Yard Lengths

[0099]

Hey All

Just wandering what the 'Default' yard lengths are for Either Australia or USA ?? Im making a yard which is roughy 3500 metres from first yard point to last ( About 5 baseboards ).

Thanks
Anthony

 

[Koondawg]

I dont believe there is any "default" yard length. In my layout I have yards that are huge. Able to handle mile long trains with room on both ends.
Its your layout...make it the way you want it

Koon

 

[patchy]

instresting question
if you're making a route based on real plans yes.
if not make it as long as you want.

cheers,
patchy

 

[Natvander]

What's 'default'? It depends on if you're making Eveleigh, Acacia Ridge, North Star or Leeton. Each yard was made to suit the local requirements.

 

[0099]

Sorry my bad i just thought there would be a certain distance yards are made at Its just a fictional yard but i like even fictional routes to be as real as possible hehe .


Thanks
Anthony

 

[SergeantC]

Your yard should be long enough to handle the trains you run.

Otherwise, there are no limits or defaults.

 

[leader2302]

Major US yards are several miles in length. The Cedar Hill Yard in New Haven, CT was the largest yard east of the Mississippi River when it was completed in the 1920's. It was about 8 miles in length. Modern US yards such as Enola Yard can be even larger.

 

[PVincent342]

longest in the US is Bailey Yard at 32 miles long and 2 Miles wide in North Platte NE

 

[TrainMan12]

32 miles long? Bailey Yard is 8 miles long.

 

[Tokkyu40]

The easiest way is to use Google Earth and look at actual yards of the type you want to model and in the area you are capturing and measure it with the ruler function.

Claude

 

[StorkNest]

It really depends on the purpose of the yard.

There are division yards that handle resorting shipments for local traffic from and to through trains.
MoW yards.
Small yards for big businesses.
A small railroad would have a smaller yard and sometimes do several things in that one yard (sorting, storing, maintenance, etc.) as opposed to a larger railroad that has different yards for each item.
Locomotive service yards.
Freight/passenger car service yards.

Defining the purpose of the yard beforehand determines things like size, track assignments and layout, buildings needed, etc.

 

[Tokkyu40]

It really depends on the purpose of the yard... Defining the purpose of the yard beforehand determines things like size, track assignments and layout, buildings needed, etc.

Do you know of a site to learn the nature and structures of different types of yard? I could stand to learn more myself.

Claude