Yes

How would you move the GREEN car out without blocking the MAIN?

Impossible

It's impossible without a short blocking the main. 

Some prototypes

Often considers anything besides the main and maybe a passing siding to be a yard.

SP called the fire train spur and side track at Emigrant Gap a yard back in the 40-50's'

Espee over Donner

Yard

Only trains coming towards the viewer will be able to set out or pick up.  If you add a switch to the first yard track, you can pick up and set out from both directions.  I wouldn't make it a "dedicated arrival/departure" track.

Pretty much any switching in the yard will have to be off the main.

That's ok as long as the traffic on the main is light enough to allow that.   If you have a double track, you would want the modules on either side to have a crossover that is left hand on the far end and right hand on the near end.

If you reversed the crossover on the float dock approach, right hand instead of left hand then the 3rd track could be used as a class track and the 4th track could exclusively be used as a lead for the dock or to switch the oil racks.  There really isn't a way to switch the oil racks since there isn't a runaround, the tail of the "runaround" on the ferry lead is too short to  put an engine there without going on the car float apron.  

There is nothing "wrong", with the design, it just depends on how flexible you need to be .

Reconstruction

Thank you Dave. I'm not 100% happy with my layout design and now is the best time for a rebuild. It's my first yard design and I'm not familiar enough with prototype situations.

"if you add a switch to the first yard track" -> A right hand turnout on the main to conect the first yard track. Correct?

"If you reversed the crossover on the float dock" -> There is a bit space for 4 axles power or a small 6 axles power. The crossover is between two modules. If I move the crossover on the lower module closer to the oil racks then I have less space for cars on this track.

Sorry, I didn't understand your comment about the crossovers on the double track mainline.

... if you plant a "Yard

... if you plant a "Yard Limit" sign about 1.5 train lengths down the "main", like the prototype does....

Yard Limit

Thanks,  I have to build four more modules to sign an yard limit on my own modules. 

Yard

Correct.

Good, that wasn't apparent from the angle of the photo.

I also suggested reversing the hand of the crossover.

In the picture below, the the crossover the way you have it, you have to have the yellow track open to switch the oil tracks and the blue track open to switch the float.  In the bottom drawing the crossover hand is reversed.  With that crossover you can switch both the oil dock and the float from the same green track.

As far as the additional main crossovers go, in the picture below, your track is in black.  I suggested adding the two red crossovers on the adjacent modules.  That way if a train is working the yard, a train on the top main could crossover to the bottom main, run past the yard and then crossover back to the top main.

Or, add a switching lead

to the left of the parallel mains on the bottom module.  take that first switch off the main, rotate it 180 degrees, and run track downwards from it.  Feed that first track instead from the second yard track with a right hand switch.

Cost, one more switch and a length of track.  Benefit, an uncompromised double main.

YMMV,

Blair

Lead for the float

Thanks Dave, now I understand your three improvements. 

The first one is quite easy. The second one is a bit more difficult and expensive. The third one is more extra work.... "adjacent modules" ... two more crossovers or modify the layout with an extra lead for the float? 

Add a switching lead

Thank you Blair, here it's already late. My imagination isn't good. 

Add a switching lead vs extra crossovers

I will think about it. Stefan

The main?

Just terminate it adjacent to the car float bridge. No reason to run beyond the shore. Only one train will be running to and from a car float so no need to worry about blocking the main....DaveB

How's this?

Ugly image hack, but it's what I was suggesting.

Blair

Lead / terminate one main track

@Blair Thanks. Would you also connect the first yard track with the main for easier set out and pick up cars from both directions?

@DaveB  Thanks You would terminate the main next to the shore. Remove one turnout at the upper crossover and use the main at the lower crossover with new modules as lead track. The former main track would be an arrival and departure track? Correct?

Stefan

Stefan, that

depends on usage.  If trains running top to bottom in the image are dropping cars to be sorted, and/or lifting cars, then the arrangement I drew would suffice.  If trains running in either direction are required to drop/lift cars, then yes, a train running from bottom of image to top needs some way to leave cars in a location off the main.  A runaround is required for that train to move cars, and the only one available as drawn is tying up both mains; I sense that might not be desirable for a large modular layout running trains, but you'd know your specifics better than I.

Oftentimes, a location such as yours, with relatively limited traffic, would be switched by a train running the same direction all the time, with all sorting done at a yard someplace else.  But it will depend on your 'druthers'.

As an example, my chosen prototype interchanges with a major carrier at an interchange.  While my prototype RR dropped and picked up cars using both Northbound and Southbound trains, because traffic came and went in both directions, the major carrier will pick up and drop off cars using only the westbound local.  This makes sense, as most of the traffic to/from my prototype will come from/go to the west, and any cars actually eastbound can be hauled 50 miles west to a division yard, then sorted to an eastbound train.  I'm not sure what my prototype major carrier actually did, nor am I sure they did it consistently for the timespan I model, but I'm happy with my chosen solution.

If you're basing your ops on a prototype, you should at least consider what their practices were, if you can find that info.  If you're creating this from a completely blank sheet, then what do you want to do?

Blair

Prototype

I don't know a prototype with a float bridge like my layout. Today's prototypes are Greenville yard and 65th Street yard. Both yards have a terminus design.

