Large Scale Central

Hey, Fred!

Prototypes
#1

There is a prototype for everything, including roundy-round. Talk about chasing your caboose! From Chris… As seen from 3,000’ AGL and looking east southeast, a recently unloaded coal train sits on the loop track in Ardoch, ND. This site was opened in the summer of 2005 and sees an average of two unit coal trains per week to serve the five American Crystal Sugar factories in the Red River Valley. Of note, you can see how the coal is unloaded and spread out via the moveable boom, where it’s loaded onto the trucks for distribution, and the BNSF / Northern Plains diamond in the upper left of the shot.

#2

Nice picture. I can see how the trains get onto the roundy round but how do they get off? They don’t realy back that thing all the way out of there do they? Or is it a case of unhook the loco’s and rehook them to the other end?

Anyway might have to think about putting one of those in someday.

#3

Geoff -

Probably your second guess, unless the engines are captive on the loop. In the case of captive engines there are a couple of different ways the loads and empties could be exchanged.

This might be fun to model :slight_smile:

#4

Wow. That one’s weird. It looks like there’s a crossover on the left side.

We have a few of those in Illinois where there’s a huge grain elevator, but there’s a double crossover. The idea is to get the train off the main line while loading. The train pulls onto the 7,000 ft loop, then works its way around the loop while the cars are being loaded, then can pull back onto the main when it’s ready to leave.

Maybe that’s the other crossover at the far curve?

#5

Wow, that’s funky!

#6
Geoff George said:
Nice picture. I can see how the trains get onto the roundy round but how do they get off? They don't realy back that thing all the way out of there do they? Or is it a case of unhook the loco's and rehook them to the other end?

Anyway might have to think about putting one of those in someday.


Geoff, Steve’s pulling your leg. He’s actually PhotoShopped his own garden railway.

The train goes round and round forever, because there’s no $$$ left for more track - he spent it all on coal hoppers!

#7

My secret is out! :smiley:

#8

WHY PICK ON ME…!!!

#9

And for years they said that running in a loop was not prototypical !! Or just running in circles.

                                                                                                                    Smokebox
#10

I never said that; I just suggested that it could become quite boring after a short while…

#11

Yup -

Imagine being the engineer if those are captive engines. Same scenery goes by 3 or 4 times a day. At least there’s plenty of time to read the paper.