Model Railroad Yards--Design for Operations
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 มี.ค. 2018
- In this video we talk about model railroad yards--design for operations. Yard operations can be one of the most challenging and fun aspects of operations on your #model #railroad #layout. If you design for #operations before building your model railroad #yard it will operate more efficiently and cause less frustration.
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Yard are always superior to meters! Love the Video!!!
Hi Ron, I just love that rail yard. I am a very very big fan of rail yards and switching cars from track to track and rearranging them. I also am a very big fan of mainline trains. Mainline trains are my favorite. Cory Mears
A lot of high density information. While listening to your remarks about caboose tracks I was reminded of the conductor who always had his cab parked next to a pole along the track. It seems he had a TV antenna up on the pole. All the modern inconveniences... First class while away from home. Modeler might want such a detail. Thanks.
Great detail idea. Thnks for sharing it.
I am track designer at an engineering consulting company. I learned quite a few new things about yard operations from this video!
I’m just getting back into Ho model railroading and very much appreciate this excellent video. Thank you👍
Talking Notes for My Rail yard got it Figured out now I Need Money for the Switches now for the Inside line.
Beautiful looking yard....
Ron:
I've been in HO scale for over 50 years, and I agree with you 100%! My main yard has 6 tracks, + a run around track, and leads at both ends that will accommodate pulling all the cars out of the longest track, without fouling the main.
Another thing that annoys the hell out of me, is the guy that tries to "cram" too much RR, into too small of room, or basement! This usually results in aisles too narrow, or all kinds of "bottlenecks" in track work, and a "nightmare" to operate!
My advice is if you don't have the room for modeling a prototype from one end to the other, Don't even try! Pick a certain division, or a an area of the prototype you want to model, and let that be the "stage" for the trains to operate on. If room permits, a staging yard at each end of the mainline, or a single double-ended hidden staging yard, to build trains, to come out on the "stage", for viewing or operation.
J.W. Bliss
I couldn't agree more. Thanks for your comment.
Thanks Ron, I'm adding a yard to my layout soon, this has helped a lot, thanks for sharing
“I’m not talking about meters, I’m talking about yards”
Welp, I’m sold!
and I'm done!
Great video Ron, thanks for sharing the knowledge. With zero railroad experience I like to hear everyone's opinion on how things work best or better for them. It keeps me from having to learn the hard way (most times). Thanks again.-Ed
Thanks, very informative & helpful. I’m designing a yard now for my expansion around my room. Lots of things I did not consider yet, but will now.
Very Good Ron! Well put together, simple easy to understand explanations on yards. Invaluable information that isn't cluttered with unnecessary antics.
And you explained things for the Steam Era, which you are not modeling. Very helpful since my timeline will be somewhere between 1920 to 1934 in a 48'x80' room.
Very Professional!
Yeah I'm starting to build my layout. Looking to have 2 yards on the layout. Separate from each other. One will have 6 tracks and one 2 tracks. I like the run by affect but I'm starting to get into operations. I'm trying to get to 130 cars on my manifest train to model one that goes by me. I got 68 cars for it so far. I'm gonna run one track main with a siding. I got a engine facility on a module that will hold some of my locos. Great stuff man.
Thank you for the great video. It helped me design the basic structure of my yard.
Time to take another view into this video, been up for some time now.
Great video with lots of good info. Thanks Ron. I’m bookmarking this video. -Mark
Thanks man.
that's an awesome yard
Thanks for the video Ron! My biggest struggle was yard design and understanding what the purpose for each track was! Awesome video.
Glad I could help.
Extremely interesting evening sat watching this on my TV set, I'm planning a new layout and this helps so much cheers...
Glad you found it helpful. Thanks and good luck.
Ron...some great advice about yard design with excellent examples from your own layout and some very good resources. In my case, due to space constraints, I have only a small two track interchange "yard". It has some of the elements that you identified such as a sufficiently long drill track, runarounds, and nearby industries served from the yard. Even with limited space, one can still enjoy yard operations...Harold
That is so true, Harold.
What a fantastic video. Thank you. I learned a ton. And you really peaked my interest in perhaps doing yard work with my new layout. Thanks again.
Thanks for the tips, now I need to go redesign my yard. For the better of course.
Great Video, Ron. Appreciate your insight.
