Design Me a Yard!

[Ian MacMillan]

Ok, soooooo I thought I would put this out to the masses to see what you guys could come up with as I suck at yard design. Track plans fine...yards nada.

Here is the space you have to work with....excuse the crude drawing I'm really not in the mood to go all out on being neat!


Space is 3'W x 18'L.

Requirements: None really, other than it can be a mix of stub ended tracks and through tracks.

Details: The yard is not a major classification yard, but does take in blocks for trains coming off of the White Mountain Line, Northern Line, and Amoskeag Line for their respective directions. I'd say about 10% or 6 trains a "day" come in and have some reblocking to be done. 4 locals originate/terminate out of the yard. Would like a small engine terminal (read fuel pad and a small 2-3 engine shop) with a 90' turntable.

So all you track nuts, what do you have?

[John]

Here you go ..

[John]

Here is one of mine

[John]

Here is the other ..not the best pic

[John]

and

http://www.gatewaynmra.org/library.htm

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ok Ian, the FIRST thing you need to do is sort out what work needs to be performed there, and then build it out to handle that.

More later, gotta do some housework.

[Philip H]

Ok Ian, the FIRST thing you need to do is sort out what work needs to be performed there, and then build it out to handle that.

More later, gotta do some housework.

Housework?  Packing already?

[JDouglasFisher]

Ok Ian, the FIRST thing you need to do is sort out what work needs to be performed there, and then build it out to handle that.

More later, gotta do some housework.

I have to agree with Ed on this one. Not all yards are created equally. Some are division point and sub-division point, some are for interchange purposes, and some (Lehigh Valley was known for this) were designed for industrial support.

what do you envision this yard doing? Sounds like a former interchange that was turned into a re-classification yard, but I want to hear what your thoughts are.

J.

[wm3798]

Yes, take Ed's advice, then eliminate half of the things he says are absolutely necessary, then make him run the yard anyway.  It's how I keep my vocabulary of obscenities fresh!  He's always got new ones for me!

Lee ;D

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ok Ian, the FIRST thing you need to do is sort out what work needs to be performed there, and then build it out to handle that.

More later, gotta do some housework.

Housework?  Packing already?

Nah. Laundry.

[Ian MacMillan]

Ok here it goes.

I already know what work will be done here...its just that I suck majorly at yard track plans. The yard is a sub division point yard. 90% of the trains coming to the yard are through trains that require nothing, maybe a crew change but thats it. The 10% of the trains that will be stopping here (say 6-7 35 car trains) will require reblocking because they are heading other directions (north/south), but may have westbound traffic and will require dropping of cars because its the direction change point for another train. Most of these cars that would require reblocking are finished automobiles, auto parts, coal, food products, paper making chemicals. TV trains would require re-crews only and would not be off loaded here. So of the 6-7 trains making drop offs/pick ups, I say that the yard would most likely originate 3-4 new road trains every 12hrs. This yard was never an interchange point and would always have been a re-classification yard pre-Conrail. The yard is kinda in the same situation as PanAm's East Deerfield Yard where North/South lines meet East/West lines;
http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=42.570679~-72.567734&style=h&lvl=16&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

The yard is also located in the city that has a lot of industrial trackage. Industries served by the 4 local trains contain the following commodities; General Merchandise, Auto Parts, Food Products, fly ash, steel products, finished chemicals, and plywood. For a list of all the rail served industries in the city and what they receive/ship you can see that here:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dhpnxc4b_60cpz6ssg8

The local trains are on average 10-15 cars, and originate at the yard, and depending on hours of service, return to the yard at the end of the day.

There is only one on demand industry that is served by the yard and that is Freudenberg-NOK which manufactures auto parts. While Freudenberg-NOK has their own layover yard, the Amoskeag Yard may also need to hold upwards of 30 89' autoparts boxcars for on demand supply.

[asciibaron]

do two yards.  6 tracks for arrive/depart/storage for the 90% load (visible staging?) and then in front, do the 10% load with a simple ladder, a long lead, and a run around.

something like this (which looks alot like a certain yard in Hagerstown):

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ok, so you've got:
4 locals departing (all in the same direction?)

Those cars that are getting dropped off by the run throughs. How are they blocked? Do they come out of Selkirk pre-blocked (ie, cut the first ten off, with the first 5 going north, the next 5 going south)? Or will they be coming in all jumbled up?

Personally, I'd bet Selkirk would do the pre-blocking for you.

[Ian MacMillan]

Visible staging is pretty much out except for the 4 or so that are created by the yard. the rest are all staged off the layout in hidden staging.

Locals: 3 are westbound, 1 eastbound.

Ed, you're right in that Selkirk would most likely have locals traffic preblocked. And it is also safe to bet that Boston/Manchester/Portland/St. Albans/Montreal would have them all preblocked as well since they would most likely be the only set outs on those trains. The yard jobs would basically be pulling the blocks off the trains and then resorting them in order for the locals so they do not have to resort on the road.

So lets say, Local 1 is on Food Products duty. It will be serving McCain French Fries, Shaws Supermarkets Warehouse, Cumberland Farms Warehouse, Sheetz Warehouse, United Container Corp, and VeryFine.  Potatoes and cardboard boxes would be coming off a Portland train, cooking oils, corn syrup, and Sheetz retail products on a Selkirk train and assorted retail products for Shaws and Cumberland Farms on a Boston train. So you have a Northbound, Eastbound and Westbound that need to drop their cars. 99% of the time those will be preblocked. Obviously not all are arriving at the same time. The yard crew would then make up AMG-1

Here is what I am thinking so far. Ideas?

[wazzou]

Ian -

That roughed out idea lacks an easy way for the power on arrival tracks and for those departing to get to and from servicing, or is that what the "on demand" yard is for?  I would definitely prefer to see an easier way to access the service/rip area and would incorporate serviced and waiting lokie holding area nearby.

I don't know how you guys on the other coast do it but thats just my 2 cents.