Sounds like a great idea.

There are still numerous freight opportunities if you get tired of "just moving locomotives around". and it's a chance to dig into that scrap box too.

Flats or gondolas bringing in wheel sets, side frames, prime movers, generators, and couplers. Tank cars bringing in fuel and lubricants. Various MOW units and trains. Even a chance to model damaged and wrecked equipment. You could probably even stretch the concept to include the car shop as well, and open it up to maintenance and repairs of all kinds of rolling stock - a good reason NOT to weather things, it was just repainted!

 "there is something about a

18 feet should be long enough to model a smaller loco facility plus one end of a freight yard. I recall watching locos work the yard at Watsonville Jct. while standing near the loco service track. Best of both worlds.....DaveB 

Sounds Awesome!

I think it's a great idea. I recall reading a post that included an account from a real railroader who was juggling locomotives to queue up interesting consists in real time. Perhaps someone can point out that link?

Anyway, I agree there are lots of opportunities for car movements around an engine terminal. BNSF has a busy terminal with a round house in Grand Forks ND that has lots of RIP/MOW and industry incorporated into it.

Dear ??? Now on a real

Dear ???

Now on a real machine...
(typing on a Droid is a pain...)

http://www.carendt.com/small-layout-scrapbook/page-30a-october-2004/

http://www.carendt.com/wp-content/uploads/carl1.gif

Model Railroader April 1992 : "Hostler's Layout" from the "tips and tails from the cab" article series by Vernon Hart 
http://www.olimpia.com:8084/ListIssue?issue_id=15228
http://mrr.trains.com/issues/1992/april-1992
/> ​http://thumbs4.picclick.com/d/l400/pict/321060412739_/Model-Railroader-April-1992-N-Scale-Gilpin-Co.jpg

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

I've seen several articles.....

on modeling steam era engine terminals as stand alone layouts but nothing with modern power. Doesn't me they are not out there, I just haven't seen them.  I have a very small steam facility on my shelf layout and I think modeling a large one would be cool. I don't think that would be boring but you probably know better than I do about whether modern day terminal operations would get boring because I haven't studied it.

Michael

Country scenes

I am interested in doing the same thing I am find a challenge to acquire material that can be used. With lots of suggestions from several forums. My lay out is coming nicely. I was wondering about weathering cars. What do you   suggest.

Thanks for the responses

I appreciate all the responses and links.  It has definitely stirred up some creativity in blending some switching in with the loco terminal.

The links to the car shop/RIP track article was very interesting.  It is always good to hear from someone who worked on a RIP track because their stories and explanations bring it to life.

Michael

It's a brilliant idea!

And don't overlook the cars of sand and diesel fuel that have to be spotted at an engine terminal.

Also, there may be a switching lead that sneaks through the terminal to serve an industry or two. It may even be the same lead used to spot cars at the fuel track or sand tracks

one I thought about....

http://www.layoutvision.com/gallery/id48.html

Your only Con

Was doubt generated by having not seen it done by others.Never forget that YOUR hobby is about how YOU enjoy it.

I personally don't have an interest in operations but I know enough that when I read your plan for how to operate your layout it was pretty apparent to me that it would keep you quite busy and the scenarios would stay pretty unique. 

If I didn't model something because I haven't seen others do it, I'd never build anything. So go have fun with your trains and build that layout.

Great Idea. If that is what

Great Idea. If that is what appeals to you, go for it. This screams for DCC. Assembling and breaking down multi-unit loco consists could be a big part of the action. gs 

DCC Engine terminal layout from oz

Hi   MMainridge  

Here a few photos of a DCC engine terminal layout at Epping Model Railway Club's Thornleigh exhibition in 2010. 

and beyond the sand tower

A suggestion - if your locos are fitted with sound, then keep the volume turned down. Too many locos too loud for a long period in a reasonably small space = a noisy headache. 

It is probably wider than you might like to go but hopefully it should give you some ideas. 

My thoughts.

A friend of mine in Australia built a fairly large MPD as an exhibition layout back in the early 80's. From memory it was about 4'x10' plus the hidden fiddle yard. The layout had 2 visible turntables and a hidden "Lazy Susan" type in the fiddle yard. This was British Prototype and based on an actual MPD in London. It had servicing facilities for Steam and diesel and also a couple of storage tracks for DMU's and EMU's (Diesel & Electric Multiple Units). It took 4 people to keep the layout humming for the crowds at the expo's and was well received. There were 2 panel operators for the visible area, an operator for the staging yard and a locomotive foreman to keep track of what needed to be done.

An innovation for its time was a computer screen!! I wrote a database which would select a loco's description and this would appear from the tunnel from the Staging Yard. I think one of the draws for the layout was the computer as they were not too common then especially as this one had a color screen.

The method of operating the layout was different too. There was no controllers as such just a constant voltage of about 6V applied to a series of push buttons for each block There was DPDT Push button switches mounted at the between each pair of blocks and when you pushed a button the 2 blocks were energized and the loco would move from one block to the next. The three panels also had a single reversing switch. An incoming loco would first move to the ashpit and then to the coaling stage or fuel point then to a turntable. One table was for the ready tracks and the second for the Maintenance shed. There was about 100 locos on the layout at any one time and we had great fun switching around. We had a timetable so we new which locos were arriving/departing.

I realize this is a totally different prototype from yours but I think you could make a very interesting layout visually and operationally.

It's a good idea if you find

It's a good idea if you find that kind of operation interesting and enjoyable.