Earned a new sub, getting back into model trains as an adult and your videos have helped me learn a lot of stuff I didn't know when I was younger. Thanks a ton.
Ron love all your good info please keep it comming btw there are some railroads that do run cabooses due to the line they have to do a great deal of backing
Great video great yard design
Very excellent presentation. Covers essentials and simple must-haves for any well running model railroad yard. Good to find out that I can check off all the boxes with my Burr Oak Yard on my layout. lol
Excellent. Thanks so much.
Wow, Ron! What a very valuable and informative video. I learned a lot. Thank you.
Thanks.
Ron, you should win some kind of award for that video! Your best yet,imo. Very informative and just what I need at this time. Thank you Sir!
Thanks.
Wow..a lot of stuff to know about a yard.. thanks for sharing and keep up the great work.. Lance
Thank you for your comment and thanks for watching.
Great info! Thanks!
Thank you for your comment and thanks for watching.
Found this very informative thanks I am in the UK and a fan of modelling which has led me to model railroading in particular north American. I have no idea how railroads work and this has made things so much clearer I am using these ideas in my track planning. Thanks again.
Thanks, David. I was once where you are--a new model railroader with no idea how things worked. That frustration was the whole reason I started this channel 20 years later. Thanks for watching.
Good video, Ron. I'm considering building a small railroad system based on Santa Fe operations in the 70's. But I'm looking to have some kind of yard area, but still have room for a railroad system and maybe a siding or two. Or maybe build a yard at the end of a division, like at a wye, so the train can go back toward the main. So I like this video for ideas. Thanks. Mike in Fresno.
hRon, this has been a wonderful share.. as you and I have shared briefly in the past showing you some considerations of mine in planning..the yard, for me, has been one of the most frustrating aspects of the new track plan.. it's pretty weird..I know what I need.but, I continue to fall short in accomplishing the task. This video explains the why's and what for's perfectly. Thank you for sharing. Tom.. oh, btw..sorry about the delay in sharing photos of the custom painted locos of mine...OTS.. they are packed away, buried to a point and not real easy to get to at this time..
Hi, Tom. No problem on the photos. I'm glad you found the video helpful. Good luck on designing that yard.
Good vidoe and explaination of why you need to have the tracks that you described. I got my design based on an even earlier book.
Great info!
Thanks for the informative video. Love the yard design. I would move the RIP tracks above the yard so you could shove cars into them as you classify. Use the current RIP tracks for a larger engine facility with tracks for tank cars.
That makes sense, but this us the track arrangement on thebprototype North Yard so I'll stick with it.
Hi Ron, I have watched your video before. At the time I wasn't ready for a yard or even sure if I could include one in my layout. But I really have wanted one so I have a workbench that I am converting the space to be used for a yard. Your design of north yard has helped me with ideas as I start to plan mine out.
Thanks,
Chuck
I would like to see a video on the progress that you have done to your North yard and the building you're working on, I think it would also be nice to do a Operation session In your North yard. Thank you for putting up these videos it is helping Model railroaders who don't understand track switching and the purpose of it thank you.
Couple of things here. You can add interest by keeping the drill track/switch lead shorter than a train length. To avoid having to work against the yard ladder have the turnouts staggered with the shortest tracks closest so you don't have to reach over the cars. If possible I like to have the main at the back of the yard so I don't have to lean over a running main track if you have other trains running while working in the yard.
Great work and very informative !!!
Thanks.
Hello Ron, Thanks for doing a good job on model railroad yards.
I did a clinic for Youth in Model Railroading (Kids club) we sponsor and used your video presentation.
- Steve
Hi, Stephan. That's awesome. I have long wanted to teach some model railroading to kids. I've even considered working with local Boy Scouts on their model railroading badge, but I've never gotten the opportunity. Thanks for sharing this with me.
Thank you, Ron. Found this helpful again. Good access to the subject by animating your layout to explain the aspects. Noticed various gimmicks you added to your video design. Regards, Jo
Thank you for your comment and thanks for watching.
Great video, I agree that operations and yard switching is some of the most fun parts of this hobby. I find it interesting how yards work and the puzzle they create. Also, thank you for the link to the Layout Design site. Keep up the good work!
Thanks, Joe.
Now you have me redoing my whole main yard on my layout.
