What is accepted as the minimum spacing between tracks in fiddle yards? I want to maximise the amount of storage tracks in a space that is going to be somewhere between 12 and 18 inches wide, and non scenic.
The layout is a double track main line, so I would like at least 4(preferably 6) tracks on each side. Hopefully as an homage to my old layout, my loco shed will feature somewhere on the non scenic side, either salvaged from the old board and kept 'as is' or completely re layed with medium radius points instead of the current Setrack points.
I'm planning to use medium radius throughout the fiddle yard, to keep the track spacing tight....
Chris
In a fiddle yard, the wider the spacing you can allow the better so that you can put stock on and off without demolishing the rest!
ideally it needs to be 1x stock width + 2 fat fingers... I reckon on 40-45mm. You can of course squash the tracks up much closer, the natural angle of the medium Peco points will give you a spacing of around 30mm, but you could probably get it down to around 25mm if you accept that will have to clear the roads either side to be able to put stock on or off...
Mine are suitably close that there's no way you'd get fingers inbetween trains ;)
I have eight tracks squeezed into 180mm, but then mine is meant more as a storage yard than a true fiddle yard as once all the trains are set up there will be very little moving stuff around manually, and it's no problem to move one or two out onto the scenic bit while setting the rest up :thumbsup:
Paul
My tracks are pretty close.
I use the outside track to make up or dis-assemble trains so most of the time that one is kept clear.
The others are too close together so that when I do try to alter the stock I end up knocking adjacent wagons or carriages over. However, it does mean I can cram more lines into a small space.
As you are using Setrack points, I will assume Code 80 track
Using Setrack points in the fiddle yard will maximize space utilisation, with longer storage tracks, but at the expense of track separation
Using Medium points in the fiddle yard will result in storage tracks closer together, but at the expense of train length
It is for this reason I use Setrack points
Quote from: mjkerr on November 25, 2014, 03:34:37 PM
As you are using Setrack points, I will assume Code 80 track
Using Setrack points in the fiddle yard will maximize space utilisation, with longer storage tracks, but at the expense of track separation
Using Medium points in the fiddle yard will result in storage tracks closer together, but at the expense of train length
It is for this reason I use Setrack points
I'd agree with that and I too use Setrack points in the fiddle yard (well, all except 2!).
I'm trying to avoid Setrack points as much as possible, as I have several locos that won't go through them without coming off the road.
I have 6 roads in a 12" which leaves plenty of finger room. You could probably get a few more in but I suspect going above 8 would make it hard to fiddle the stock with Mk1 Hand. ;)
Of course if you only want to store stock and don't plan to handle it in the fiddle yard then you can go a lot closer.
It's all about the storage, I'm not planning on manhandling stock in the fiddle yards, uncoupling will be automated(in theory!) so barring derailments I don't plan to be touching trains while they're waiting their turn to run.
Obviously I'm gonna need more wagons and coaches, but the plan is to have rakes of at least 8 coaches, and goods trains of at least 20 wagons. The scenic area of the layout is looking like its gonna be at least 10 feet long, the main boards are each 3 feet, so the fiddle yard will also be in 3 foot sections.
Any ideas on a supplier of copper clad strip for the baseboard edges?
Chris
My yard tracks are minimally spaced, as it it is a storage yard rather than a fiddle yard. They are only spaced by the natural spacing of the points. The intention is that all stock will be added or removed by cassettes at another part of the layout.
Quote from: Wingman mothergoose on November 25, 2014, 04:32:11 PM
Any ideas on a supplier of copper clad strip for the baseboard edges?
You could just solder to brass screws underneath each rail, like this:-
(http://www.sprintexnet.co.uk/Images/081114%20soldered%20track%20close.JPG)
Sorry for the blurry photo but you get the idea :thumbsup:
Paul
Agreed. I've done this in the past, but I'd like a tidier solution...
for a fiddle yard i found the spacing of code 55 points worked ok, however i am replacing my fidle yard with a traverser for mass storage with one line being where cassettes can drop in, any views on a decent track spacing appreciated, not worried too much about the needs to get fingers in as i can line it up to get trains off
Quote from: ScottyStitch on November 25, 2014, 05:09:15 PM
My yard tracks are minimally spaced, as it it is a storage yard rather than a fiddle yard. They are only spaced by the natural spacing of the points. The intention is that all stock will be added or removed by cassettes at another part of the layout.
illustrated here:
(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/P3K/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsbce78f93.jpg) (http://s3.photobucket.com/user/P3K/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsbce78f93.jpg.html)
Just been measuring things up, looks like I'm gonna have about 14 or 16 inches of width for my storage yard. At a rough guess I may have enough room for either 10 or 12 roads. I'm going to space them fairly tightly to maximise train storage room, not bothered about finger gaps as I won't be reaching over to grab things unless derailments occur(hopefully they don't!!).
