Large Scale Central

Burke Yard redesign

Track and Trestles
#1

Hi folks Im at the point now where Id like to get Burke Yard designed and start building the benchwork for it. This morning I measured the area.

The heavy black lines at the bottom are the current mainline and passing siding. The one at the top is the incline up to the storage shed. Red numbers give relative elevation, and black numbers are distances in feet. Here’s a basic design that Ive been pondering.

That gives me a drill track about 4-5 feet long, 4 yard tracks of about 8-10 feet a piece, and an engine servicing area. Access would be through the brownish textured area. Suggestions? Comments?

#2

Bob McCown said:
Hi folks Im at the point now where Id like to get Burke Yard designed and start building the benchwork for it. This morning I measured the area.

The heavy black lines at the bottom are the current mainline and passing siding. The one at the top is the incline up to the storage shed. Red numbers give relative elevation, and black numbers are distances in feet. Here’s a basic design that Ive been pondering.

That gives me a drill track about 4-5 feet long, 4 yard tracks of about 8-10 feet a piece, and an engine servicing area. Access would be through the brownish textured area. Suggestions? Comments?

Now me, personally, I’d eliminate the middle turnout in green and add one on either end of the green line at the middle 0" elevation mark and the right hand 0" elevation mark. Or leave in that green turnout but move it to the right a bit. That would give you an “inbound” track and an “outbound” track with a little run-around track.

#3

Bob,

I would extend and connect the drill track all the way to the mainline. That way you have an arrival/departure/drilltrack all in one. Makes getting to and from the engine facility easier, since you can assemble a train on that track and then use the passing siding to get to the other end if necessary.

#4

Bob McCown said:
Hi folks Im at the point now where Id like to get Burke Yard designed and start building the benchwork for it. This morning I measured the area.

The heavy black lines at the bottom are the current mainline and passing siding. The one at the top is the incline up to the storage shed. Red numbers give relative elevation, and black numbers are distances in feet. Here’s a basic design that Ive been pondering.

That gives me a drill track about 4-5 feet long, 4 yard tracks of about 8-10 feet a piece, and an engine servicing area. Access would be through the brownish textured area. Suggestions? Comments?

Bob, I think I’m in pretty much agreement with Ken and HJ. Right below the 4 foot mark, I would add another lead into the turntable. I would also connect the closest yard track to the main and make it a double ended yard track. I think the best would be get something started and see what is also needed. Or are you like Bart and have to have everything just perfect be for you even start? (Got to go before he throws something at me.)

#5

Something akin to this?

No, I dont need it planned to smithereens, but I do like to have a general idea what I need to build for base and all that…

#6

Bob McCown said:
Something akin to this?

No, I dont need it planned to smithereens, but I do like to have a general idea what I need to build for base and all that…

Much better. Now, if you were to make the green stubs between 9 and 15 into double ended sidings, you would have much better utility. Another thing to consider, and this I learned from a retired BNSF conductor, is to make the center of the sidings just enough lower than the ends so that cars will roll to the middle of the siding, that will make switching the yard, preparing the next train that much more efficient. Something like this…

#7

Yea, I like that much better…more versatile…

Then again, I’m not the one who has to build it…:wink:

#8

I don’t know if you need all of the yard double ended, but a couple of tracks would give you an arrival and departure track and then the other two for storage. That is a real functional yard. When you get up to Fred’s this summer, really look at Craig Leigh by the shop and all of the possibilities. That wasn’t built all at one time, but it is real functuional yard and could be a complete layout by itself.

#9

I believe that only tying in one track from the yard area to the mainline is the most appealing to me. This allows for you to use that track as an inbound/outbound track, as well as using the mainline siding as an inbound/outbound track at the bottom of the track plan…

Just thought I’d add my 2 cents worth…

#10

Putting the far turnout down at the end of the yard track is problematic for the mainline design, but this might work, too

#11

That’ll work…:wink:

#12

The only difficulty I see is that there is no “run around” for the switcher in the yard.

