Prototype Roundy-Round?

[timgill]

During a raod trip up the CA 99 last week, we stopped in Tulare at a roadside stand. Across the street at an industry I assume is a cement plant, an older, house-owned SD-something road switcher was shuffling some hoppers around alongside the UP mainline.

I thought this little segment might be a cool idea for a switching layout, so I Google maps-ed it.



However, much to my surprise, as I searched more around the industry, I discovered this strange-ness:



What in the world is that big roundy-round loop for? Ideas?

[Missaberoad]

Loading or unloading an entire train without breaking it apart?

I've seen a grain elevator somewhere with a similar arrangement...

[learmoia]

Most power plants have some sort of round round arrangment...


 AAR Pueblo Test track is a round round..

-Ian

[C855B]

My favorite... looks very similar to some fill-every-square-inch HO layouts I've seen:

http://binged.it/1DZKTsk

[central.vermont]

Up here in the North East we have a roundy round as you call it. Nemco also known as North East Milling Company has this loop track and about once a month on average they get a grain train with  100 BNSF covered hoppers. They unload it in two sections of fifty cars.

Jon

http://binged.it/16IFkUg

[timgill]

Aha! So I guess this might suggest this is a grain elevator, and not a cement plant.

Thanks for the help, this was something I haven't seen before...

[nkalanaga]

Most such loops I've seen are reverse loops, so you come out going back to the origin, rather than round.  In this case, a train comes in from the left, goes around the loop, and continues out the right side of the picture.  Seems a little odd if it's supposed to go back where it came from.

[eric220]

My favorite... looks very similar to some fill-every-square-inch HO layouts I've seen:

http://binged.it/1DZKTsk

Very nice.  Not entirely dissimilar from my proposed yard arrangement, curved hump lead and all.

[C855B]

What's even more fun about it is it is two roundy-rounds side-by-side, and more wyes than you can shake a stick at.

It's the Alton & Southern yard in Alorton, IL.

[Mark5]

Ahh, brings back memories 

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=25665.msg256705#msg256705

[C855B]

Ahh, brings back memories 

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=25665.msg256705#msg256705

Ah, you found it. I must've spent 10 minutes looking for that deja vu thread. Sometimes the search feature is your friend, other times, well...

[lajmdlr]

Here's another real roundy round for switching. It's just SW of the ATSF La Mirada Yard. Got to work it once as a BNSF conductor & we switched Nabisco but it's gone now. So is Hadley which was for unloading autos.  The 1st is a USGS topo map & the 2nd is the ATSF La Mirada Track Chart. If you can save them save them to something like Picasa you can enlarge them. You can also find it in Bing & Google aerials  This area was started by Santa Fe in the 1970s when they were still seeking manifest freight traffic. Even if you're a freelancer these images should give you some ideas for your layout.

[wm-webb]

Ahh, brings back memories 

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=25665.msg256705#msg256705

Off limits for me. 

[Spikre]

 
   how about a Passenger Loop ??
   the NY&LB at Bayhead Junction had a loop of about a mile around.
  at 1 time another line left Bayhead and headed south,but that was
  gone about 1970.
   was wondering if it was a True Loop so walked it one day,it really was,
  so guessed it was designed by model RRs.
  in the center of the loop was the remains of Steam era buildings,but was
 rather overgrown, so didn't go into the scrub to see what was left.
     Spikre
     

[sp1tc]

 

Off limits for me. 

Off limits for me, too!!

sp1tc (Michael)