I hope you have people telling you that you are actually pretty cool from time to time. You spread not just knowledge but good vibes as well. Thanks for the video and the information, appreciate it a lot!
Great to see you back Roy, great prrsentation, There is always place to improvement on a layout, so dont give up, whaitng to see more, Easter party on the way
Idea for the crew change time out. Isolate the portion of main tracks in front of the yard office. Put a sensor and timer, train comes in power to the block dead, timer times out, power goes live and trains move on.
GREAT to see you back..Looks like a good plan... ironically I submitted a plan ( wish) ( suggestion) to Kato to create (re-engineer) the # 6 turnout. This would make the diverging create a double track spacing of 33mm( like the # 4 turnouts )
Excellent as im a UK modeller & just starting to get into the US scene this is an excellent & clear explanation. Ive watched quite a few videos & still been slightly confused but this is brilliant. I also love DJ trains, thank again i have subscribed..
Very nice Video Roy, you have fit so much into the space you have. Always a treat to see trains running with a purpose on your RR. Hope you are doing well, Best to you, Leonor and your Mom, stay safe.
Roy, another great and informative video. Thanks for taking the time to make and share your videos and research with the model railroad community. ….joe
Looks awesome and lots of great info, one thing I noticed is that those trains move very slowly, I remember when I was a kid mine trains could really move, I guess that they just don't make them as good as they use to. Still fun to watch !
Hi Roy, it’s great to see you again and great video. I always been fascinated with rail yards, I wish mine could’ve been a little more complete all the through instead of dead stop. Next layout I build it’s going to have a full yard 👍😀
Great to see a new video from you Roy! Unfortunately Kato Unitrack is limiting because of its geometry. Because of that I used Peco track and turnouts (Medium Radius) for my yard with a double slip switch allowing me to enter and exit from four directions. Regarding the automation - DCC-EX would allow you to do the required stop without you having to manually control it - maybe get in touch with Fred Decker from DCC-EX and see what he can come up with - I think you could do it with a DCC++ setup using an Arduino, motor shield and WiFi board, plus an EX-Rail script. Fred should probably be able to help you further. Look forward to your next Vid. Cheers from Melbourne, Australia.
Thanks for your comment, Greg. I really like Kato Unitrack, but I do wish Kato would offer a greater selection of turnouts. Thanks for your suggestion regarding automation. I must admit I'm baffled by Arduinos. I'm continuing to work on this matter of automatic stops for crew changes, which I imagine would work just like station stops. ...Roy
As usual a great and informative video, thanks. Personally I'm not really into operations and don't have a classification yard. I am into automation and continuous running, so I use detection and iTrain. This is a way you will be able to automate a stop for the crew change, but it isn't easy, or cheap!
Thanks Roy, I have watched this a couple of times, and my yard has the right stuff. I will use it for awhile before I out any ballast on it to make sure it is functional.
Craig, I think that's a really good idea: I mean, running your trains for a while on your layout before ballasting the track. That way, you can be more sure of your track configuration and placement, before "permanently installing" the track by ballasting it, after which I becomes more challenging to make changes in the track. ...Roy
I really hope you guys had a great Easter I was a great video that you did I'm very lucky to have 12 and a half feet for my yard with nine classification tracks with switches on both ends but I know your pain I used to have a layout that has small area for a yard and it's very hard to work with. I'm excited to see what you're going to do next. Somebody did ask me to do a short video on my yard a couple weeks ago and that's coincidental that you're doing one now on yours. Anyhow keep up the great work and we'll be waiting for the next video. Gary
Hi Roy. You have a beautiful layout. I live in Southwest Pennsylvania North of where I live is Connellsville Pennsylvania. Connellsville was a big B&O facility. Now It’s CSX territory There are 2 yard lead tracks that come into the yard adjacent to the main line. Yes yard lead tracks are very important and it’s not good to foul them Have a great day!! By the way - DJ’s Trains is an awesome channel. He lives and works here in Western Pennsylvania for CSX.
Hey there Roy! Lovely video, thanks for taking the time to create it - I've hit that sub button! Now, I'm an English railway modeller, but have always had an appreciative for the way you folks do the railroad thing - so this last two weeks I've taken a dive and purchased some US outline locos and stock in HO and am joining the action with a planned build of a fictional desert-themed switching layout - we have even less space than you do over here 😂 Thanks again!
Very interesting video,I happen to be working on my class yard now.I want to have my class tracks double ended but I don't believe I have enough room.Wondering how prototypical this is? Looking forward to part 2!!
