL (Mar 21, 2015)

Hi everyone,

I'm about to start constructing a new and better yard for my layout. Attached is my first draft.

My layout is currently app. 10' X 6', the yard will be about 10' X 1'. This is about the maximum space I have.

Any thoughts / comments? Do I need a run around track? If so, where should it go?

Thanks


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## Dennis461 (Jan 5, 2018)

Lets do an example. All yard tracks empty; pull engine out of shed; couple to caboose on the caboose track; put caboose on end (right side) of middle yard track. CANNOT be done without using the main line as a runaround


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

I would say connect the right side of all those leads with a ladder parallel to the one on the left side. For more fluidity, add some crossovers in the middle, as well.


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## MikeL (Mar 21, 2015)

Thanks Dennis and CTValley.

For the crossovers, does it matter which tracks should be used (1-2 starting from the top, 2-3, 3-4?

I have another DCC question: Is it recommended to have feeder wires on all the yard tracks?

Mike


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## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

MikeL said:


> I have another DCC question: Is it recommended to have feeder wires on all the yard tracks?


That's not so much a DCC question as a power reliability question. More feeders=better power reliability. Only difference between DC and DCC is you can wire the whole thing as one power block and leave it on all the time, instead of using toggles or "power-routing" switches to turn off power to tracks not being used (in order to park an unused engine somewhere.


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## Dennis461 (Jan 5, 2018)

*Found some good reading material*

Add many feeders.
Old proverb, better to have them and not need them 
rather than
need them and not have them


Found some good reading material

https://www.nmra.org/sites/default/files/d3h1.pdf

http://www.housatonicrr.com/yard_des.html

https://nmramcrdiv10.yolasite.com/resources/Articles/NMRA Yard Clinic 120615.pdf


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

MikeL said:


> Thanks Dennis and CTValley.
> 
> For the crossovers, does it matter which tracks should be used (1-2 starting from the top, 2-3, 3-4?
> 
> ...


I'm the resident "feeder contrarian". Not that I don't believe in feeders, but I do think many model railroaders waste a lot of time, effort and money installing far too many of them. 

If you're not going to solder your rail joiners, then, yeah, install as many as you can. If you're soldering the joiners, one pair of feeders every 10 feet or so will be sufficient.

It really isn't that hard to add them after the fact, if you find you need another set or two.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Mike

Your choice of turnouts relates to the question,
do I need drops on my yard tracks.

Some turnouts, such as Peco Insulfrog, are
power routing. They 'turn off' power to divert if
points are set to straight. If you prefer to have
all your yard tracks powered at all times and you
use Insulfrog turnouts, you'll
definitely need drops from the frog rails of each track.

Don


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*runaround track*



MikeL said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I'm about to start constructing a new and better yard for my layout. Attached is my first draft.
> 
> ...


 MikeL;


The top two tracks, one labeled "existing track", are a runaround track. If the "existing track" is part of the main line, then you don't have a runaround track that is separate from the main line. Is that what you are asking?

Your yard contains several crossovers. Depending on what type of turnouts you are using, the crossovers may be a problem. 
If you are using Atlas "Snap Switch" turnouts, they have a tight 18"radius curved diverting route. I'm assuming HO-scale here.
The N-scale Atlas "Snap Switch" uses a 19" radius curve for it's diverging route. For N-scale, that's a wide curve, but it is still a curve. 
In a crossover, the diverging routes of the two turnouts that make up the crossover meet head on. If curved, those two diverging routes will then form a reverse curve. In HO scale, they form a tight reverse curve, which is even worse. Yards are where a locomotive is most likely to push a string of cars backwards. If those cars are going to be pushed through a reverse curve, they may derail. 

Now if you are using any other turnout, including Atlas "Custom Line" turnouts with a frog number (#6, #8, etc), or Peco, or Micro Engineering, or Walthers/Shinohara, then the diverging routes will be straight track, not curved. This eliminates the reverse curve where the two diverging route tracks meet. There is still an inherent reverse "curve", of sorts, in the fact that the cars must still go one way, and then the opposite way, as they traverse the crossover point rails. However, with #6, or larger, turnouts, this will be a pretty mild reversal, and it should be reliable. 

There are also potential reverse curves where the yard connects to the main oval curves at either end. Look at the left side of your diagram. A train is traveling through a left-hand curve (the oval mainline) and as it peels off into the yard, it must suddenly turn right. Tha same situation exists on the right side of the diagram. Using curved turnouts, cut into the existing main line curve, will help. If the outer leg of these curved turnouts then enters straight track for 80 scale feet or so, then the reverse curve is eliminated. If your existing oval curves are 18" radius, and you are using Atlas "Snap Switch" turnouts, then the curved diverging route of the turnout should be cut into the main line curve, with the straight route of the turnout going to the yard. 

Traction Fan :smilie_daumenpos:


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## MikeL (Mar 21, 2015)

Thanks again everyone. After reading your posts and researching, it seems I have three options to ensure the cabooses are aligned properly (shown on my plan below):

A) Having the caboose track run off my Arrival / Departure track
B) Having a run-around track on the original Caboose track
C) Having a run-around track in my classification yard 

Your thoughts / recos? Any watch-out-fors?

Thanks again for your help.

Mike


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Any time I see a really nice yard such as you are
building I think DIODE MATRIX turnout control.

If you plan twin coil turnout motors, it is a very
simple and inexpensive system.

You have ONE panel BUTTON in each of your yard tracks.
When you select a destination track, you push that
button and all turnouts in the 'path' are set.

It sounds complicated, but it's not. Uses only a
multiterminal barrier strip and a number of diodes.
You would also want a Capacitor Discharge Unit
to protect those point motors.

If you would like to use this system let me know and
I'll be glad to guide you.

Don


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## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

My biggest issue with this plan is actually the short yard lead at left. The way the crossovers are positioned, the yard is pretty much useless; you can only move one or two cars at a time in and out with that tail.


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## J.Albert1949 (Feb 3, 2018)

Referring to the track diagram in post 10 above:

The A switch should connect to the yard lead -- as it is now, there's no way to get trains into/out of the yard!

Arrival/departure track on left should "curve around and up" to give the switcher enough "headroom" to actually switch out a decent-sized cut of cars. As it stands now, there's no practical way to "switch the yard". You may need to shift "the main" to the right to gain a little extra space.

Or... provided main is connected to yard lead (as I mentioned above), main can be used for switching. Of course this may cause problems with through trains.

Runaround should be between "exisiting track" (middle of diagram) and the track "below it".

Arrival/departure track ON THE RIGHT could be for a freight house, etc.


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## Atlanta (Apr 29, 2019)

In germany some model railroaders building the "shaddow station yards" or "fiddle yards" below the base of the layout where to store their trains.

The best way of storing trains and wagons is to use it anywhere inside your layout onto sidings.

The modeller of the Wheeling & Lake Erie RR did it, too look on youtube for that small RR films.

At any bigger Station you can have sidings for Caboose cars and on freight house sections some tracks for freight trains.

Nearby the pessenger station asection is needed to store not used passenger cars. 

At the roundhouse you are storing your locos.

At backshops you do repairing your Locos and cars.

A company roundhouse with backshop need not being oversized a small one is enough like you can see onto plans I attached for you.

I hope it will help you,

Ya Ingo


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