Engine terminal for layout

I pulled out a stack of plan books, back issues of MRR Planning, Great Model Railroads, etc., and found one article in "48 Top-notch Track Plans" published by Kalmbach around 1993. There's a plan titled "A terminal solution" by Russell Schoof, and, although it seems to be mostly steam-oriented, I suppose more modern power could be used, with a little modification. This plan is an L-shape, with both parts of the L 8ft. long, but might be modified into something more like your shelf idea. (I don't know if that book is still available, but I guess you could check with Kalmbach). I'm sure there are more examples out there; snoop around the posts here, and at other mags too - you'll be amazed at what pops up! Good luck with your idea; sounds like fun to me!

                                            fred1940

*C.I.G., Cumberland Transfer RR

(*Chief In Garage; elsewhere, not so much...)

Engine terminal as a theme for a shelf layout – Good or bad idea

Sir:

You may find "An Engine Terminal Layout" in Model Railroad Planning - 2015 useful.  It's steam, not diesel, but the concept is the same.  There is a very nicely done Rutland terminal on this site; not exclusively an engine terminal layout but possibly useful. 

I think the concept is very workable, and am particularly fascinated with the staging possibilities.  Three, four, or five unit consists are reasonably short and constitute your "train".  A vertical elevator could work well.  Consider an operating cycle of a consist arriving from your staging (elevator) for service.  Fuel, water, and sand all need replenishment, each unit must be inspected, some may be due scheduled services, and some may require correction of crew reported deficiencies.  Meanwhile, units on the ready track(s) are matched to departing train requirements and exit to staging.   Your consist would vary with each train requirement.  Units not requiring additional service would be back on the ready track relatively quickly, while other units may be out of service for longer periods.  But operations continue, new consists made and dispatched and arriving units serviced.  Learning what services are common and how long they normally take could be interesting, in the interim, a SWAG would suffice. There are still freight and/or company service cars to to move on and off the layout.

I'd say DCC is a must.

Good luck,

Mac 

Yes, you summarized the operations nicely

Yes, you summarized the operations nicely.  When I think of all the possibilities, every day would be different.  

For those who model the transition era of steam and diesel engines, the action is multiplied.  

St Louis Union Station had a shared loco facility nearby to service most of the passenger power.  It is a realistic way to have lots of different road names and engine types for variety.  Adding a wash rack would be one more task that a loco goes through before it is ready.   That would be interesting.

Plus, you can just buy the engines and don't have to buy the the entire passenger train (unless you want to).  

Michael Mainridge

Thanks!

Thank you for taking the time to review past publications.  I had that Top Notch Track Plan book at one time, but have since traded it.  I'm sure I can get it again.

Engine terminal layout

Just a follow-up; in a previous post I mentioned back issues of, among others, Model Railroad Planning, and then happened to look at -you guessed it! - the current (2015 ) issue of same - and there, starting on pg. 30, was an article entitled "An engine-terminal layout". Duh!  Perhaps this can also generate some thoughts as to how to model what you want. Here, too, this was primarily a steam facility, but I would think it could be configured into something more modern to accommodate diesels. Again, good luck, and have fun with it!

                                       fred1940

*C.I.G., Cumberland Transfer RR

*( Chief In Garage; elsewhere, not so much...)

How timely

I recently moved into an house with a bonus room over the garage. I have been trying to figure out if there is anyway to do something in there.  I think you may have given me some good ideas and now it is time to start measuring and check with the boss to see if she is ok with it.

Steve

I like it a LOT! I grew up

I like it a LOT! I grew up north of the river and during the 50s and 60s passed by and through the yard area quite often. What era would you model? Current configuration? It appears that in the 80s a lot of work was done including a bridge to carry through traffic. That would be very interesting to model, if it would be practical. 

A google search for Neff rail yard turns up all kinds of interesting things. I just spent a half hour reading from a book on UP operations. I also found a youtube video on a Neff yard model layout. 

I'll be will be watching. 

Thanks for your follow up

Thanks for your follow up post.  I would model the 2005-2009 period.  I also have enjoyed all the Neff Yard photos and videos on the internet.  Hunting and finding it is a lot of fun.

Last week, I installed my benchwork using Lance Mindheim's hollow core door method.  I'm using Atlas true track temporarily just to play around with different track arrangements.

I'm debating three options and using the track arrangements to test the fun factor of each:

1.  Loco facility (w an indu or RIP track nearby)

2.  Urban/Industrial area (i.e. north Kansas City)

3.  Small town with one major and a few minor indu spurs/team track .

I'm not sure which one I will build yet.

Switching layout as a Engine Terminal

I love the idea for the layout as an Engine Terminal. With an area of 18x2 that would be a good start to the terminal. Heck if you didnt want to model a Class1 Facility. What about a shortline with a small yard/interchange with a Class1 Railroad. With the 18 ft x 2ft, there is alot of possibility there.  You could have a set up like what NS has out at there East Wayne Yards at Ft.Wayne Indiana. They dont do a Major Repair at the shops there. Only minor repairs, refueling and resupplying of engines. This consists of Fueling, Checking liquid levels, restocking supplies on the engine, breakshoe replacement, re sanding  the engines.  All of this is done on 5-6 stub end yardtracks on the fuel pad just west of the old Engine house turned into the Headquarters of the Lake Division of NS. 

Then 1/4 mile to the west of the Fuel pad. You have the Car shops with the rip tracks. This would be a fun Place to Model. You have a 3 bay Building that you could use a Rix 3 bay building. If you could find an old Bachmann Car repair house that would also be a good starter.  Minor and major repairs are done at this facility on the Freight cars.

Well, this is my .02 cents,   Kevin

Excellent idea

I think a locomotive terminal/service facility is and excellent idea......it`s not something you see much of on any layouts.

Especially if you have a lot of motive power and not a lot of cars and other equipment.