Yard Advice Please

[Rusty Spike]

I'm expanding into another room and hope to make it mostly yard and staging. It's HO, code 100, atlas built with #4 turn outs.

I'm looking for a fast and operationally sound transition from the yard drill track to up to 10 yard and staging tracks. I've fiddled with many designs and have most recently landed on this one.

I tried to avoid "S" curves and tried to achieve a 2.25" spacing (center to center) on the tracks.

Will this work or are there hidden problems?

The yard will continue around the room and reduce back to one track as it exits the room.

THANKS.

 

[Russ Bellinis]

Your secondary ladder tracks are so far from the primary ladders that it looks like you lose about 50% of the yard's capacity without saving any realestate.

 

[Rusty Spike]

What I failed to show is that the drill track is making it's way along the door jamb (30" long rock wall - old basement) and then into the corner of the room. This outside corner just about hits the middle of the first curve between the first two turnouts.

 

[Rusty Spike]

Also, this is a fraction of the total yard - it will fill much of the outside perimeter of a 12 by 12 room and have minimum radius curves of 26". I like to run long cars (car carriers, TOFC, etc.) and want to avoid derailments, thus the long stretches to avoid any "S" curves.

Still hoping someone can improve on the drawing or give insight on necessity of avoiding the "S" curves.

 

[Russ Bellinis]

If you are going to operate long freight cars, either 85' flats, or 89' boxes and reefers, then you need to use at least #6 turnouts, and preferably #8. You would seem to have plenty of space to use the longer turnouts. Then you could put one turnout right up against the previous turnout without having to worry about "S" curves. You would have small "S" curves, but it should not be a problem at slow yard speeds. With #4 turnouts, the radius will be so tight that I think the long cars will derail just trying to get through the tight radius. You seem to have plenty of space to stretch out the entrance to your yard tracks. I would also reccomend against Atlas code 100. I have found either Peco or Shinohara (Walthers now I think?) to be superior to Atlas. The problem with Atlas even in their "Custom Line" is that they use stamped sheet metal pionts. The rivets loosen fairly quickly over time, and then the points will layover causing derailments when a locomotive puts its weight on them. I fixed them on some turnouts in an old layout I built by cutting a piece of rail @ 1/2 inch shorter than the points, and then filling it to 1/2 thickness, and carefully gluing it to the back side of the switch points with the flange side of the rail tucked into the Atlas points and the flat side toward the closure rail. The fix worked, but it took a couple of hours to do each turnout. Finally, before you settle on 26 inch minimum radius, lay out a 26 inch radius turnback curve on a piece of plywood, and run your longest equipment through to make sure it will handle 26 inch radius. Generally, NMRA reccomends a minimum of 30 inch radius with 85' and longer cars.
The other step I would reccomend is to build a small yard ladder with your chosen turnouts on a plywood board and run your equipment through it to see how it works.

 

[Javern]

i dont think s curve in a yard is that much of an issue as lower speeds are used

 

[jon-monon]

This may provide insight:

10 Commandments of model yard design

 

[Tileguy]

I am curious about the compound ladder arrangement and why you chose it?Its not a very common design is why i ask.Something specific in mind?
It seems to me with the amount of space you have you might be better off considering a simpler arrangement with 2 seperate yards.one for eastbond and one for westbound traffic.Of course maybe its just that that looks like some scary trackwork to me

 

[brakie]

Rusty,Unless I missed something I think it would be advisable to add a engine escape cross over to one of the yard tracks unless this drawing does not include your inbound/outbound track.

I also agree with Javen..A "S" curve in a yard is no problem at slow switching speeds.

 

[b28_82]

Below i modified some yard switches that although might be otherwise insignificant could add 2 or 3 car lengths to your yard tracks. I thought that there was wasted space in starting the switches so far away from the ladder so in red notice that i moved them up closer to the ladder.