I'm looking at my main engine faclity plan again and looking at doing some rearrangement. The problem I have is making a Lifelike coaling tower (I think it's a New York Central design) fit where I want it. My question is, did the prototype ever place the discharge chute and the supply pit on the same side of the tower? Since it's a shortline with only a few locomotives (running a couple of freights and one passenger train), so the conflict wouldn't be too great, but is it at all protoypical? Anyone familiar with this? My alternative is a less interesting location behind the roundhouse.
Do you mean this one? It was on a layout of mine between 2006 and 2012. I intend to use it again shortly, by end-January. I didn't bother with the details of how this tower was replenished, so it never became 'an issue' when it came to explaining the set-up or in photos that I published. Maybe people were just being kind....
Yep, that's the one. So far, I have come up with the two possible arrangements for my engine facility space shown below. The principal viewing angle for this scene is from the lower left in both photos. The left hand photo shows the present plan which appears very workable to me. The service track is a straight shot across the turntable. The only thing I have not put in place is a sanding facility, but I'm sure I can find a spot for some type of sand facility. The coaling tower is supplied from a supply track running behind it. The only drawback is that the service track is at the rear of the scence and the coaling tower is partially obscured by the roundhouse. The right hand illustration shows the other possible arrangement, which is more interesting from a viewing standpoint, but has some operational problems. there is no way to supply the coaling tower other than placing the pit on the same side as the chute. There is an office wing on the roundhouse that I didn't draw in which would prevent the coaling tower or supply track from being placed any closer to the roundhouse. I'm considering keeping the left hand arrangement in spite of its less desirable viewing location. So what do you guys think?
Short answer is no, with that big of a tower they would have put the pit on the other side. Having said that, I'm sure if you search long enough you might find the an exception. There is always one exception to the rule. But it would be a very rare exception if it even exists. Normally the coaling tower is on the approach to the turntable not on a spur off the turn table. Once again, you can probably find a railroad that did that someplace, but its not common, I never seen a picture of that type of arrangement. Only mentioning this since you asked about what the prototype would do.
Thanks for the reply. That makes sense, and I would definitely place it on the turntable lead, but space doesn't allow that. I'm going to guess I may be going with the location behind the roundhouse, but not sure now. An alternative might be a more rustic engine facility like the one in E.L. Moore's old article from the 60s. The new small coaling tower from Walthers might also be a possibility, but I like the one I've got. In view of this information, I am going to look at the area again before I decide on anything.
OK, did a little more tinkering with the drawing and came up with this: I managed to put all the servicing facilities on the roundhouse lead and also provide 3 "whiskers" off the turntable. The ashpit will use a hoist from an old article by the late Irv Schultz and will be located at lower right.
