Coach Yard

[eric220]

Well, I was hoping that I might spark some ideas from a blank slate, but I guess I should post my ideas.  Here's what I came up with.  There's just enough room after the turnouts from the mainline to drop the mainline below the yard in a covered trench.  That means that I can bring the coach yard to the front of the layout, a la:



With the city removed:


And high-res:


The U-shaped structure at the front edge of the layout is the commissary, which lines up with the entrance above at street level.  The building at the back straddling two sidings is the REA transfer building.  The long building next to the REA building is the car shop, which from a functional perspective doubles as shelter for passenger locomotives.

The four stub tracks next to the commissary are the storage/servicing tracks.  Most of the service facilities are implied as existing under River City.  The three double-ended tracks are the A/D tracks.  The small three track yard next to the throat is the commuter yard.  I probably won't build that until/unless Con-Cor releases the P54 mP54 in N scale.

[conrail98]

I still don't get all the crossovers at the throat. You are adding unnecessary switches. You've got essentially two tracks coming in to what looks like 6 tracks, two on each side of the "throat tracks". You only need to provide access from those two throat tracks which you do with the first two switches. Everything to the left of the second crossover from the right is extraneous,

Phil

[eric220]

I still don't get all the crossovers at the throat. You are adding unnecessary switches. You've got essentially two tracks coming in to what looks like 6 tracks, two on each side of the "throat tracks". You only need to provide access from those two throat tracks which you do with the first two switches. Everything to the left of the second crossover from the right is extraneous.

The reason for all of the extra switches is to allow simultaneous movement from any two platform tracks.  If I remove a pair of ladders, simultaneous movement of two trains is possible, but only if one train is moving on tracks 1-3 and the other is on tracks 4-6.  I actually tried that and posted the results in the original post of this thread.  I agree with the first couple of responses that the result doesn't look much like a terminal throat.

I guess the short answer is, "Because it looks cool."

[DKS]

I guess the short answer is, "Because it looks cool."

It does look cool. Not sure if I'd want to build something like this, though, if it's just window dressing...
 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9233656@N03/2691954653/

http://home.comcast.net/~big_boy_4005/jerseycity.JPG

[conrail98]

The reason for all of the extra switches is to allow simultaneous movement from any two platform tracks.  If I remove a pair of ladders, simultaneous movement of two trains is possible, but only if one train is moving on tracks 1-3 and the other is on tracks 4-6.  I actually tried that and posted the results in the original post of this thread.  I agree with the first couple of responses that the result doesn't look much like a terminal throat.

I guess the short answer is, "Because it looks cool."

Ok, now I understand. You want a train to be able to go out on track 1 but also allow a train to come in track 2. I'll be honest, I operate on a layout that's a representation of Jersey City, NJ, that has a very similar throat to the one you are proposing. You're lucky if you average every other train gets through there with no issues. And that's HO. With diesels. Mr. 0-5-0 is on stand-by with any steam coming in. I get what you are trying to do, I just think you need to really think long and hard about the operational reliability of the ladder, are you really going to be running that many passenger trains to need the extra complexity. Just some food for thought,

Phil

[eric220]

You raise a good point. It's a tradeoff between aesthetics/operation and reliability/cost. Maybe I'll go back and tweak it again.

More tweaking, and down to 2 double slips.

[eric220]

Did a little more rearranging with the shops, REA building, and MU yard (which is the lower two tracks by the REA building).

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Have you found those articles yet?

[eric220]

Have you found those articles yet?

No.  I went looking in the web and on MR's site, but with no luck.  If I have the 1997 MRP, it's in storage in another state.