The layout is going to be roughly 70-75cm off the floor, giving me enough room to reach all the way over to the far side of the board if need be.
With medium radius points I should still have around 5 or 6 feet even in the shortest loop, which should be plenty for an 8 coach train plus loco or 22 or 23 wagons plus loco...
Chris
Quote from: Wingman mothergoose on November 27, 2014, 07:06:02 PM
Just been measuring things up, looks like I'm gonna have about 14 or 16 inches of width for my storage yard. At a rough guess I may have enough room for either 10 or 12 roads. I'm going to space them fairly tightly to maximise train storage room, not bothered about finger gaps as I won't be reaching over to grab things unless derailments occur(hopefully they don't!!).
The layout is going to be roughly 70-75cm off the floor, giving me enough room to reach all the way over to the far side of the board if need be.
With medium radius points I should still have around 5 or 6 feet even in the shortest loop, which should be plenty for an 8 coach train plus loco or 22 or 23 wagons plus loco...
Chris
6ft will give you ten coaches and an engine.
Will it really? Sweeeeeeet!!!
That's about 25 ish wagons then?
Chris
Quote from: Wingman mothergoose on November 27, 2014, 09:10:55 PM
Will it really? Sweeeeeeet!!!
That's about 25 ish wagons then?
Chris
Yes, my storage yard sidings are exactly two lengths of flexi track and they take a pacific and ten mark1s. Mark3s may only be nine? Might be nearer 30 wagons depending on the wagon. I could check for you when I get home tomorrow.
I took a different approach than most of the posts in this thread in that I left enough space between each track to accommodate spare stock. This was partly due to the fact that I used Kato Unitrack in the fiddle yard, but also part by design as I find that I do tinker with the rakes of coaches and wagons a lot and appreciate the easy access. It makes putting stock onto the rails far easier than if I had crammed in as many tracks as I could have fit in to the available space.
(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/63/thumb_1696.jpg) (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=1696)
Ok, so I've mow settled on a board 12" wide for my storage/fiddle yard, and at a glance that's enough for 10 roads at medium radius point spacing. I was thinking of incorporating my loco shed in this area too, but that's not now going to happen. Instead, I'm thinking of a loco storage siding or two at the leading end of each side, enough to stable 4 or 5 locos on each side so that I can change locos and create the impression of different trains when in fact its just the loco that has changed...
Also I'd like at least one crossover between up and down lines in the storage yards, to give some extra flexibility and also to have locos and stock appear to be returning from their destinations. Any thoughts please guys?
If anybody wishes to have a plan of my layout and fiddle yards to give them an idea of what I'm talking about, PM me your email address and I'll send it to you, as I'm rubbish at posting pictures on here!
Chris
On my main layout I have 4 roads per direction in the fiddle yard. I did consider having a central 'shared' road but at the end of the day the fiddle yard is for.....erm.....fiddling so didn't bother as it doesn't take much fiddling to lift a loco from one track to another :hmmm:
I wanted to have it automated so I don't have to keep reaching over the layout to use the hand of God on locos, plus my roads are gonna be pretty close together and there won't be an awful lot of room for my fat sausage fingers!
Must admit my tracks are a bit too close together and I don't consider my fingers to be large :-\
It might be worth checking out Heathcote Electronics as I believe they do some sort of automated fiddle yard module.
Looks like I'm gonna have the shortest storage roads somewhere between 4 and 5 feet long, plenty long enough for a 25 wagons plus loco train? The longest storage roads are obviously the middle ones, and they will end up at just over 6 feet. So 10 tracks, 5 each side, with a trailing crossover at each end to permit sending trains back over to the other main line to give the impression they've actually been somewhere...
The trailing crossovers take up a fair amount of space, so I'm going to see if I can put one point on the inner curve to give me a bit more space in the yard...
Any thoughts?
Chris
Here's a pic of my fiddle yards under construction if it's of any help.......
(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/51/thumb_9591.JPG) (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=9591)
I'm thinking of using 3 way points and double slips to minimise the space taken up by the crossovers, any advice on DC wiring for the 3 way?