Looking forward to this

I must admit that there are lots of things that I'd like to model but cannot as I model the Appalachian region (in narrow gauge, no less) during WW2. A grain elevator would have been one of them if it would have fit my layout's concept.

I just hope once you get this done, you'll emulate your prototype photo. I love the trees to each side and more green than grey in the roadbed! I also love the ancient iron fence, as well. If that were my layout, I'd try to re-create this shot as close as possible as it's such a classic location.

Why the change from the prototype?

That's going to be a great scene.

I do wonder, after looking at your original post, why you've altered the prototype track arrangement so much.

Operationally speaking it's quite interesting to have to service several industries on the same long siding, rather than on separate sides as you've designed. Not only do you have to contend with the number of the cars, but some cars may need to be re-spotted while others are pulled or set out. If you moved the runaround back to the main, you could actually extend it quite a bit too, and would probably need to. 

It would also give you more space to model the industries themselves, since you wouldn't have the turnouts to contend with. 

Also, the way you've designed the crossover to the industry track may hinder operations. If the team track has 5 cars, how many cars can a locomotive move to/from the co-op tracks without having to move any of the ones on the team track? At the very least, it would appear that the crossover should be reversed, giving easier access to the larger set of industry tracks.

It looks like you're happy to make changes if needed, and I'd recommend some regular shake-down operating sessions, even if just in small sections of the layout, prior to scenicking that section in case you decide to make some more modifications.

Just some thoughts. Looks like it will be a very interesting layout, though.

Randy

Thank you for your comment.

Thank you Lee for your comment.  

I hope to re-create as much of the scene as I can.  I will post updates as the work progresses but alas time doesn't always allow a speedy build. So please come back and check.

Cheers, Roger

Thanks Randy for your

Thanks Randy for your comments.

The prototype for this co-op is over a mile in length and spread out over the entire distance. Despite the length of track, the approach track is short. Forcing the train crew to occasionally spot cars on the main until there is room to move them.  This has to be done expeditiously, so as not to interrupt the CN mainline on the Windsor-Quebec corridor.

The original design for this grain elevator was on the track built by the Central Ontario Railway and ran over 100 miles. Plenty of room to move entire trains in and out.  Sadly all that remains of the COR is now this small co-op.

My design still reflects the activity that is currently in place, but with a selective compression of the distance that it is laid out on.  Therefore going wider than longer, which requires a few turnouts.

The "hacking" of the original branch line and removal of tracks is reflected in the five car approach track off the main, this includes room for an engine.  The siding for the grain elevator will hold up to ten cars, but if you need to load/unload the cars, only five can be spotted.

The co-op is busy in the spring with seed and supplies arriving in one to two trains a week.  Late summer/fall of course is very busy with up to three trains in a week.  It is very rare to see a train in the co-op during the winter, but occasionally a track maintenance group will overnight on the tracks.

I believe my current design reflects the prototype as much as possible with some compression.  It will take some time running trains to finally decide if some tweaking will be required.

I hope this answers some of your questions.

Cheers, Roger

He, Roger -  I see what

He, Roger - 

I see what you're saying. But the way you have it laid out, none of the spotting locations are overlapping. That is, all of the spotting locations are in the same linear location as if it were a single track, and without the turnouts, the read Coop structure could actually move to the left, giving a little more space for the scene and spotting cars. So you haven't added spotting locations, you've just 

Operationally, it would force you to do exactly what you describe, use the mainline (or the runaround) to work the siding, making it both more "complicated" and more interesting (not to mention more prototypical). One of the reasons why modeling a single-track mainline has been so popular over the years is that it requires you to work around the mainline trains.

With the way you've designed it, you can fit your entire inbound train on the tail track, all the way up to the start of the runaround (the third turnout in the ladder). Then you can pull all of the outbound cars, put them on the other side of the runaround. Spot all of the inbound cars except the Liquid Chemical Tanks, then move the outbound train to the longer track, and spot your chemical tanks. None of this movement would require you to access the main again until you are done. Trains coming the other direction would need to use the runaround, but you've indicated that the runaround fits your entire train. So that doesn't present any additional challenge either.

Obviously, the railroad isn't interested in making things challenging. But they also don't spend money they don't have to. By having the runaround on the mainline as on the prototype, trains arriving from either direction service the industry the same way - as a trailing point siding. With the runaround as part of the siding, that's not the case. So you've added a different type of complexity (and that's not even considering the switchback you created to enter the coop). From a prototype perspective, you've made it more difficult to operate from one direction, and added 4 switches and continued maintenance to boot.

Most of the work on my layout is the same way, where all the work occurs off the main line. Because it was built when the railroad was much busier. But it's also within yard limits and all the work of the city handled by two switch crews. I happened to pick the time to model just before they started ripping out tracks. 15 years later it was a single through freight switching all of the industries from the main. Of course, passenger service and through freights had been cancelled by then as well.

So your layout is entirely feasible and justifiable, and certainly not wrong. I'm just pointing out that you made it extremely easy to operate, particularly in regards to fouling the main line, and from what I can see it didn't increase the number of spotting locations.

I'd be interested in hearing how your testing goes. I highly recommend operating a layout a lot before scenery, particularly when not following a prototypical layout. I could draw up a number of better examples but I'd need to know the actual number of standard cars that fit each track segment clear of any turnouts (40' or 50' cars depending on the era).

Regardless, I think it's a really cool looking layout.

Randy