Look at the way real yards are laid out. A good source is the Burlington Northern Historical Society. They have old timetables, but also yard diagrams. I like to look at the ones in my old territory. You can look at them for ideas.
My planned layout is of the 1970s Boston and Maine Fitchburg Division. Their East Deerfield Yard is something that I want to model. It used to have a yard for eastbound, and westbound, with double mains in the middle.
In the late 1970s, it went through a remodeling. This new layout has all the elements that Ron suggested. There is the R yard, where trains arrive, but are also doubled for departure. There is a separate classification yard, which is called the West Yard. The present single main is rerouted along the south edge of the R Yard. The West Yard also features a hump. This is no Mount Everest, with retarders. The cars are just let go, and roll into the classification tracks. This element could be done with a Kaydee uncoupling magnet at the crest of the hump. In fact, someone did a module, of a scaled down version, at a local modular club.
Thx Ron for sharing this. I have a layout with two independent loops that share a junction yard. My original track plan called for a crossover prior to the yard throat which obviously fouled the lead track. I simply put it on the other side of the ladder switch and viola'! Operations improve tenfold, and it actually looks way cooler without changing the complexity of the layout.
Awesome.
Very interesting video on how to set up a yard thanks
Thank you for your comment and thanks for watching.
Great video! Thanks for the tips. I searched for that book. Saw in one article it sold for north of $2000 with average online selling price of about $150-175. Insanity! 😆 Must be a gold mine of info.
Wow I’m learning a lot from watching your videos! Thanks a million! Take care! Peace from Welland Ontario Canada 🇨🇦
Thank you for your comment and thanks for watching.
Very informative Ron. Do you have a second yard on your layout where you drop your yard to yard trains. I was wondering where you haul your grain trains when either full or empty. And do you need to have a second destination for all of your industries even if just to another classification track? Thanks for your interesting videos.
Nice, Ron made me want a basement even more! But it was good info.
Thank you for your comment and thanks for watching.
Always look forward to your videos Ron! Great information here as I've been doing alot of research on operations as I re-re-re-re-redesign my layout....again! Got some good confirmation from you on my yard ideas and also liked to hear that it's "Okay" to have stub-end classification yards. My layout will be on an 11 x 10 L-shape and those double-ends do burn up alot of space. I'm going to be doing single man operation (aka ME) so I see no reason to not take advantage of the stub-ends to save space -- and costs too!!! Oh and awesome idea of using the engine maintenance and backshops as an industry. I had not thought of that!
Glad you found it helpful. Good luck as you build.
Thanks for the great videos Ron. Best on the net. Just getting started on railroad modeling. Still working on benchwork but was wondering how you approach decoupling in your operations. I see a lot of discussion on the use of magnets and would like to get your opinion on the best approach.
Thanks Ron for that lesson. I'm a ho guy however track is track. I HAVE MANY OF THE MODEL RAILROAD MAGS BUT NOT THE FRIEGHT YARD ONE. NOW I WILL BE LOOKING FOR THAT ONE. THANKS AGAIN.
Good luck in your search. I don't know why, but the publisher let this one go out of print. It is unfortunate because it was an excellent reference book. They are available on Amazon used but are extremely high dollar. I hope you can find 1 for a reasonable price.
Awesome advice, thanks for the video. I'll be hitting the Subscribe Button!
Thank you for your comment and thanks for watching. Welcome aboard.
Thanks Ron , great advise and insight. I just love your video format.
Mike
Thanks so much, Mike. Thanks for watching.
Thanks Ron. Very informative and thorough. Great ideas for my new layout.
Thank you.
Always enjoy your videos, thank you for taking the time to share. You've come a long way since I subscribed and they just keep getting better. Keep up nice work.
Thanks, Kenneth. Just out of curiosity from your comment, when exactly did you subscribe?
Back when you first got started, was like low 300 subscribers. Found you from TH-cam Model Builders and have followed ever since.
Cool. Thanks for your post.
Just a couple of points:
1) The yard lead doesn't necessarily need to be as long as your longest classification track as you said. Sometimes it may help the yard-master get through the job faster, but it may be at the expense of realism. For one thing, a longer lead shortens the length of open main line before the next town (something we can never get enough of at the best of times). In most cases, the yard switcher will not be in the same power group as the heavy freight locomotives that brought the train in, so may not even be able to move it. Even if it can move the whole train, it will be very sluggish so it will probably be a lot more efficient to take it in two or three bites. Lastly, before the days of two-way radios, it was just too darn dangerous to switch a train length cut where the engine crew cannot see the far end.
