Large Scale Central

Bat House Yard Reconstruction

Track and Trestles
#1

With the snow and cold refusing to go away I thought it was time to begin the 2014 outdoor construction season.

For those that have operated on the SJR&P you likely have noticed that Bat House Yard has become a bottleneck and depending on the operator can really back things up.

For the first 20 years of operation Bat House Yard was the main yard on the main line between Deck Yard and Upper Woods. Over time the branch line to the shed became the new main line and with this change Bat House Yard became a major bottleneck for the railroad.

Reconstruction has finally begun with full operation planned for our April session. The new yard will feature 2 arrival/departure tracks, 4 storage/classification tracks (3x8 and 1x7 capacity) a yard bypass/passing siding on the main line to Upper Woods, a small engine facility and the ability to switch all tracks at either end of the yard. Nine new custom turnouts will be needed in the finial configuration. The first part is the reconstruction of the west end which was laid out this past weekend. The east end will follow next weekend.

Hopefully we will not get to much snow in the next few days and that the brief thaw will actually occur next week so we can do some digging.

Stan

New West end of Bat House Yard

#2

So people will no longer go Bat s*** crazy, switching the bat house…

Sorry had to do it!

#3

Excellent. BHY is a gigantic pain unless you’re just passing through.

#4

looking good so fare

Richard

#5

Well, even when you’re just going through, it can be a bottle neck!

Good luck with the changes, Stan. I’ll be looking forward to operating there this summer!

#6

Looks good Stan, Can you intermingle Battery boys with DCC Boys at the same time ?

#7

Nick S. said:

Looks good Stan, Can you intermingle Battery boys with DCC Boys at the same time ?

Sure can. That’s Jean with Bruce’s Bat/RC equipped Shay going through the yard…

#8
Bob and Bruce
 
Indeed a real bottleneck and more so as this season a few additional trains will be passing through the yard. Hopefully the changes will help

This weekend we laid out the east end of Bat House Yard.  All the recent snow hampered this a tad.
 
On the far left is the beginning of the design for the passing siding. This track will not be installed until April when it is warmer as it will require a new short section of rock wall.
 
Next is the main arrival departure track and the 4 yard tracks.
 
On the right side of the yard is the start of a new engine facility.  Likely a two stall engine house and a service track.  The two stall engine house will allow us to store locomotives in Bat Yard.
 
The far right yard track serves as both a lead to the engine facility as well as an additional arrival/departure track.
 
The new yard has a lot of advantages and some disadvantages.  At a width of 7 tracks it is harder to reach the center yard  tracks as well as the east end turnouts.  Will need to work on some  further enhancements to make operations easier.

Next up will be the new edge for the south side. Ground needs to thaw first. We hope to start this next weekend when it will be a little warmer.
 
Stan


East End of Bat House Yard
#9

Awesome. With an engine facility at Bat House, I assume we’re going to get new trains, or existing ones will start/terminate there, instead of being a turn or run-through?

#10

i can not what for spring and to run on this

Richard

#11

Now that’s dedication. Out there in sub freezing weather, ass deep in snow, ground frozen solid, working on an outdoor layout. I’ve heard of “cabin fever”, but that’s the worst case of it I’ve seen…I can’t even find my layout, even if I did want to work on it…:wink:

#12

He’s getting more snow as we speak!
That will teach him!

#13

All winter I have had snow covering my layout. But in the last week I have had temps in the 50s so I can see the layout. But I’m stuck inside trying to get buildings done. Oh well.

Someday would love to make a trip to see your layout, Stan.

#14

Sean McGillicuddy said:

He’s getting more snow as we speak!
That will teach him!

Indeed snow is so deep that I can hardly see the railroad.

Somewhere out there is large wood trestle. In the lower area Cascade and Lobato trestles are still visible but barley.

While it may seem insane to be rebuilding Bat Yard in such conditions, there are not a lot of options. With 10 custom stainless steel turnouts to construct, winter is the only time the railroad is not in operation long enough to undertake such a project.

Stan

SJR&P railroad

Cascade and Lobato Trestles

#15

You’re a better man than I am Stan! Do you at least put a tarp over your work so you don’t have to keep digging it out?

#16

If he did, it would just bury the tarp and he would have shovel out the tarp to get to the tarp to get the snow off the work area, whew. Sounds like a lot of shoveling no matter how you look at it.

#17

Ken Brunt said:

Now that’s dedication. Out there in sub freezing weather, ass deep in snow, ground frozen solid, working on an outdoor layout. I’ve heard of “cabin fever”, but that’s the worst case of it I’ve seen…I can’t even find my layout, even if I did want to work on it…:wink:

So your saying Stan has bigger …

Ahh never mind

I think it’s sweet!

#18

I don’t now Stan. At this rate we will still have snow on the ground in April. Maybe more snow next week.

#19

So, does everyone find snow frightening or unusual?

As a kid in northern Illinois, it would snow shortly after Halloween. It would stay on the ground before Thanksgiving, and start to melt in April. We’d walk to school on top of the snow piles the plows would leave. Sometimes you’d sink and get snow in your boots.

But then, Larry in Chicago says there’s 50+ inches on the ground. I don’t remember snow over my head except where the plows piled it up, so maybe this IS unusual.

65 and sunny this morning. I think I can get used to this.

#20

I lived in Minnesnowta for 7 years, not seeing the ground from Halloween until May. One year we had snow the first week of June and the first week in September. That left July and August without snow that year.
This year in New Jersey reminds me of constant white!