So I am having a engine yard which I am working on. But at a loose end of what structures beyond the engine sheds and maintenance platforms to add. There is quite a lot of space still. I am wondering if maybe I should rework the track and add more sidings so I can put more carriages and freight trucks there. cheers, any help appreciated Would love any help
If you want to add more sidings it looks like you might be able to remove the small section between turnouts , move the one turnout down then add another to fit the space. The two engine houses would be together almost as one unit and you would gain two sidings.
Thanks. I have rejigged it. Closed the engine sheds, and added a few bits. So it gives me room for some sidings (I want static rolling stock so as many sidings as I can whilst also fitting in some structures) The steep curve is ok. The train parked there is an unpowered static one for display. But this revamp should give room for two more sidings at least I think. With room for buildings too
Nice track design! What are your plans for the area SE (on the photo) of the long diagonal run to the bottom engine track? Looks like you've got space for at least a couple of LH turnouts to stubs pointing toward the bottom of the photo.
Cheers, I am going to add a turnout and siding there to give me another spot for some carriages & trucks to go. But I do want something as a sort of buffer between the station yard and the town. So I will do either a small hill & forest or possibly some industrial site to go there as a seperation. I saw at the model shop there are some quite cool factory models and similar that I could put into that gap, possibly actually with a turnout leading into it for trains to be loaded. That may actually look good. And will give another place to keep some static freight trucks.
So structure wise for the yard--anything that is suggested? I was thinking some cranes would be good, and generic warehouses. But I am struggling to think of much more specific that would go well with a train yard. Here is updated layout--red areas are where I think I can fit various structures and that sort of thing in. Blue is where I am possibly going to add new turnouts and sidings. Yellow--undecided, either a factory of some sort with a siding or a hill and forest as a sort of buffer zone between the small town and the railway yard. I much prefer doing buildings and industrial type sites than country, so I am edging towards a factory or similar, but--I also think a hill and forest would break up the constant buildings in a nicer way, even though I would find it less fun to do. (The temple on the right hand by the way is still a work in progress. That is roughly how I am laying it out. But I plan to make it greener and nice that dull gray lol. I will have grass, cherry blossom trees etc)
I can't quite tell from the picture, but it looks like your fleet are all electric locos? And are you strictly doing passenger/commuter trains? The reason I ask, is that seems like a lot of engine facility for the trackage you have. If it was me (and it's not) I think I'd be inclined to make the siding closest to the engine houses into a car servicing building, and make the bottom siding into a car storage track, possibly even adding another siding next to it.
At the moment I have four commuter trains, one diesel (that has both freight wagons and carriages), one solitary electric and one solitary steam train. As well as one solitary static electric train (bought solely for scenery) and another solitary static preordered (again for display). Also preordered are two more diesels plus some freight wagons. So there will be more freight trains eventually. Do you mean the siding below the engine houses? Those two do have a servicing platform on it. They are hard to make out on the photo. It was intended that be the repair/maintainance area for engines (ignore the commuter train there for now, that will be moved--it's just there to keep it out of the way) A servicing building may look good though instead, with the maintainance platform moved elsewhere. I will have a look at Kato and other N scale to see what they have. Car storage, I have put at the top above the engine sheds-- two sidings so far, with a third marked in blue that I am going to add. cheers
Baryonx - I appreciate you using by suggestion on moving the turnouts, I think it worked well. I do have another for you. Rather than add a car storage track off the main line consider adding one as shown below. Besides getting it off the main you can have it a bit longer as well.
If you have diesels, I don't see any fueling facilities. There would also be some sort of facility for sand and water.......possibly a shed for oil and lube.
In a yard that small, with two engine houses, they probably could be in one or both of those houses. I'd like to see a run-around track somewhere... Water facilities depend on whether steam locomotives are intended for regular operations, or just excursions (implying facilities "elsewhere" off-layout.) If steam locomotives are intended for regular operation, you also need a turntable or wye to turn the steam locomotives around. This is why diesel consists usually include end locomotives pointing in opposite directions (so the consists can be driven "forward" in either direction, and all they need is a run-around track to switch ends of the train.) If you don't already have a copy of "Track Planning for Realistic Operation", I and many others highly recommend it! Of course you can always decide to "incorporate" some of it's recommendations "off-layout"!
If you are looking for more storage track space in your yard, I see two areas where you could add some. The top 2 tracks at upper left can probably be expanded to three with another 15 degree switch. The bottom two tracks at lower left can be pushed nearer the bottom engine house by removing the 45 degree straight between the bottom switch and the curve, and shortening the diagonal track to the bottom one. This would allow you to add one, if not two, additional tracks at lower left.
cheers, great suggestions. I want to add some buildings and these would work well It is really intended to just be a "heritage" steam train rather than regular operations. It is an old type that Taiwan used back in the 40s. I may consider adding one though as there are a couple of more heritage steam trains I may get. I do want some buildings and a water facility would look nice. Cheers, that would be good, I wiill have to see if I can squeeze one in. Thanks, I will have a fiddle with the track layout and see
