Prototype Yard Design

[gfisher]

I tried asking this question in another forum, but did not get too much in the way of useful information, so I thought I would try in here.

I am working on a contemporary UP yard complex (formerly DRGW) in Grand Junction, CO. It is a fairly sizable complex with a flat classification yard, service facilities, receiving yards and yard leads at the juncture of the Green River Sub, the Glenwood Springs Sub and the North Fork Sub. I have the UP track charts from 2003, and they indicate the signalling on the main line at the control points and at critical points along the yard leads. These would all have point motors at the switches and be controlled I assume from some central dispatching facility in Omaha or somewhere. My question concerns within the yard. There, the charts do not indicate signalling. Would all of these switches have point motors too and be controlled from a central facility? There is a four story control tower looking out over the yard. If they did have point motor control, would they all be signalled with dwarf signals? (I know Trainz the game likes all switches signalled on all three tracks, but real railroads don't necessarily function that way.) Or would the yard switches all, or mostly be manually controlled by brakemen/yard workers using manual switch machines, in which case the flags on the switch machines would act as signals. Does anyone know what "best contemporary practise" would be?

 

[slabay]

I have no answers for you as far as the prototypical operations you are asking about, but as far as keeping Trainz happy, I add invisible signals on my yard likes where there are no dwarfs. (Dwarves?) That should at least solve your signaling problem.

 

[GP502011]

I tried asking this question in another forum, but did not get too much in the way of useful information, so I thought I would try in here.

I am working on a contemporary UP yard complex (formerly DRGW) in Grand Junction, CO. It is a fairly sizable complex with a flat classification yard, service facilities, receiving yards and yard leads at the juncture of the Green River Sub, the Glenwood Springs Sub and the North Fork Sub. I have the UP track charts from 2003, and they indicate the signalling on the main line at the control points and at critical points along the yard leads. These would all have point motors at the switches and be controlled I assume from some central dispatching facility in Omaha or somewhere. My question concerns within the yard. There, the charts do not indicate signalling. Would all of these switches have point motors too and be controlled from a central facility? There is a four story control tower looking out over the yard. If they did have point motor control, would they all be signalled with dwarf signals? (I know Trainz the game likes all switches signalled on all three tracks, but real railroads don't necessarily function that way.) Or would the yard switches all, or mostly be manually controlled by brakemen/yard workers using manual switch machines, in which case the flags on the switch machines would act as signals. Does anyone know what "best contemporary practise" would be?

D&RGW never really had signals on each track. Signals were only used for sections involving the mainlines, such as the connections from the holding yard (for coal trains) to the mainline and the crossovers near the tower have signals and the ends of either side of the yard connecting with the mainline. This is a picture of Grand Junction Yard from when it was D&RGW.

 

[cascaderailroad]

Altoona never had pneumatic track retarders, and relied on roving teams of car riding hand-brakemen.

Signals were rare, and metal target flag switches with oil lanterns, or reflectors, were the norm.

Air or electric switch's were rare, and manual switch throwing was the majority, and they employed 30,000 workers ... now there are @ 100 (or less).

I love those 3 way "Wye" turnouts !

 

[gfisher]

Thank you, GP502011, that picture basically answers my question, and also conforms to what is shown on the track charts.

 

[GP502011]

Thank you, GP502011, that picture basically answers my question, and also conforms to what is shown on the track charts.

You are welcome. D&RGW is my favorite railroad, and I have some more pictures if you ever need them, as well as information on the D&RGW I will be happy to share.

 

[gfisher]

Any photos of the depot, Amtrak station and West Yard office? I have been debating with myself whether or not to build the models. Incidentally, your photo above illustrates well one of the limitations of Trainz and the HOG program - the great mesa which dominates the landscape of Grand Junction does not show up in the Trainz landscape model as it is too far away to render.