SteveF

#13
Steve Featherkile said:
The only difficulty I see is that there is no "run around" for the switcher in the yard.

SteveF


Why would you need a run-around in the yard? They are all stub end tracks, if the engineer gets trapped … hmmm, how did you manage that?

For normal run-around function use the passing siding. Set the yard limits accordingly i.e. far enough back to have the longest engine/caboose combo stay within the limits.

#14

I think it has gone just a little too far. Lots of turnouts, but less capacity. How about that last track that was added connecting the main to the yard lead get moved to the end of the closest yard track? So 3 stub tracks, one double ended yard track, a siding for runaround and an escape down by the turntable. And take that “s turn” out of the engine facility lead off the main right above the 0". You know it never works out, until yo start laying track.

#15

Interesting discussion.

What are your goals? How many trains per session? Are you looking for a challenge? Or to make life easy?

How long are your trains? Is this the destination, the start, or both?

Try to imagine a train pulling in. Where does it go? Is it allowed to foul the main at all? Does the locomotive need servicing, or will it continue? Do you need a new caboose?

Is there a local switcher? Who sorts out the cars?

Imagine a train pulling out. Well, before it leaves, does it need to gather cars? Where does it put them?

Hey, I have none of the answers…but more than a few questions. :wink:

#16
Bruce Chandler said:
Interesting discussion.

What are your goals? How many trains per session? Are you looking for a challenge? Or to make life easy?

How long are your trains? Is this the destination, the start, or both?

Try to imagine a train pulling in. Where does it go? Is it allowed to foul the main at all? Does the locomotive need servicing, or will it continue? Do you need a new caboose?

Is there a local switcher? Who sorts out the cars?

Imagine a train pulling out. Well, before it leaves, does it need to gather cars? Where does it put them?

Hey, I have none of the answers…but more than a few questions. :wink:


Bruce,

I don’t know how Bob will do it, but I figured out how I would do it and made the suggestions accordingly. Alway going by the railroad maxim “Do as much as possible with as little as possible in the most efficient way.” :wink: :slight_smile: :smiley:

#17

Thanks Bruce…

#18

I like the idea of just throwing some track to the wind and see how it lands. Run some trains and let that help sort out what you really want. I’ve always found that no matter how hard you try to get it right, once down you find something that needs to be changed. :confused:

#19
Warren Mumpower said:
I like the idea of just throwing some track to the wind and see how it lands. Run some trains and let that help sort out what you really want. I've always found that no matter how hard you try to get it right, once down you find something that needs to be changed. :/
Warren,

How could you? If you make a druthers sheet that lists all the operations, you can come up with a track plan that will suit 98% of what you need to do. The 2% isn’t worth worrying about, because when it shows up it will be a “minor detail”. If you really thought things through. :wink: :slight_smile:

#20

This is what bothers me about hand laying track, and building switches. You have to plan very carefully ahead of time, because what you build is not easily changed without ripping apart a lot of hard work.

The same goes for poured concrete roadbed…a lot of work to change once it is in place.

When we try to plan (Notice I say “Plan”, not design) a section of trackage, we always know that times and operations change. The railroad is never “FINISHED”, just like a real pike.

We are always looking at our operations, with an eye to creating more fun, and opening up ideas for better operation.

Once operations get in your blood, the way you plan trackage changes from just "Storage tracks," where you store a train while running another; to, how to move trains with loaded and empty cars from originations to destinations in the most practical manner, with a bit of fun thrown in.

We are always upgrading, and looking for improvements. The track we lay today; may be changed tomorrow.

It’s much easier with “Store bought” track and switches.

If I had more life ahead of me, and nothing better to do; I’d enjoy the idea of hand laying, and the freedom to build switches to suit the need. But I want to operate and see my trackage serving the needs of the railroad NOW, not after I’m dead and buried.

Everyone finds a part of the hobby that suits them…hand laying can be fun…