Switching Preferences

[basementcalling]

True, but it is not that difficult to figure it out.
https://www.bobstrackplans.com/single-post/2009/11/28/norfolk-portsmouth-belt-line

Thanks for the clean up,  Peteski

[mu26aeh]

There's a BIDS terminal within Lincoln Yard as well, you could incorporate it into your yard ops

https://maps.app.goo.gl/xoAuQXCecXRRtTDy9

[basementcalling]

What about a simple BIDS / Transload terminal? Lots of potential there.

The challenge is... cars.

Here are two good local examples:
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.2641568,-76.5902363,295a,35y,39.44t/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.2760061,-76.5581633,173a,35y,270h,39.5t/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu

They're usually a mix of hoppers and tank cars. The exact mix depends on the area (for example, there's not much use for bulk feed or fertilizer in Charm City, but Strasburg had to build an entirely new yard to handle that business). You can mix in some building supplies in boxcars too.

Sure, it's a big paved expanse, but there are plenty of detailing options to make it interesting, and the complexity of switching it is up to you, from "pull everything and swap it" to "replace the third car on the second track and remove the second car on the third car and put everything else back where it was by 9am".

I like em. Seem them both before. Didn't know the term BIDS. They are basically a collection of team tracks. Winchester has a nice new one too that is sized to model.

[Rossford Yard]

On my IHB circa 2000 layout, generally depicting Michigan Ave and north, I started the original section with a variation of Bill Denton's layout, which really looks like an older warehouse district and a lot of "onesies twosies" type switching, even if I modernized the industries to get a mix other than box cars.  It does have a BIDS terminal (3 track, 12 car), Cold Storage, Steel fabricator (Cialis Steel Pipes.....), Lumber dealer, Sugar dealer, etc.

On the two newer sections, I wanted a more modern look, i.e., fewer, but larger industries, and have (on the prototype, but out of order) an oil refinery, steel mill, automobile frame maker, cement plant, paper plant, grain facility, port track and a few spurs as yet undeclared.  You could say I like large industries with multiple spots, which I have found to be equally or more interesting (and as recommended by Lance Mindheim.)

On the old Atlas forums, I tried to get together a list of every theoretical type of switching situation.  From memory:

Long track with multiple industries
Long Branch with one industry at the far end (with or without runaround)
Switchback
Running or Flying switch (hard to do in N)
Saw by (more associated with mainline running)
Logistics warehouse (several spots, each different car types, maybe schedules where you would have to off spot)
Other off spot and temporary holding tracks
In Transit Storage (pull cars as needed)
Must load box car from one side (handbrake must be on outer side of track as it is too narrow to ride on near the building)
Switch lead with busy road that can't be blocked more than a few minutes

On an old layout, I did arrange a power plant to be run through loads in - empties out, by having the empties come from a hidden track, while the inbounds went on to the staging yard.  I had the locos and first dozen cars be the same numbers to be convincing.  It did appear as the train went in loaded and came back out emtpy.

Anyway, if anyone has any to add to my typical scenarios that I haven't remembered, I would like to hear them.  As I recall, that topic went over like a lead balloon so many years ago.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Because it had been rattling around in my brain for a while I drew up a "basic transflow terminal" as a TTRAK module.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Now, scenically, that would likely not work perfectly, but as far as "maximize switching fun in a small package", you could have a lot of fun with a portable layout that fits on a dining room table and can be taken out to show off.

[ednadolski]

Personally I don't go much for complex/involved switching ops.  Simple works best for me.

What I do like is trying to emulate how the prototype looks/sounds -- slow startups, (subwoofer) sound, longer turnouts, and of course running with the Protothrottle

The new N-Possible couplers should really add to the experience -- no slinky, and very low coupling force to make a hook.

Ed

[wm3798]

Here's my local, the Berkeley Springs branch of the CSX Cumberland Division at Hancock, WV.  It starts with a compact interchange yard:








The branch then crosses River Road, and snakes along the Warm Springs Run, right away crossing two wood trestles as it starts the climb up to the quarry and processing plant of US Silica.







The line used to extend past the silica plant and on into town at Berkeley Springs.  This view shows the location of the old B&O Depot, as well as some large industrial buildings that were likely served by rail back in the day.  There was a small yard near the depot.  Passenger service was discontinued in the 1930s.  I'm not sure when the track was removed, but there was a pulpwood yard active across from the depot as late as 1984 (about the time the last segment of the Western Maryland into Hancock on the other side of the river, which served the same purpose, was finally abandoned)  Industries in town included produce packing, a linen mill, an ice house, a feed mill, among others.  (much more detail, including a history of the building is here:  https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/b15ecd08-752e-4172-afbd-d547c680e55a



It has a lot going for it.  A simple interchange yard along a busy main line, a right of way that snakes its way up through a lot of negative space... in this case a relatively undeveloped stream bed, a major shipper that has endured for much of the life of the branch, and a number of minor ones that span the early years of the branch.  Also enticing is the small town at the end of the line with the busy yard and industry base.

Makes a guy think, don't it?
Lee

[Scottl]

This is a very informative thread!  Dare I say worthy of "Best of" status.

[randgust]

I'm modeling ATSF in the 70's, and that's an interesting period because there were still carload freight opportunities.

