Q: Suggest a wood or brick LONG engine house (8-9")

[peteski]

In the 80s and 90s (probably even earlier, but that is when I observed it) the turntable for the Boston Engine Terminal roundhouse (in Somerville, MA) was replaced by a whole bunch of turnouts. It looked like something designed by a madman!  This was a pretty large roundhouse (probably more than a dozen stalls).  So there is a prototype for turnouts replacing a turntable in 1:1 world (although it most likely happened little later than the 50s).

[nkalanaga]

A prototypical excuse for no turntable would be a nearby wye.  For a four or six stall roundhouse the turnouts would be cheaper to build and maintain than a turntable, and the wye would work just as well for turning engines.

[mmagliaro]

A prototypical excuse for no turntable would be a nearby wye.  For a four or six stall roundhouse the turnouts would be cheaper to build and maintain than a turntable, and the wye would work just as well for turning engines.

Outstanding!  This is a 4-stall in a yard with a wye!  Yes, I don't need a turntable to turn engines because I have a wye.  I suppose
the real railroad would reason it out the same way.   THANK YOU!

(Got any photos of such an arrangement in front of a roundhouse?  )

[Bremner]

Max, the Colorado and Southern in Leadville, CO got rid of their turntable after standard gaugeing....

http://www.trainweb.org/chris/photos/lead43.JPG
http://www.trainweb.org/rradventures/2008/2008-08-25_Leadville_Colorado_and_Southern-IMG_8300.htm

[wcfn100]

(Got any photos of such an arrangement in front of a roundhouse?  )

http://binged.it/MiMOzz


Jason

[Philip H]

http://binged.it/MiMOzz


Jason

That would be a fun handlaying challenge.

[Chris333]

That roundhouse doesn't look like it is used for locomotives anymore. I'd say it is a business now. Look at all of the blowers and dust collectors.

[randgust]

Similar 'no turntable' roundhouse at Samoa, CA on the Hammond Lumber Company property.  Timber Heritage Association leases it now, very typical roundhouse, just no turntable.  Ever.

My favorite though for this assumption is the "Malley House" in Deadwood, SD; 2-stall, still standing:
http://www.deadwoodbicycles.com/shop/building.html

http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/article_5ad1c6f2-78cf-11df-b254-001cc4c002e0.html

basically this was the solution for stuff too big to store in the enginehouse; Burlington 2-6-6-2's.

Seems to me that Santa Fe pulled a similar stunt with locations hosting the 2-10-10-2's.

[wcfn100]

That roundhouse doesn't look like it is used for locomotives anymore. I'd say it is a business now. Look at all of the blowers and dust collectors.

Yeah, Transco Railway Products. 



Jason

[nkalanaga]

I imagine wyes instead of turntables were quite common on smaller railroads, especially in flat country, and many logging roads didn't turn their engines at all.  Shays and other geared steam ran equally well either way.  On the other hand, most photographers seemed to prefer the larger roundhouses, probably because there were more engines there!