Thanks for your comment, Mike. Double-ended classification tracks are definitely better and more prototypical. But turnouts at both ends does take a lot of layout space, and naturally that's why most model railroaders settle for stub-ended classification tracks. ...Roy
Great video Roy! There is an old book by Model Railroader that is no longer in production that is a great guide to freight yards. I will send you a private message with a link to that book. If you have an open ended yard and not stub ended, each classification track could also become a departure track as well. Also for selective compression, using 3 way turnouts and single/double-slips can help lengthen or add more tracks. As for the crew change, might contact Iowa Scale Engineering and ask about their Motorman. You could add #6 turnouts on the yard tracks and make a compound ladder to add tracks between your current tracks. Just a few suggestions. Have a great one! - Jason
Thanks for your comment, Jason. It's always good to hear from you, and as always, I appreciate your suggestions. I will continue to look for that book, and - who knows? - I may eventually find it. I am continuing to think about changes that might improve the classification tracks in a way that would reduce the spacing between the tracks and allow me to add one or more additional classification tracks. Thanks for suggesting Scale Engineering, I will check it out, because those stops for crew changes absolutely must be automated. ...Roy
I was in the Engineering Dept of CSX and every yardmaster was always wanting another crossover , more tracks, longer tracks, but when the the cost estimate arrived, they had to contended with the had. Same with model RR. Fueling thru trains , get a fuel servicing truck and access road along main tracks. Consider installing a second turnout on each class track to fill the wide gap between existing class tracks, this will shorten both tracks but give additional sorting tracks a nd justify the cost!
Thanks for your comment, Pete. I appreciate it. In response, let me mention that I'm considering replacing the No. 6 turnouts on the yard ladder with No. 4 turnouts. After all, that wide space between the tracks is caused by the geometry of Kato No.6 turnouts. No. 4 turnouts don't seem to work as well, but at least the space between the tracks would be reduced, and I anticipate that I would be able to add more classification tracks. I hate to rip out anything that's already "permanently" installed, but it may be worth it in this case. ...Roy
Looks great, Roy. I want to attempt a 1970's era yard scene of Barstow, but with limited space, I will only be able to do my best to roughly represent it. Even if I freelance the yard/town, I'll try to catch the flavor of a Santa Fe yard operation.
Thanks for your comment, Michael. I think that's just about the best that we can usually do: that is, capture the essence - or represent the prototype - in the limited space that most of us have for our layouts. ...Roy
Excellent video Roy! Great explanation of the tracks in a yard. I have one question. When your switcher brings a car into the yard lead to build the train, how does it get out without a run around track? I may have missed something. Oh wait.. does it drive into the yard lead and then back up to pick up more cars? That makes sense. Did I answer my own question? Thanks Roy! Lol.
Nice video. Question. At 23.20 you have your uncoupling stick laying between two switches. What about a double slip on both sides of that stick and a piece of track running between the two. That would give you an engine runaround for a lone car going to the shop.
Thanks, my friend. I'm still looking at ways to do a run-around track. Of course, I use Kato Unitrack, and Kato doesn't make any double slip switches, but I'm working on that problem. ...Roy
Enjoyed this fun and informative video. I'm late to the party but I'm wondering if you eventually changed your #6 turnouts to #4 turnouts and if so, how did it turn out?
save the existing yard ladder, on each yard ladder turnout beyond the frog ,on the short curve to the yard track ,install. New turnout either a #6 or #4 turnout to connect to a new track between the existing tracks .
Roy, thank you for all this important information. It sure helped me understand yards and their functions. BTW, what do you use for the lines on your highways?
Thanks, Gene. It's always fun to share the world's most amazing hobby. For highway lines, I use the Highways and Byways product. It's so much better than any other way of doing the lines that I know of. ...Roy
Hi. Enjoyed your analysis of your yard. Is it possible to customise the standard switches to shorten the amount of straight track between your turn outs. The photo of the prototype looks to have the next switch starting almost at the frog of the previous switch. Cheers Peter.
Hi Robert! It really has been a long time. I've just been lazy. But there's good news: I'm going to publish a video on Saturday, Sep 30, called "New Scenery at Echo Canyon." I hope you get to see it. ...Roy
hello! I don't do model railroads but do play Cities Skylines, and I've come to realize how much in common they both have. Could I send you an image of how I'm designing my rail infrastructure for a critique? I want to make it as real as possible, and still make it all functional. I'd love to hear more!
I’m really enjoying your video Roy! Don’t be offended, but I have to ask you a question. I’m 61 years old, and I have N scale trains since I was about 8 years old. I have a nice layout, but over the past couple of years, have been having a challenging time with the size of N scale. My eyes, and fingers don,t work like they used to. Do you find you have this problem at all? It’s making me think that I should sell off all my trains, and moving up to HO or O and starting over 😞
I hear you, Nick. For most of us, it does get harder to model in N scale as we get older, perhaps especially because of eye-sight and shaky hands. To be sure, each scale has advantages and disadvantages. But at 76, I'm continuing to stick with N scale, which I really like and which allows me to pack a lot more railroad in my limited space than HO or larger scales would. ...Roy
I'm a bit confused when you say that you didn't have space for separate arrival and departure tracks. Look at the photo at 4:25, and you see that the gap between two trains is about the width of a train. But at 6:25, the gaps between your tracks appear to be about twice that. It looks like you have space for separate arrival and departure tracks and at least one more classification track, without having to crowd things.
Thanks for your comment, my friend. Yes, there is an excess of space between my yard tracks. That's because of the geometry of the Kato No. 6 turnouts that I have used in my yard ladder. I am thinking about replacing the No. 6 turnouts with No. 4 turnouts, which would reduce the space between the tracks and allow me to add more tracks to the yard. ...Roy
The spacing of the yard tracks was caused my use of Unitrack No. 6 turnouts rather than No. 4 turnouts in the yard. It's caused by the geometry of No. 6 turnouts. ...Roy
