Shown in the drawing below is my track plan as it is currently constructed. I question the switching area in the YELLOW area. During switching operations in the YELLOW area, I think one or more run-arounds will be necessary. I've got areas on the layout where I can perform runarounds. These areas for runarounds are in BLUE. My question is, from an operations perspective, are my runaround areas too far away from the yellow switching area and inconvenient? Should I install a few turnouts in the RED area to perform runarounds? I've ridden along with a local railroad in my hometown and based on what I've seen, the runaround areas are not conveniently placed near the industries. I believe it is the job of the conductor to make sure the rolling stock is in order, utilizing the runarounds, before the train travels to the industries to perform the switching. I would have no problem operating the layout in this fashion because it is prototypical, however, seasoned operators may tell me it's really a pain in the butt? Thoughts from operators? Thank you, Jas
I agree with StickyMonk. You're not going to want your crews having to back a train around that 180 degree curve everytime you want to switch cars. That's asking for a derailment every time, unless your trackwork is very close to perfect. You might place one crossover a the lower left corner of the yellow box, and the second at the right end of the red box. That should keep the runaround area close to the switching, and still be long enough to get around the local. Pat
whoa, digging up an old thread here. Thanks for the advice. I took it and am much happier. I now have a nice run-around area near the heavy industry portion of the layout by adding 2 crossovers (4 turnouts). See new track plan:
One thing you might consider is changing the radius of your double track loops at each end. A 2" separation is not enough to provide clearance as you yourself note on the drawing. You really need the 2 1/4" minimum or you will restrict yourself to very short cars and locomotives. Even with 2 1/4" you may have problems with very long modern cars or passenger cars. David
I have enough clearance on both dogbone ends. I tested that before I permanently glued down the track. The Track Center Spacing notes on my drawing were just for reference as I was laying track.