 

[RRSignal]

Any photos of the depot, Amtrak station and West Yard office? I have been debating with myself whether or not to build the models. Incidentally, your photo above illustrates well one of the limitations of Trainz and the HOG program - the great mesa which dominates the landscape of Grand Junction does not show up in the Trainz landscape model as it is too far away to render.

I suppose one work-around is a backdrop or multiple backdrops. If needed, you could game the LoD mechanism to have the backdrop disappear once the real mesa comes into view, or once a further-away backdrop needs to be seen.

 

[GP502011]

Any photos of the depot, Amtrak station and West Yard office? I have been debating with myself whether or not to build the models. Incidentally, your photo above illustrates well one of the limitations of Trainz and the HOG program - the great mesa which dominates the landscape of Grand Junction does not show up in the Trainz landscape model as it is too far away to render.

Unfortunately I am unable to find any pictures of the yard office and station. I know that the old D&RGW depot is the Amtrak station now. If you want track charts I can get those too.

 

[289v8]

Post Deleted.

 

[AMTRAKwannabe]

Any photos of the depot, Amtrak station and West Yard office? I have been debating with myself whether or not to build the models. Incidentally, your photo above illustrates well one of the limitations of Trainz and the HOG program - the great mesa which dominates the landscape of Grand Junction does not show up in the Trainz landscape model as it is too far away to render.

Google is your friend...

 

[GP502011]

I have a different source to get all my pictures and info.

 

[gfisher]

Thanks guys. I have been using Google extensively, and as I said I have track charts from Los Vegas to Denver..

 

[GP502011]

Thanks guys. I have been using Google extensively, and as I said I have track charts from Los Vegas to Denver..

Which Las Vegas? There is a Las Vegas, Nevada and a Las Vegas, New Mexico. And what year(s) are you trying to do these routes in?

 

[AMTRAKwannabe]

Which Las Vegas? There is a Las Vegas, Nevada and a Las Vegas, New Mexico. And what year(s) are you trying to do these routes in?

Original post contains:
Green River Sub, the Glenwood Springs Sub and the North Fork Sub

AND

I have the UP track charts from 2003

 

[gfisher]

I'll be specific. I have the Union Pacific Condensed Profile, Utah Service Area, 2002 Track Chart, about 330 pages, covering southern Nevada, half of northern Nevada, all of Utah, part of southern Idaho, Wyoming from Granger west and a little bit of western Colorado; and also Union Pacific Condensed Profile, Denver Service Area, 2002 Track Chart, about 587 pages, covering all of Colorado and Kansas east to Topeka. You too can have them for about $100.00 on eBay. I am doing the route in the present day, the Green River Sub, about 100 miles through Ruby Canyon at the border of Colorado and Utah, which I saw and enjoyed from the Zephyr back in June. I am doing it in compatibility mode in 2010, and making some stuff for it as I go along.

 

[GP502011]

I'll be specific. I have the Union Pacific Condensed Profile, Utah Service Area, 2002 Track Chart, about 330 pages, covering southern Nevada, half of northern Nevada, all of Utah, part of southern Idaho, Wyoming from Granger west and a little bit of western Colorado; and also Union Pacific Condensed Profile, Denver Service Area, 2002 Track Chart, about 587 pages, covering all of Colorado and Kansas east to Topeka. You too can have them for about $100.00 on eBay. I am doing the route in the present day, the Green River Sub, about 100 miles through Ruby Canyon at the border of Colorado and Utah, which I saw and enjoyed from the Zephyr back in June. I am doing it in compatibility mode in 2010, and making some stuff for it as I go along.

I've got something I am gonna PM you. If I had the time and patience to do all of the stuff on it, I would.

 

[Dap]

If you are interested in prototype yard operations, look for my Soo Line Schiller Park Yard route and CMTM session to be released later this fall. The operations are set in August of 1965 and are based on data I found in the Soo Line archives. Using a copy of the 1965 Yardmasters Instructions, I have recreated a week of operations including classifying all incoming traffic, making up outbound trains and servicing the local industries which include the R.I.P tracks, freight house and team tracks.