Rodney sent me a few photos of a bit of complex track he’s making for the colliery complex at Majestic.
Now I can see the pictures.
Here’s a revised trackplan for Majestic, showing, among other things, where this nasty piece of track will end up.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/bob_mccown/Trackwork/Majestic/Majestic-Medium.jpg)
As if Majestic isn’t a PITA already…
Nice bit of track work.
What? I’m just adding one little siding! 
Yea, I think everyone that weekend was part of a crew that took an hour to switch out 3 or 4 cars.
Now I know what you’re doing when you stay up late. You’re thinking how to make train operations tough!
Bob McCown said:one MORE little siding..................;)
What? I'm just adding one little siding! :)
After several hours of fiddling, I got the majority of the trackwork at Majestic where I’m happy with it. It’s a bit different than what I wanted, but it does allow no-stepping-over access to everything.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/bob_mccown/Trackwork/Majestic/IMGP0355.JPG)
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/bob_mccown/Trackwork/Majestic/IMGP0356.JPG)
The left hand switch there will be a 3-way, so that the colliery will have two tracks underneath it. There will be a LCL house, or something, on the short siding on the left.
Hi Bob,
Question: At the coal mine, where do the empties go before you drag out the loads?
Saw that piece of track work at the Dalton Train show - got to meet Rodney and see some of his other work. Very talented guy. Track work looks good.
Lovely looking trackwork Bob. I am always fascinated by complex track designs, 1:1 or model, but admit to not being a track builder.
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
Hi Bob,Question: At the coal mine, where do the empties go before you drag out the loads?
Huh? You drag out the loads, then stuff in the empties. Keep the train on the passing siding (2nd track from the right, that’s not quite connected yet) while you’re doing this.
OK, blocking the siding and the main while doing this.
How else do you switch a siding, unless you have another place to store a train?
Sounds like a prototypical operation to me, Bob…
Maybe I am missing something here… the track “past” the 3 tracks at the coal mine is longer than the 3 tracks, so pulling a train out of one of those tracks will not foul the main, and might not even foul the passing siding.
So, I don’t see a problem.
Just like in a switchyard, the yard lead track wants to be as long as the body tracks.
Greg