Scotts-dale Division Layout Version 2 - Transfer Table

Theme: Norfolk Southern in West Virginia.

Goal: Bedroom size layout

My first concept for the Scotts-dale division was a single deck layout with staging underneath using a transfer table for the staging.

Space Requirements:

The first requirement was that the middle of the room be left open for family activities. In addition, there could be no "removable" inserts into the room; my wife rightly guessed that I would not be good about removing such inserts. These requirements dictated an an around the room design.

The next requirements governed the height of the layout. One was that my wife not need a step stool to see the layout. (She is 5' - 1" tall.) Second, space for a desk, computer, and storage had to be provided under the layout. The result was that the layout would be single deck, although staging could be beneath one section of the layout. Another reason for single deck layout was that I wanted to be able to finish the layout through phase 1 scenery, in the three to four years that we planned to live in our townhouse.

One of my own requirements was to minimize the need for hidden staging. I was particularly concerned about using turnouts for hidden staging and verifying train location between operating sessions.

The Design

Below is the design for the layout. The bulk of the layout consists of Scotts-dale Division (old branch) line shown in light blue. The line serve three coal mines and one coal loader, as well as another mine related industry. About half way out the line, it splits at a wye to go to the large mine (up mountain) or to the smaller mine.

The Scotts-dale Division yard and engine facilities dominate the third wall. The facilities are located at the junction between the regional line and the NS main line. The NS main appear from staging briefly, intersects with the SDD at the shared Arrival and Departure Tracks, then disappears back toward staging. The facilities include an old roundhouse and turntable that are now the SDD's shops for basic work. (Overhauls would be contracted with the NS Roanoke Shops.) Also include are scale track for weighing coal loads before passing on to NS. The yard includes two arrival/departure tracks, four classification tracks, old caboose track, and an industry / team track.

Staging for the layout is provided by a transfer table beneath the center section of the layout. This was the key component to make the layout work. The Transfer table provides 11 tracks, five (5) tracks are accessible to the western lead, five (5) are accessible to the eastern lead, and the last provides continuous running. One train from each direction and the continuous track are accessible at once. During operating sessions the table would move inward to access the next set of tracks, thereby avoiding an impediment to people access to the branch line above. After the operation session, the table can be pulled out from under the layout to reset the trains.

Operational Concept

The operational concept was to have a dispatcher, yard foreman, and two or three engineers. However, as the design evolved, the layout was not sufficiently large to support this number of individuals. The Yard Foreman would have been a good job preparing empties for the mine runs and processing returning loads into eastbound trains. Likewise the engineer for the branch line train was a well designed job. The mainline was too short to make the dispatcher or mainline engineer jobs worthwhile.
 

An detailed version of the layout is available by clicking on the image.

An detailed version of the layout is available by clicking on the image.

 

Things I Like About this Plan: - Good mine turn operations - Large yard relative to layout for classification work.

Things I Don't Like About this Plan: - Very short mainline - Very linear track arrangements - Jobs not sufficiently interesting.