Adding a staging yard

[hawaiiho]

I need some suggestions.

I would like to add a 3 or 4 track staging yard off my mainline track.

I have considered coming off a main line  straight section,  at one end of the layout, using a # 5 or # 6 turnout.

The problem I have run into is limited space.  I only have about a 2 X 2 foot area, maybe slightly more to work with, for the actual yard area.

Has any one done this, and/or have any suggestions how to proceed in the most efficient(space requirements) and simplest way?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[RAM]

 hope you are in Z scale. 

[adari]

I agree with the last comment. You would have to be working in Z scale. Actually probably T Scale.

[jward]

in ho, you will need alot more room for any kind of yard. mine is 2x6 and i can only hold about 5 car trains. i wouldn't advise less space than that.

[hawaiiho]

in ho, you will need alot more room for any kind of yard. mine is 2x6 and i can only hold about 5 car trains. i wouldn't advise less space than that.

The room my layout is in is only 11 feet long and I already have a 6 X 5 table in it. I might be able to squeeze it  out another 3 feet, but 6 feet

is not going to be feesable. That why I was hoping someone could suggest a way of compressing it some what. My main concern is the width.

I can uncouple the locomotives from the cars and that should allow a workable yard, though not ideal.

[jward]

have you thought about an L shaped yard? there is no reason why a yard can't bend around a corner.

switches take up alot of room. for example, a pair of #4 switches will eat up about 16" or more of space, leaving you with a couple of 8" tracks. of that 8", you may have 3" if you're lucky that doesn't interfere with another track.

if 2 feet is all the space you have you won't be able to have a staging yard.

[hawaiiho]

have you thought about an L shaped yard? there is no reason why a yard can't bend around a corner.

switches take up alot of room. for example, a pair of #4 switches will eat up about 16" or more of space, leaving you with a couple of 8" tracks. of that 8", you may have 3" if you're lucky that doesn't interfere with another track.

if 2 feet is all the space you have you won't be able to have a staging yard.

Thanks, L-shaped is what I am going to look at. I think I can stretch my space out to about 3 feet. That combined with the L-shape might do the trick.

[jward]

don't feel bad. i had to do the same thing with my yard, it sits perpendicular to the main layout along one wall. sometimes you have to think outside the box.

[CNE Runner]

Have you considered using a sector plate instead of several turnouts? A sector plate can be made just about any length and is used almost as a partial turntable to 'route' rolling stock to several sidings from one entry point. Somewhere I read of a chap that constructed one for his staging yard (darned if I can find that reference now).

Another space-saving idea is the cassette. I made mine out of two (or more) Peco Loco Lifts. An alternative method of construction (as Loco Lifts are rather expensive in the U.S.) is to make your own. There are lots of articles related to model railroad cassettes on the Internet. You could also look through Carl Arendt's website (www.carendt.us) for ideas. If I find that reference, I will modify this post to reflect its source.

Regards,
Ray

[Jerrys HO]

To add to CNE, There is an article on building a sector plate in the Dec. issue of Model Railroader. Great article.

Jerry

[hawaiiho]

Thanks for all the ideas.

I am going to start exploring all of them and see which will give me the best results.

Will

[Doneldon]

Hi, HI!

How about having your yard lead be a descending track so you can put the staging yard under your layout? You could even have an up track and a down track with your staging yard between them. Your 5' width would allow you to have reasonably gentle curves in the yard. Or, the L-shaped layout is a ood idea, too.

                                                                                                                                                                                                        -- D