It's not only era specific, it's prototype specific and location specific, if you are making it that far in your planning.   Find an area that has some history and potential, I'm lucky, I did.

N scale has the advantage that we really can do the big, multi-car industries, and do them justice.   The HO guys are often stuck in the transition era with one car per industry per track.   That's really dead by about 1970.

I picked my area as Flagstaff, about that time, had a wide variety of stuff for a local to do.

Winona - the ballast plant, multi-car cuts of outbound Basalt for ballast and decorative stone.   You know that red iron-ore looking stuff?  That stuff, still sold for ornamental use.

Flagstaff.   Still had an operating freight house in '72, with boxcars.   Wow.  Last stand of that stuff.
Circus piggyback ramp, still working that way, a few cars every day.  Multi-car.
Southwest Lumber Industries, outbound dimensional lumber (Ponderosa Pine) in ATSF boxcars, flats.  Multi-car big shipper.
American Oil - the  regional fuel oil distributor, fairly large, inbound tanks of fuel and petroleum.   Long and weedy siding.  Multi-car cuts
Flagstaff Lumber:  Big lumber yard across from depot, still got INBOUND material like plywood and wallboard.  Today a micro-brewery.

The fun part was that you have to work the industries against a lot of traffic, on both sides of a two track main.   

Today its vastly different, everything is 'gone' there except a massive Purina pet food plant east of town.  No lumber, oil, or piggyback remaining.  But I love the prototype and era, I get all the fun of ATSF with the remnants of a real local switching challenge, to prototype.

And the locals originated from Winslow, which at that time was a legit class yard, originating trains to  Phoenix, and still does.  So there's your operating plan in a nutshell.

Today?   I like some car variety, so things like coal mines and lumber mills kinda kill that.   The most interesting operations I see today are transload yards - not containers - inbound covered hoppers, lumber cars, boxcars, tank cars.... separate spot for each car type.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Here's my local, the Berkeley Springs branch of the CSX Cumberland Division at Hancock, WV.  It starts with a compact interchange yard:








The branch then crosses River Road, and snakes along the Warm Springs Run, right away crossing two wood trestles as it starts the climb up to the quarry and processing plant of US Silica.







The line used to extend past the silica plant and on into town at Berkeley Springs.  This view shows the location of the old B&O Depot, as well as some large industrial buildings that were likely served by rail back in the day.  There was a small yard near the depot.  Passenger service was discontinued in the 1930s.  I'm not sure when the track was removed, but there was a pulpwood yard active across from the depot as late as 1984 (about the time the last segment of the Western Maryland into Hancock on the other side of the river, which served the same purpose, was finally abandoned)  Industries in town included produce packing, a linen mill, an ice house, a feed mill, among others.  (much more detail, including a history of the building is here:  https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/b15ecd08-752e-4172-afbd-d547c680e55a



It has a lot going for it.  A simple interchange yard along a busy main line, a right of way that snakes its way up through a lot of negative space... in this case a relatively undeveloped stream bed, a major shipper that has endured for much of the life of the branch, and a number of minor ones that span the early years of the branch.  Also enticing is the small town at the end of the line with the busy yard and industry base.

Makes a guy think, don't it?
Lee

That whole thing is just way too charming too.

That spot where the branch crosses the road is photogenic AF too.
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.6921542,-78.1744371,3a,75y,167.08h,80.43t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s6hKzD4o88MCrBoDWRWR-LQ!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3D6hKzD4o88MCrBoDWRWR-LQ%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.share%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26yaw%3D167.0807562477947%26pitch%3D9.568288077343851%26thumbfov%3D90!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205410&entry=ttu

[wm3798]

Ask and ye shall receive.  I posted a request on a B&O group on the facetoobs for photos of the Berkeley Springs Depot when it was active, and Bob Lemmert, a former CSX employee (I'm guessing) posted these photos from around 1990 or so.  With his permission, here they are:



This shot shows a truckload of pulpwood arriving, and prebundled pallets ready to be put on flat cars.


You can see loaded pulp flats in the background.  This call box is now located in Frostburg near the WMSR depot.


Looks to be a former D&H unit (unless it's green and I'm too color blind to see it).

This might be germinating into some sort of concept...  I have to see if I can hunt down a track chart.
Lee

[CR4100]

Looks to be a former D&H unit (unless it's green and I'm too color blind to see it).

It is Reading and yellow. Reading's almost new GP39-2s went to the D&H after the creation of Conrail.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

So yep, it IS green, but it IS also a former D&H unit.

One of those, as a D&H unit, is in my todo list (once I find the right source engine).

[John]

If you look at bobs track plans Maryland Midland plan, that’s what I am working on, but since my basement is pretty big, I plan to be single level and include as many of the current (and some no longer there) industries along the ROW.    Am also adding block signals where possible even though the current MMID only runs 2 trains

[chessie system fan]

Quite by happenstance, I found these photos the other day from Wisconsin on the Fox River in 1958.

P-60-V-677 by Neenah Historical Society, on Flickr

P-60-V-684 by Neenah Historical Society, on Flickr

P-60-V-682 by Neenah Historical Society, on Flickr

And from 1987:

P-60-V-105 by Neenah Historical Society, on Flickr

Unknown year:

P-15-M-008 by Neenah Historical Society, on Flickr

1969:

P-15-Q-014 by Neenah Historical Society, on Flickr