Ok...I'm working on Lucky Penny Yard. Here is a pic showing the 'flavor' of my yard idea.... I am useing darker ballast as seen here... and here... http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?143989-T-H-E-R-R-Reborn!/page55 *** Newer pics will be added as the Yard progresses *** I do have a question though. What are the uprights in the middle of the rails ? Outlined in yellow in the first pic. *Yea...yea...I know...Unitrack does not have enough ties and everything else about it is wrong...according to some people. Yadda...yadda...yadda...LOL
Wonder if it's an air connection, like the GBW used in Green Bay?? So that several short sections of a train, longer than yard tracks could be aired without blocking several grade crossings at once, for any length of time. I'd like to see closer view though!
Keith.... You can click on the top bar in the pic and get a larger view. I have the original pic this was cropped from...but when I crop and enlarge that section out of the original...it starts going out of focus bad. :uhoh:
Tried the enlargement process also. Same results! May agree with Blue Flag bases. Although, wouldn't the flags be dropped between the rails instead? I know UP at North Yard in Denver has 'em like that. Pick it up and stand upright, then kick a hinge point and drop back down. Granted, every location is different! Just another thought.
I'm guessing blue flag holders. The air hose connections I've always seen are on the outside of the tracks and there's always an air hose attached to it so it can reach the cars.
I say clearance markers. Blue flags usually clamp over the railhead and hang toward the center of the track. On a lot of railroads the web of the rail is actually painted white or yellow to mark the clearance point of the track but there are other methods, Randy
I have seen air hose straps used as markers for ground air hoses for when there is snow on the ground, maybe they are being used as clearance point markers.
On my previous layout, I had a spur that cars liked to roll out of. I had a thin wire that came up from between the rails. It went under the layout and one end attached to the fascia with a screw. I could reach under the layout and grab the wire to push it up to engage the car stop, or pull it down a fraction of an inch to withdraw it. The screw on the fascia also reminded me where the car stop was, because it was somewhat inconspicuous when withdrawn. Simple but effective. IF this were a MODEL picture, I'd say those uprights marked with the yellow rectangle were car stops. Don't think anything that proportion would stop a real car though, so it couldn't be that...
I have had the photo on the PC for some time. Useing it as reference material. I went on Bing just now and was able to search it. Here is the original photo if any cares to have a look... http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/290/4/0/train_yard_by_joe_lynn_design-d4d4cgx.jpg Not ever track has that 'thingy' bewteen the rails. Which of course makes it more 'curiouser and curiouser'....hmmmmm
Oh, you'd be surprised. I worked in a RR radio shop many years ago. We had a box full of walkie-talkies that switchmen had used as wheel chocks. :uhoh:
Now when I 'zoom in' a few times....the 5 tracks furthest left in that ladder look to have em...but they look to be orange or a faded red. Also...there are a few tracks in the middle with no cars at the far end. I can see the same items between the rails way up there too. The plot thickens. * Not that I am gonna model whatever they are....just inquisitive...thnxs
They are used to prevent passenger cars from tipping over in the middle of the yard. You should get some !!! Seriously, I have seen scads of photos with those "things". I've seen them on spurs and industrial tracks, too. Never really thought much about them. Now, I GOTTA' know what they are !!! I'm absolutely positive someone here will know. I'm guessing it's for clearance, or it means "don't put anything else here".
They are to show the clearance point. A man riding on the side of a car can be killed if cars are left in the foul of adjacent tracks. ALL railroad yards have something to show when a car is in the clear. Sometimes a paint mark on the rail , a painted tie or something. Randy
Yep, looks like clearance point markers to me. The rule is the "cone" must be 50' back from the actual clearance point. FRA rules say that even the knuckle must be clear of the cone, otherwise it's a $10,000 fine. Which has to be paid before you can go back to work. Union Pacific is so generous, that they will pay the fine and then take payroll deductions until it's paid off. AFTER, you serve your suspension time of 30-90 days of course. They're so kind... In addition, in the UP yards, where the carmen are frequently working, have blue flags about 10' back from the cone. In case you want to add that detail. I'll see if I can get a picture in the coming week and post it here.
I am experimenting with Atlas True Track for the yard with Kato Unitrack for the ladder turnout and mainline. This provides a lower profile yard track than mainline. I have several Kato Unitrack "switches" and know they work very well; I feel obliged to use them for economic reasons.
Well...catching up here...they definately look to be clearance point markers. I did some googling and found some info on clearance point markers and at leats one company that sells them. I even went back through my 'yard photos' folder and danged if they all didnt have those clearance point markers...which I never noticed before. Now they stick out like a sore humb in every yard pic I see...lol. I appreciate all the replies and the most logical explaination ^5.
