Please review my yard for errors

At first glance, the icing track(s) should be reachable by a through fast freight for fast re-icing without blocking the mains.  The engine and caboose (crew) may or may not be changed.

Jan

Ron,  I think it is a fine plan.  The east bound road engine could spot the express cars.  John in Lansing, ILL

Wow that is terrific, how big is your layout.  I've got some room, but don't think I could build anything like that.

Bill

Thanks for the inputs.  We lost a post that brought up an issue with the icing station I've been struggling with.  There is a good discussion on on-line icing in The Model Railroader's Guide to Industries Along The Tracks.  Through track icing would be great and I was initially looking at one of the double ended class tracks for that.  However, there was not enough room for an ice house plus my operating ideas need all 4 class tracks.  Adding another track is not a realistic either since my reach now is almost 42".

In The Model Railroader's Guide To Freight Yards most of the icing track ideas were stub end tracks on the back side of the yard like I have it.  However, they had it set up to were the reefers could be taken directly from the lead to the icing tracks which would be where my express house is now.  Again, room is a factor and an ice house/platform could not fit there.  I tried switching the lead to the other side but it was too short.

So, if I want to do on-line icing it will have to be elsewhere.  I have a siding supporting the mine that could be used, or a second track laid next to it.  That is in phase two so I'll look at that later.

My operating thoughts on the icing platform is to support local industries with icing the car and setting it out on a cooling track.  Then it would be move to the industry needing it.  In reverse, the cars would go to the icing platform to get replenished before being picked up by a through freight.

Not perfect, but it will add extra moves.  I am open to other ideas.

ogaugenut posted:

Wow that is terrific, how big is your layout. 

Bill

The area the yard is in is 13' X 25'.  The area where the left double slip switch is the yard is actually stretched out and does a 90 degree turn, and the engine yards are actually across from the freight yard.  I wanted a yard with mostly realistic operating features so it comprises a large portion of the layout.  Downside: less room for scenery.

The ice house is not required to be with the icing platform.  It could be placed several tracks away and use ice bridges to send the ice to the platforms.  A major icing station would have a much larger ice house (read that as ice plant) that what you see with the kits.

Locate the icing platform and house on the run-around track.  The ice house can be a flat or relief.

Jan

It is a good plan.    There is nothing that I can see wrong.    There are things that operators have different opinions about, so I will add mine. 

I think the Express should be next to or close to the passenger station, perhaps stub ending at one end next to it.

Also I tend to avoid double slip switches.    these do not seem to be very common in US practice in freight yards.    You see a lot of them in large passenger stations.

If you are going to change locos and cabooses as I do, you might think of this more as a small division point yard.    And with that in mind, you might have a through train in each direction.     And then what I do is have a transfer run in each direction also that connect with other divisions.

I also avoid having industries right in the yard area.     My experience at operating on many layouts has taught me that the yard guys are always really busy and that they are always moving around in the vicinity of the yard.    Therefore if you add industrial switching and you expect the yard guys to do it, it sometimes does not get done.    And if add an operator to do the local work, he and the yard guy/s get in each others way.      My solution is to have my industries out along the mains preferably in a town with a a passing siding for run arounds and meets.     Then I run a local from the yard to that town to do the local work and return.    this also uses cabooses and engines.     I try to use smaller older engines for the locals.