I think for a train from the bottom to the top an option to drop/lift cars would be fine. The first yard track is too short for a runaround. Only a runaround for short trains would be possible. 

Stefan

Lead

Adding the switching lead would make the yard more versatile at the cost of about 2 cars in the yard.  It all depends on the traffic levels on the main track.  If you make it a single track main then the "2nd main" is the switching lead.  If its a low volume yard, with a low volume main track, then not having a switching lead won't be a problem.  Adding the lead would cover any contingency.

One option would be to model the ground next to the switching lead as an open gravel area.  Then if you use the modules on a single main layout, you can use the second main as a switching lead and the "lead' can be used as a team track, to add an industry.  If you use the modules on a double track layout, its a parking lot next to the switching lead.

  "You would terminate the

Hi Stefan, Yes something like that. Since freemo doesn't have to be continous I'd just make a mainline freemo type module with a curved spur off to the right or left and let the float yard tracks terminate at the shore line. I'd make sure there were enough tracks to hold the outgoing cars and the inbound cars so the car float could arrive loaded, unload, then reload without waiting. The tugs and floats typically didn't stay at the float yards very long. A double crossover on the car float apron lead was common so they could get to either track on the car float without backing all the way back to the yard throat. Some warehouses,coal dealer, or other industries near the float yard would also be realistic and offer more operational possibilities.  You can find lots of info on car float operations and track plans of prototype carfloat yards on Phil Goldstein's New York harbor terminal railroads website.....DaveB

Single track main

@Dave I don't know how to define the traffic level on the main.

I think about to switch the layout to a single main line and add two more narrow modules to the lower crossover for a switching lead.

@DaveB I know Phil Goldstein's homepage. My prototype for a "auxilary float yard" was Brooklyn Army Terminal. A double crossover would be nice. But I haven't the skills to build one.

Yes, a layout for terminate float yard on a siding/branch would be much easier in comparison to one in the main line.

Stefan

  "A double crossover would

You might be able to assemble one from commercial diamond crossings and turnouts, or alternately just put two single crossovers in line. ....DaveB

Main line vs. branch location

Hi,

looking at the photos of the yard, it seems to be located "on" the main line. I was thinking if a float yard (being usually a terminal located on the water's edge) would have a double-track through main.

Have you considered to build a Y-shaped module to have a branch come off of the main line - that would allow you to integrate with your club. Then you can do away with the through main line at the far end. Having a double-track connection will allow you to use a standard double-track module between the yard and the main-line connection, giving your yard a single "main" and using the second main as a switching lead. When using a single-track module as a connector, you'll have a main/switching lead and a "derail".

Anyway, as stated above, a lot of the design depends on your traffic patterns - and with a modular setup this is always a bit tricky. You could use a three-track module connected at the close end to get an optional switching lead? If the three-track is not there, you'll have a derail switch

Putting things like crossovers on adjacent modules will give you greater operational flexibility - depending on where you are in the setup, just put the appropriate crossover modules in. That might be better than having them on your module?

Have fun!

Double crossover / y shaped module

@DaveB Many of the small terminals with a carfloat didn't have a double crossover. I think the double crossover improve the performance of a yard with carfloat bridge because you can easier follow the rule to unload and load a float. 

http://members.trainweb.com/bedt/indloco/Floatbridge.html#unloading

My layout now isn't a "performance beast" so a double crossover isn't a must.

@dark2star Your idea with the Y-modul is great but for the freemo meetings I have to make some compromisses. The first one is the flexible period of time. The second one is to put the car float stuff in the main. I know  that it isn't prototypical. But our space in gyms for a freemo meeting is limited. I think our  layout planer wouldn't be happy if bring a big Y. For example 385 ft main line:

https://www.fremo-net.eu/index.php?eID=tx_cms_showpic&file=14703&md5=248ae9aa2c88e80d8d34e548fb7262e1f3aba69a&parameters%5B0%5D=YTo0OntzOjU6IndpZHRoIjtzOjQ6IjgwMG0iO3M6NjoiaGVpZ2h0IjtzOjQ6IjYw&parameters%5B1%5D=MG0iO3M6NzoiYm9keVRhZyI7czo0MToiPGJvZHkgc3R5bGU9Im1hcmdpbjowOyBi&parameters%5B2%5D=YWNrZ3JvdW5kOiNmZmY7Ij4iO3M6NDoid3JhcCI7czozNzoiPGEgaHJlZj0iamF2&parameters%5B3%5D=YXNjcmlwdDpjbG9zZSgpOyI%2BIHwgPC9hPiI7fQ%3D%3D

PS Let me sleep over it.

You suggest a switching lead on the ride side. How would it improve my problems with trains for the car float? Thank you.

Mission creep

Watch out for mission creep, starting out with a simple switching area and ending up with this huge industrial complex.

If the modules are going to be part of an "N-Trak" type loop layout where each main is going to have a train going through every 3 minutes, then yes building a completely independent facility off the mains is a good idea.  Most Freemo set ups I have seen run way fewer trains and there may be 15-20 min between trains (or more), so in that case having to foul the main isn't that big a deal.