Probably more changes coming down the pike
Tom - thanx for the kind words, glad to hear the same concept is working for you.
Charlie - good questions, I'll attempt to answer them each in turn.
Q1) How much lower than the layout proper will staging be? If it's just a little lower then you'll have a major access problem to trains on the staging tracks. If it's signifcantly lower you'll need helixes to move from the main track to staging and vice versa. I would definitely recomment building the staging ladders/throats on something that can taken to the workbench for repairs or that you can remove the layout about these areas for access. Especially the staging ladder not directly adjacent to the aisle.
A1) I plan on having a 15-inch separation between the two levels, with helices in the northwest and southeast corners. About the staging ladders, I'll admit I hadn't thought about the "maintenance access" issue; perhaps I could put them on removable modules.
Q2) So you have the major industry complex on the center peninsula, but what appears to be the interchange yard/area between that industry complex and the main trck seems rather undersized for the numer and lenght of tracks in the actual industry. Or will the industry only accpeting and delivering a few cars with each move?
A2) That so-called "interchange" you're referring to actually does more than just receive trains at the steel mill; it's a runaround track for the peddler freight, so it can spot/pickup cars on the spur with the facing-point turnout. Non-coal steel mill trains will be assembled/dissected on the outer track of the blob in blocks of 5-7 cars at a time. Coal cars will bypass the yard, going directly to their own designated track which is long enough to accommodate an entire train. [WOW - I just realized, I need to put a crossover there so I won't have the single-track bottleneck fouling the main! Back to the XtrkCAD...] The plan has been tweaked to extend the inner blob track, so it can function as the main line while mill trains are being processed on the outer track.
Q3) It sure looks like getting into that standup freezer is going to be a problem with having the center peninsula in front of it. Trying to find the pork shoulder or rump roast in the back of the bottom shelf ought to be quite a challenge. What is the purpose of the track behind the freezer? If it could be taken out then it would appear (assuming you've made a scale drawing) that access would be greatly improved> ..
A3) We don't store large cuts of meat in the freezer, only packaged frozen foods that won't fit in our kitchen freezer when it's all filled-up. So we don't need to be able to open the door all the way out. The track behind the freezer represents an interchange with Pennsy/Conrail (depending on which era I happen to be running at the time), I extended it behind there so it could store 4-5 cars rather than only 1 or 2. It is the last place the peddler freight stops at before returning to the yard. Then again, I might reposition the spur to be fully back against the wall and parallel with it -- that would gain me ~2 linear feet and make the protrusion of the freezer unnecessary.
Q4) What if the main track in the upper 'peninsula' is move to the rear? Would that let the staging ladder underneath be more accessible? Also, you've got two ladders directly over each other. Are you planning on using under-the-track switch controls? Is there enough space for them?
A4) I wanted the main line track to be close to the front so the operators can have immedite access to their trains; plus, in the earlier version of this plan, the back area was where I had my staging tracks located. [ Click here to see the original single-level vesrion of this plan.] Regarding switch mechanisms, the 15" separation ought to provide plenty of space for Tortoises.
Q5) The interchange between the big industry complex and the main is 'aimed' away from the main yard. What will operations look like on this interchange? Where will trains come from and go to?
A5) Truth be told, I don't like that arrangement either. But the steel mill peninsula is already built up; I had to flip it 180 degrees so the entry tracks would be closer to the main line. And only the north wall has enough length to accommodate the main yard. So, most steel mill trains will probably go directly to the mill yard, with an occasional 'turn' between the mill yard and the main yard. Pointing the mill access tracks in the opposite direction would require me to completely rebuild the east end of the mill.
