Additional Info

A couple of added points about the layout. Each helix is 34" radius, single track, three turns down to east staging. Under Sheridan Yard there are 6 tracks long enough to hold 18 car coal trains plus two large six axle units. The helix leaving Parkman to the west is three turns down to west staging, which has three tracks which will each hold two 18 car coal trains plus two large six axle diesels. 

I plan to leave one track of each staging yard open (If I can resist the temptation to add more equipment to the railroad) to allow eastbound trains, for example, to roll right by the east staging and back into west staging, and vice-versa for westbounds. 

I am modeling late 2000 and will be heavy on coal trains powered by a mix of Oakway SD60s, former BN SD60M's, former Santa Fe SD75's and some SD70MAC's. All the loads leaving Sheridan for Jones Junction will get two SD40-2's added to the rear as helpers at Sheridan, to cut off at Parkman and run back light. Of course I will operate a grain train westbound (also will need helpers) along with a stack train and a handful of manifest trains. At least one manifest in each direction will make setouts and pick up cars in Sheridan each session. Sheridan customers include Wyoming Sawmill (wood chips and lumber outbound), the Co-op fertilizer plant (covered hoppers inbound, and an occasional gondola of fence posts), a team track (probably drill rod on flat cars or gondolas), and in the future a beer distributor (insulated boxcars). Kiewit is the home of Big Horn Coal and Tongue River Stone, both ship in small quantities of open hoppers-likely 4-6 carloads of coal and a couple of stone each session. All industries are worked by the Sheridan switch engine who also tends to the occasional yard duties required. The switch engine will shove to Kiewit to avoid clogging the mainline with runaround moves while serving those industries, which allows use of a caboose as a shoving platform. 

All track is laid with the exception of a spur for the beer distributor. I'll share more photos in future posts, if you want to see more you can look here. If you are on Facebook and interested in learning more about the layout you can join the group  here. 

Thanks for all the great feedback on my previous question about car cards and waybills!

Jim

"All track is laid with the

That would have been the first track I would have laid!