2) Even in a post 1980 layout, thought should be give to where the engine-servicing facilities and caboose tracks were (even if they have since been torn up). In a real yard, there will almost always be vestiges of what once was, so showing these on a model can greatly improve the realism. A weed-covered spur off the yard lead with a seldom-used snow plow parked where the cabooses used to be; or an intermodal yard or modern office building where the engine terminal once was; for example.
I was sharing what I would consider to be best practices for a switching yard that will run optimally on a busy layout. Granted, compromises often have to be made on model railroads as in the prototype, but these are the ideals that I believe will provide operational results that most people would be most happy with.
Regarding remnants of earlier facilities in a yard, your are right, these can make very interesting modeling. Depending on how close to modern day on models, the prototype will often have various remnants of old track and facilities remaining. I was not discouraging such elements. My focus was discussing the OPERATING tracks in a yard, and for my purposes that is a modern day yard.
I agree with mpeterll. My prospective is as a career railroader. A big drag is harder to handle. With cars bled off and freewheeling, the engine has to be able to stop it. Sometimes I request a few cars left on air. This way they can be used to help to stop. A switch crew or yard master will make strategic cuts. One yard which I work in only has about 15 car lengths of headroom on the lead. We could easily switch out a 80 car train in about an hour.
Your yard length doesn’t have to be the length of the trains. In many yards a long inbound train needs to go on multiple tracks. Another yard that I work in has about 70 car capacity on the longest track. We frequently handle 120 car trains. Sometimes the lead needs to be fouled while yarding or doubling up a train.
One aspect that modelers don’t emulate is the topography of the yard. Most are bowl shaped. This prevents cars from rolling out if a hitch doesn’t make. It also helps kicked cars roll in. That yard with the 15 car length drill track, which ends at the clearance point, of a switch onto another railroad. It is easy to switch because as an engineer, I just need to give a small start, and the cars will easily roll into the track.
I don’t see why you didn’t put a lead on the other end of your yard. This way it would be more flexible. Trains could be made up from either end. A good example is a local freight. It might only have a few cars. There is no need to use a long receiving/departure track, as it might be needed for a big road job, which is simultaneously being built. The local that I work is made up on a short track, since we usually only have a few cars.
Some larger yards have more than one lead on each end, sort of like you did between your classification and departure tracks. This is so two jobs can work the same end.
For a model railroad yard, it is very handy to have a crossover from the switching tail track to the main track, so you can access the main track directly from the bowl tracks. Also a crossover to allow access from the main to the tail of the switching lead is very handy. That way a train can stop on the main, the power can cut off and a switcher can work the train right off the main, putting cars into the class/AD yard and adding cars back to the train from the class/AD tracks.
YES! Thank you. I've seen so many modelers just have have their main line run right through their yard use the main line for head room when switching. As a conductor it bugs me sooo much. lol I mean its their layout but it still bothers me XD. Switching leads, are so incredibly useful. At NS we call them switching leads.
Hey Ron, thanks for the great video. Many great responses like Eric (IMRRO's) build on your video. You said about difficulty in purchasing the Model Railroader's Guide to Freight Yards by Any Sperandeo. After watching the video I went on the hunt and found quite a few available from AU$107 up second hand or AU$275 up to over AU$1,000. Thanks again Ron.
Yes, it can be found, but is ridiculously expensive mostly.
Hi Ron. This video was a crucial source in my attempts to finally get into model railroading, and will form the basis of my layout when I build it. In the meantime, I picked up a computer game (Rolling Line) which imitates a model railroad and I promptly replicated your version of North Yard (that is, only connecting track 6 at both ends, the rest all being blind; also prior to you adding a connection between track 6 and the thoroughfare). I started playing with it and shunting wagons and it’s been a lot of fun, and has me thinking I won’t regret the acquisition of a bunch of N-scale rolling stock.
One thing I did notice is that I don’t have enough room at the far end of the yard to switch a locomotive between the two arrival-departure tracks without going into the main line. I couldn’t quite make out the details in your video but I was wondering if that’s the case on your layout and whether this impedes operations at all.
