The experience I've had operating other's layouts includes some, if not all of the following: they make the the yard physically too small; fill it too full at the start of a session; run too many trains (freight cars) into the yard; fail to include an adequate tail track for switching.  All these are because they fail to realize that a model yard works essentially at real time whereas the mainline on a model railroad runs much faster because of the short distances.  If you forget this your sessions will often frustrate your guest operators and take the, "Fun," out of model railroading.

Ray

My layout is mainly based on the interaction between mainline trains and locals. Now that I have several mainline freight locomotives I am trying serial staging so most operations are on the layout. My yard is only two tracks and two runaround tracks on the mainline. 

I've never found yard operations particularly realistic on model railroads as it isn't possible to switch cars the way the prototype does. Block swapping is fine (mainline train sets out a block/picks one up) but actually switching cars into those blocks not so much. The prototype kicks cars to make up those blocks which isn't possible at scale.

The prototype kicks cars to make up those blocks which isn't possible at scale.

I've watched kicking cars and it is totally awesome and as you say impossible to replicate at scale in any remotely realistic way.

But some railroads no longer allow kicking cars.  Norfolk Southern imposed a shove to a stop rule a few years back in response to some incidents.  I don't know for sure if that's still in effect but I'd guess it is.  I also don't know if other railroads have done the same.

...realistically in model railroading isn't practical and may never be attained in a realistic way.

In model railroading we just have to accept that and move on, and not wring our hands over it: Either flat switch and be happy, or kick as best you can and accept the visual farce-like results.

Wait a minute...

I guess you could embrace V scale: In "Open Rails Train Simulator" you can indeed close angle cocks, bleed off cars, and kick 'em, all with convincing physics. You can also slip wheels, use sand, break knuckles...

Andre

On the club layout we have a large double-ended yard that's centrally located in the layout. It operates with a yardmaster and a pair of switch crews.

Local trains originate and terminate out of the yard, and through trains do block swaps. The yard crews spend the session classifying away.

The yard works great and ops in the yard are fantastic and keep you on your toes. I'm usually the YM at operating sessions, and there's a couple of other guys whose favourite operating position is running one of the switch engines for the session.

Small yards are really the only option for those of us constrained by living in modern apartments or town houses.  I live with such constraints and have great fun making up and breaking down short trains that really go nowhere on my 2 X 11 layout.  I focus more on modeling individual pieces of equipment and buildings rather than the vast scenes of mountains plains and valleys of which I used to dream .

It is a way of modeling life for myself and my friends here in the US and particularly the UK where living space does not even allow much of a main line or any line beyond the yard limit sign.  The art of the BLT (Branch Line Terminal) design has been highly developed to meet these modern constraints. Model railroading is entirely possible without the vast basements found in parts of the US. In the future and present for many of us.  If you absolutely must have a mainline, join a club or switch to "T" scale. 

In this hobby anything you want to model is a good idea. These are toy trains. 

Find something you want to model, no matter how you go about it you are not wrong. Enjoy it!

This is something I have thought about for a while now. In my Time on the NS I discovered  there was always an industry or two next to the yard, in some cases more. That just adds to the attraction. 

My layout models the EL Dayton Branch, which had the Marion, OH yard at the east end and terminated at the west end yard in Dayton, and of course, vice versa.  Though the branch is the focus of the layout, the Marion yard is modeled with the mainline having staging for E / W trains.  The yard is a job in and of itself, with trains running staging to staging, emanating or terminating at Marion, etc.  This approach allows me to scratch that big time mainline railroading itch yet enjoy the simplicity of a lesser track intensive layout. 

Jeff 

Erie Lackawanna Marion Div.

Dayton Sub 1964