need help asap on yard design

Not sure about "contrals", but "contrails" are the white cloud-like streams of condensing water Vapour left by jet-powered aircraft, usually only visable above 27 000 feet, but occasioanlly lower, down to, on some occasions, 15 000 feet.

Sorry, totally irrelivent.
Later
AR
 

SteamerFan

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he's meaning either 1 of 3 things (of course i could be totally wrong, but i'm guessing), either the arrival/depature tracks, the mainline track or the lead track.
 

MasonJar

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Controls, maybe?

If you are using traditional DC power packs, it is a good idea to locate one near the yard. It is difficult to do switching remotely, even with remote turnouts and uncoupling magnets. If you have DCC/walkaround throttles, then you just need a point to plug in at the yard.

Hope that helps.

Andrew
 

jetrock

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The yard certainly doesn't have to be near your controller, although it helps because often you'll need to be up close to your yard when working on it. If you don't have a walkaround controller, then near the yard is a logical place for it. If you do, then you can walk over to the yard with it when doing yard work.
 

Russ Bellinis

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If you are using dc power, I would suggest a dedicated controller at the yard for the yard tracks. If it powers the yard lead through a double pole double throw switch with the other side of the switch going to a mainline throttle, then you can make up a train in the yard, put the mainline power on on the lead, and then switch over to the mainline throttle to move the train. Make sure you always keep the controllers isolated from one another if you are using more than one controller. If both should power up the same piece of track at the same time, you could easily destroy one or both controllers.
 

sams

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i recommend to have your controls at the yard, where you can see the action the best,
and you can correct any problems much easier.
if you have more than one yard, of course, then try to keep the control at the major yard.

if all else fails, then russ's suggestion.
have a separate transformer at the yard.

another option...keeping with dc.
have a walk around throttle.
mrc control master 20 allows this.
you can unplug the throttle, move on, and plug it back in at another point.
 

2-8-2

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Having the yard front-and-center was a high priority when designing my layout(s). I can't imagine anyone would want to have to look over a bunch of scenery to do operations in their yard...I know I wouldn't.
 

Tileguy

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I reccomend getting a Digitrax ststem and a DT 400 wireless throttle.
Of course i just love spending other peoples money but you wouldnt regret it :)

And now with the advent of Sound equipped N scale locomotives added to thier HO counterparts, taking the hobby a step further only make sense ;)
 
Not sure about "contrals", but "contrails" are the white cloud-like
streams of condensing water Vapour left by jet-powered aircraft, usually
only visable above 27 000 feet, but occasioanlly lower, down to, on some
occasions, 15 000 feet.

Just wanted to interject another irrelevant factoid here: "contrail", of course,
is a coined shorthand for "condensation trail", usually associated with aircraft.
I have seen a photograph of a B-29 leaving contrails from its wingtips, and
off the tips of all four propellers, like corkscrews, behind the airplane. So, it
doesn't have to be a jet. :)

It's also not required to be at high altitude. The coolest contrail I've
ever seen was at the racetrack in Knoxville, Iowa. If the humidity and temperature are right, when those winged outlaw sprint cars on that
3/4 mile dirt track set up for the turn at 140mph, a streamer about
three feet long comes off the trailing edge of the wing. I was real
impressed :thumb: :thumb: :cool: :cool: Don't know when I'll get
a chance to go back there :( Just have to wach NASCAR. :D
 
Cid,
Very true, however, most comercial airlines run jet aircraft now (on longhaul flights, anyway), and they're the ones that leave the massive, several-hundred-mile-long contrails across the sky. I've also seen smaller prop aircraft leave contrails shortly after take-off. A C130 took off outta shearwater a year or so ago, and left contrails (mixed with black oil smoke) from the second the gear left the runway.

Also seen Hornets, SuperHornet (rhinos), tomcats and other military aircraft leave contrails off most of the body of the plain during the 12-G square loops, 9-G turns, and 2.5-mile-high launches. Very interesting to see.

Anyhow, back to your regual thread already in progress...
Later
AR

cidchase said:
Just wanted to interject another irrelevant factoid here: "contrail", of course,
is a coined shorthand for "condensation trail", usually associated with aircraft.
I have seen a photograph of a B-29 leaving contrails from its wingtips, and
off the tips of all four propellers, like corkscrews, behind the airplane. So, it
doesn't have to be a jet. :)

It's also not required to be at high altitude. The coolest contrail I've
ever seen was at the racetrack in Knoxville, Iowa. If the humidity and temperature are right, when those winged outlaw sprint cars on that
3/4 mile dirt track set up for the turn at 140mph, a streamer about
three feet long comes off the trailing edge of the wing. I was real
impressed :thumb: :thumb: :cool: :cool: Don't know when I'll get
a chance to go back there :( Just have to wach NASCAR. :D
 

KCS

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I agree with 2-8-2. When working a yard I prefer to be right there by it rather than from a distance especially if I'm switching 2-3 trains at once. I have mostly Proto 2000 car's with added with extreme detailing so if a grab iron get broke off the car gets a "bad order card" and sent strait to the shop. Some are built some are RTR but still I can't afford to have any accidents for as much money and work I put into each car. When we go to a show I normally run 3 yard's at one time. 2 fiddle yards and one main the 2 fiddle yard's are on the inside of the layout. (modular) One module has 2 main lines with cross over tracks from the outside to the inside track and vise versa and the inside track on both end's of the module has a set of switch's going into a diamond and threw the back board where the fiddle yard's are. Each fiddle has 4 tracks and dead ends. That was useless random info.