200th comment!!! I love you Ron! Your vids R so usefull! Thank U for sharing!! Awesome!👏👏
Thank you for your comment and thanks for watching.
I'm planning to do something similar to Ron but might add 2 turntables for 2 different gauges (5 foot, 3 inch Broad and 4 foot, 8 and a half Standard) based on South Dynon yards in Melbourne, Australia
Getting into N scale, planning on a small railroad modeling of mid to late 70's CN. Going to have some modern rolling stock mixed in, but will focus on that era. Have a Atlas GP40-LW, 2 "Spans the World" CP Boxcars, and 2 Soo Sub Bulkhead flats from that era on the way to get started. Exited to see how much layout I can fit in my limited amount of space
Hi Ron Very Well presented, informative video i know many will benefit from this one /Wayde
Thank you for your comment and thanks for watching.
THANKS, RON AS BUILD ONE THROUGH YARD AND TWO END YARDS WITH INTERCHANGE YARDS AT EACH END OF LAYOUT TO USE STAGE YARDS IN OPERATION
Awesome. I would use some different principles for staging yards, but sounds good.
Good work, As you said "Model Railroad operations". Real railroads are completely different animal. That is the point where people copying a prototype run into problems. The prototype yard is this way so I will do it this way and come to find out our model railroads in many ways do not stack up with the protype and yard operations is one point. Real railroads Double over, Run full shifts or 24 hours etc. Most local yards do not have leads and just use the main as a lead. Traffic density is so low it might be an hour or more between trains. Distance is huge compared to a model railroad. The A/D track is the main. etc.
Thanks! I have a small local yard on my 4x8' and have no choice but to use the main as the lead. So that's a relief. Fortunately, it's a double-track main, so I have options.
IMRROcom was
Scott Denison, Was? did he die or something?
Lol...
That's a relief to read that. I am planning my layout and would like to run long trains on a double track mainline, but it looked like ideally the arrival, departure and yard lead tracks were supposed to be as long as the longest possible train stopping in my yard. That would require a lot more space than I have. If "fouling the main" for a little while to drop off and pick up cuts of cars is allowed and even prototypical, then everything becomes much easier. The yard then only needs to big enough to handle the arrival, departure and classification needs of the local area. Correct?
Lots of good information about yard design. Your North Yard is a classification yard. Personally, I don't enjoy sorting cars, especially N scale cars with difficult to read reporting marks (And I am an N scale modeler). Classification yards also take up a lot of real estate. In my experience, classification yards can become bottle necks as well. So even though they are popular with modelers, I'm avoiding a classification yard with my layout design. There are additional yards such as interchange or industrial yards you might explore in future videos. IMRRO is correct pointing out prototype yard design may differ from preferred practices for model trains. I've observed prototype yards which do not have classification tracks as long as the longest trains sent out on the mainline. This is especially so in urban yards where space is limited (just as on model railroads). An outbound train may have to pull strings of cars from more than one track to finally assemble on the main the departing train. Keep your videos coming. They are great resources.
Thanks for your comment. 👍
Im modeling 1980 to 2010 for the variety in color (BN, SP, ATSF, D&RGW, Early CSX, YN1, and the disappearing YN2) and cabooses. Aswell as certain colors and rolling stock it is hard to find a old c44-9cw with a brand new SD70ACe or a old run down gp9 in Blue Bonnet with the PRR heritage unit now a days.
Edit: It is even hard to see the RJ Corman GP9 anymore i will be pushing limits including UP 1943, And UP 4014 but it will be worth it and i think it be nice to have UP 1943 siting next to a brand new fresh from EMD SD40-2 for BNSF
Barnes and Noble has digital copies of Yard Design for Model Railroaders for $11. Much better than the cheapest price I could find on the physical copy, which was $75!
Very interesting and informative! I have built several yards in my years of model railroading, but none with the operational detail presented here. Sadly, I do not have the space to build my N-scale "empire" at this time. However, I do have Trainz railroad simulator for PC. I have plans to build a new yard in one of my cities. This video came along at just the right time. Now I am thinking about rebuilding the yard in another major city on my route.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share these ideas with us. This is going to be very helpful as I plan out future yard development both in Trainz and on a physical layout once I make the room or it. I was even making sketches of some ideas as I watched this.
