industrial switching

[13Mtrainer]

what is a good layout with industrial switching in HO scale? i have a 4' by 6' space for it and already have a layout running around that in a U shap. the whole layout is 8' by 8'. thanks for your help in advance.

 

[jetrock]

What era are you modeling, what sort of industries are elsewhere on the layout?

A simple answer is to create a variant on the "Timesaver" plan, essentially provide a passing track with a couple of spurs in all directions, creating a small industrial district served from a central feeder. Normally you don't need a return loop or anything, just an "island" off of your mainline is sufficient.

 

[13Mtrainer]

thanks for your inprot jetrock. i am modeling in the modern era. all i have right now on the layout is a yard with some engine tracks and an around walls type of layout.

 

[jetrock]

Hey, that's a start--sounds kind of like my setup in a way (I've got a yard and a couple engine tracks, with industrial tracks in between.)

Here's a shot of my industrial switching area:

As you can see, there is a runaround track in the middle, with three sidings (one loops off to the left, the other two parallel the mainline.) The curves are kind of sharp for the modern era (that curve at far left is 12" radius HO) but the area is smaller than yours (2x3 for the industrial area, plus 1x4 for the foreground yard.) An 18" curve wouldn't be out of line for modern industrial tracks though.

For your own, it helps to have an idea of what sort of industries you want to serve--smaller industries would work better if you want to have a few customers in a small space. Good easy-to-model customers would include things like junkyards, warehouses of various sorts, printing houses or newspapers, small fuel facilities (all you need is a hose and a small tank) or small lumber yards.

To simulate moving traffic, sometimes more than one switching area, with some running room in between them, might be needed.

 

[13Mtrainer]

WOW! thats some what of what i am looking for. but i wont copy your layout. but do you think you could put more pics of your layout up if you have anything else?

 

[gcodori]

check out the Aug-Dec 2000 issues of MR - they had a 4 part series of building an urban switching layout in HO. It was also in a L shape. Even if you dont copy the plan, it has great step by step instructions and excellent ideas!

Greg

 

[13Mtrainer]

ok thank you

 

[jetrock]

Here are two links with various layout photos:

http://www.noisepimp.com/gallery/Model-Railroad

http://emrl.com/~jetrock/fubar/

I have since added a third yard track and some structures:

This shot shows a little more of the yard behind the switching area: it measures 1'x6' and has four tracks.

 

[brakie]

My advice would be to avoid the time waster- ah er, saver or the switching puzzle type and go for a more prototypical design industrial switching layout..You see both the time waster and switching puzzle gets boring after a short time..The more you can design a prototypical industrial switching layout the better off you will be. Check the September issue of MR for a very nice looking switching layout.

 

[13Mtrainer]

wow thanks for those sites and i will look at the sept issue of MR

 

[jetrock]

The above track plan is based on a prototype design--actually, it is somewhat simplified from the original plan (found at the vicinity of C and 18th Street in Sacramento until 1971.) The "Timesaver" itself has some limitations, but it isn't hard to find prototype industrial areas which feature the same basic theme--a runaround with several spurs leading off of it, centered around a mainline.

It looks like my image in yesterday's post isn't working either...bummer.

 

[13Mtrainer]

kool -ua ok ya the image did not come up for some reason

 

[shortliner]

Industrial Switching in HO

This is a reply to a question asked a while back - which I've only just found!
13MTrainer was looking for an industrial switching layout in HO
This is one of my designs called Ness Street (HO) Peco code 100 track with boxes used to mock-up the buildings. Hope it helps - though it may be too late!
Shortliner(Jack) away up here in the Highlands

 

[jetrock]

Nice one! I like the "turn right to turn left" solution to turns on narrow streets.

 

[shortliner]

Jetrock
Take a look on Carl's MicroLayout site for the January 2005 monthly posting. Look at the P4 (Candy Mill) posting (I think it is about the fourth one down) That's what I'm currently building in 72" x 12", on 3 x 24" x12" stackable boards, that are easily transportable in a 24" X 12" x12" package.
Shortliner(Jack) away up here in the Highlands

 

[Russ Bellinis]

One more thing to think about when designing an industrial switching layout is to make the run around long enough to hold a train. If the run around is only long enough to hold a couple of freight cars, it will make switching the industries much more difficult. The U.P. mainline running behind the shop where I work is double tracked with a long passing siding making three tracks total. The industry tracks come off both sides of the main.

 

[2slim]

Shortliner,
Interesting layout, those crossings will give you a challenge :thumb: Bet you spent a fortune on those buildings, LOL I know some guys who started their switching areas by picking and building the structures and then arranging them how they look the best then run tracks to them. Seems to have worked. Guess there are all sorts of ways to go about it.

2slim

 

[shortliner]

It was great fun to switch - but slightly too long for the space I had available.
I tend to get taken by new ideas, and build new ones every few months, so they rarely get as far as actually having scenery.
Shortliner(Jack) away up here in the Highlands

 

[jetrock]

Planning around buildings is an important part of city modeling--it is especially important when completing city "scenery" like streets and sidewalks to know exactly how big the buildings will be.

The visible runaround in my track plan above is small, but the yard behind it has a four-foot runaround track. Once the whole layout is complete I will have a 6-7 foot passing track for scheduled meets, but considering most of my train lengths will be 5-8 cars (40-footers) at most, not really necessary to simplify switching.