Thanks again for this video.
Thank you so much for your comment. I am very glad that you found this video helpful. I think it helps a lot to think about how and why yards work... How they do what they do and why they do it. That's what makes it all very interesting to me. Thanks for watching.
Thanks fer the reply. Been a big train/railroad fan most of my life...and of course a model railroader as well. I never really put much thought into yards, even though that is where I ended up spending a good portion of my operating time. My thought process was mostly just lay some tracks to put cars on and move them around with little real purpose, except to be moving cars around. I also like doing way freight and local runs, but never really thought much about what happened to the loaded/empty cars once picked up from their respective industries.
It wasn't until I started working with the Trainz platform that I started to realize just how all of this needed to be integrated. Of course I never really had the space to create a physical layout of any major proportion. Upon creating actual operating routes with Trainz, I realized that I was missing out on a ton of operations and even interesting challenges with switching, etc.
Anyways, the TLDR version is that I really drew a lot from this video. As I said above, I discovered it at just about the right time in the development of my live stream route. I think this is going to add some of the elements that have been lacking in that route.
I will be back to look in on some of your other videos. For now, I think I am going to play around with some yard ideas before hitting the ole snore-shelf. Thanks again. You have earned a new subscriber.
Great video! What model/brand/etc did you use for your fueling area (pumps/base area/etc) and inspection pit? I'm doing a transition era layout so will have steam and early diesels. Accounted for the steam but not the diesels. Thanks!
I'm currently planning my first layout and this is quite helpful.
I have a main yard, and secondary yard (interchange) on my plan right now. I hope to add a hidden staging yard and a locomotive terminal as well.
Sounds interesting. Good luck.
@@RonsTrainsNThings thanks!
Hi Ron - Thanks for all the help!!
I've just completed constructing a hollow-core door. 30"x80. I've designed the track plan - Kato N scale. I'm getting ready to glue down the 2" blue foam board. Exciting, right? Yeah, except for - where do I go next? I plan to cut out some rivers, etc. Do I glue the track on top of the foam? Do I pin it? Do I put a very thin veneer of wood on this? Or do I just start building the mountains and rivers around the track? (Which I assume you pin)
Help.
Don't forget the most important resource available. That resource is: William K. Walther's, Inc.
They often have supplies of out-of-print reference books available.
Good tip. Thanks.
I'd love to incorporate a yard into my 4x6 or 4x8 layout. Just a line running parallel to the main lines, attached to a spur running diagonally up the middle of the oval. From that diagonal track will be several parallel branches running through the middle of the oval.
Very informative. Would love to see you explain the yard operations by actually demonstrating them in the yard with moving trains.
I will probably do something like that sometime like I did on the RIP track video. In this case, with the other info I shared, it just would have been too long. Thanks for your comment and for watching.
Ron,
What brand and size of turnouts did you use on the yard ladder. Love your informative videos!
Hi Ron, thank you , thank you!! I read the other post from modelers and the term "Perfect" was the proper description!! This has been one of the most insightful, informative and educational model railroad videos I have watched in a while. Your breakdown really explains the "Yard" and it's use and how you can get nothing out of the design if not done without thinking first before designing. Just about everything you mentioned in your video I have incorporated into my yard, with a few exceptions. There are a couple of changes I want to make, but my main thought was in line with "operations" and not just running trains around. If you have a few minutes, please go to my channel and look at the video where I explain what I have done in that yard and please share your thoughts. I always enjoy your video and get so much from them, please don't stop sharing. Again, than you so much!!
David Muse (Washington Terminal Co. Model Railroad)
I took a look at your videos on your yard. It looks pretty solid in design to me. I always find some things I want to change or adjust--like the added corssover I mentioned in my video that I need to add--but I think you've nailed it pretty well there. Looks really nice. 👍
You videos are great. I started many years ago under the guidance of my brother. The problem is he wanted me to use the cookie cutter method for raising the track. However he told me to use 1/4 inch plywood. Over the years I read articles that 1/2 inch plywood should be used. I just used more surports to hold the plywood. I also used the Truscale wood roadbed which is a self-gauging roadbed. It is great. There was no cork or foam around then. Some of my turnouts are the Truscale closed frog design. This is great as it eliminates the gap at the frog. I also do not model to a certain prototype. I mix Fleischmann with American rolling stock. I am a DC operator, DCC is nice but I do not wish to convert.
Ron...we can not wrap our heads around your yard ladder. It almost appears the switches sit on top of one another. Are each of these a #6 turn out? How did you get the yard track so close togeher?
What would you do with a double main coming in? I love your videos and your layout. I want to base my yard on yours, it's perfect. Thanks for any help you have offer.... Just think of your yard with an extra mainline.... Should I do an arrival departure track between them? Either way I'll have to cross one I would guess. Thanks again for any help.
Hello sir - this is great. I do have a question(s); I've went to N Scale and looking at your yard what types of turnouts are you using? I have PECO Large/Small turnouts and they don't seem to have the same "sharp" cut as your yard lead/ladder has. Is there a different type of turnout you're using? Thanks in advance...
I used Peco medium radius turnouts.
Hi, Rone,s . I have tow line tracks coming out from the engine house going to the main line. What I can use turnout track type to fit this connection ? Thank you
2018 and we still use caboose for shoving platforms and have a track to set them in.
for my needs currently i feel cervis lines are optinal moslty because where the yard be it be out of sight at least for the inishal yard thats the main storage hub of everything and point of that storage hub being out of sight is so theres more room for layout to actuly explore i had the idea of making such a area by using the basic concept of dr who but for trains and it would appear like as if the trains are comming out of a blue shed with walls on it sides when relly its comming from under neath it so then there for it can be as big or small as i need or like it to be and not eating up lay out space there may be some decoratinal yards dotted about but noting cruitical of great importances to me for now but im glad the vid is here for when i want to go a bit more serious on such a concept
Awesome video! What happened to the "LDSig Layout Design Primer--Yards" link?? I want to check it out along with the "smaller layout" part at the bottom. I do not have enough room to do a yard like this. I wished I did. You did a great job explaining and showing most of what you were saying. Thumbs up.
Can't count the times I've watched this!
Ron do you have a picture diagram of north yard? Also does your yard lead just end with a bumper?
Ron Love your videos and they have been wonderful for us NewBies. Question how the heck do you turn a train around in that yard
Thanks for the great videos. I am considering using curved turnouts for a ladder in my yard due to space constraints. Do you know if any concerns with using curved turnouts? Thank you.
It should work fine, just lay them out carefully.
Great video! What track and turnout manufacture are you using for your yard? It looks like the turnouts on the ladder are directly connected to each other without a small piece of track in between.
On this layout I used all Peco track and turnouts. The turnout are Peco's medium radius insulfrogs.
Thanks for the video. Just a note on Andy’s book - It is available at Barnes and Noble in Nook format for $10.99. Free readers for mobile devices. I lost my original in a basement flood back in 2010 along with the rest of my MR library 😕
Hey, thatks for that head's up. Many people will want to know that as the out of print used copies out there cost a small fortune.
Ron's Trains N Things You ain’t kidding! I just came from EBay and some crooks want $80 to $127 for a USED copy. After my heart calmed down, and before I saw the OP above, I also found B & N listing. I hope those guys on eBay choke on their copy...
@@samiam619 Amazon is the same way - starting at $79 and up to (as of right now) $217 (!!) for a copy.
Another option is to goto your local library. If they do not have it, alot of libraries will lend their copy to your library for you to check out and read. Every library has different time lengths that they will let you borrow a book for. The shortest period I had one was 10 days, the longest was 30 days.
Hey,
I’ve just subscribed to your channel 👍I’m new to model railway and I’m from the uk 🇬🇧I love the American locos and terrain but the space I have is limited also knowledge. So I plan to upload the track layout soon but if you any basic advice to get me started I appreciate any advice.
Cheers
One more information, Ron,
I have enough tracks, points, right & left, cross over in 2 different degree, numbers of cars, locos etc. as such, my stock will not be a problem.
Thanks,
Gopal Daga
Hi,
Can you share the layout track plan visible in this video, please?
Thanks in advance
Best regards
Ayala Botto
Lisbon, Portugal
Thanks for the tips. They are very useful. But the biggest feature of your videos is they cause the viewer to think. I always come away with new ideas after watching your program.
I'm in the process of reconstructing my yard. What is your track spacing and track system? Peco small radius??