Thoughts on stock on track storage.

[Southerngooner]

It really is all about what you do on your layout. My storage sidings are carriage sidings and a goods yard, so I aim to make up and store trains in these before using them on the main circuit. I have no issue with seeing the same train running round for a bit while I make up others, but given I'm modelling South London then frequent passage of trains isn't unrealistic, particularly if they are EMUs which will mainly only differ by their running numbers! (I know there are various types, but you know what I mean...). This does mean I have to shunt the stock out of the way (more work, and prototypical) when I am finished with it. This implies you have a good method of coupling and uncoupling, which in my case is B&Bs.

I agree that on James Street it is large enough to not look too unrealistic, but the locos still sit on their trains (or do at the moment, we are soon going to be able to take the locos off and take them to shed....) which isn't correct. It's about giving the impression of an accurate picture, not absolute precision. It's a hobby after all....

However, it seems like a lot of people prefer to make fixed trains up and store them in a hidden yard and then bring them out in some sort of order. This is the norm since I've been modelling. Given that most peoples layout are not strict copies of the prototype, and that a lot of people (on this forum anyway) seem to apply Rule 1 quite a lot, then whether your trains are stored slightly incorrectly isn't quite such an issue. It's just a busy day you are modelling!

The main thing is to enjoy what you like doing best, so if trains passing is what you want then you will need a yard, hidden or not, but if you enjoy other aspects such as shunting, etc. then you can look at some of the alternatives mentioned in this thread.

Dave

[guest311]

for what it is worth, and this could take several days to appear while awaiting approval by mods, Inverknockie v.6, yes v.5 has been superceeded, will work on the basis of ....
level 1. staging yards with train sets stored
level 2. scenic areas with some stations/ yards etc
level 3. scenic areas with only countryside.
tracks return to / arrive from level 1 via helix.
some trains will run though a level, some will stop at stations/yards
each version becomes smaller / simpler, a lesson not to try to get too involved with too much involved operation.

[guest311]

two previous still awaiting approval, plus one subsequent post as well.

how can a post be approved, when the the previous haven't ?

a question submitted to @Tank

[longbow]

Bear in mind that many well-known layouts are designed for multiple operators and ready access, whereas most home layouts have a single operator and some access constraints. So the optimum storage arrangements will be markedly different.

For single operation at home I think a combination of storage roads and cassettes works best along with organising stock into fixed consists. As I can't keep stock permanently on the layout I'm experimenting with 4-road cassettes to speed up loading/unloading and double as storage containers.

[njee20]

I often think my ideal layout would actually be just a big fiddle yard! I'm planning a 30-road one for the new layout, and even then wondering about a helix with additional storage below. Plus I love a good nosey at what's in the fiddle yard on exhibition layouts!

[ntpntpntp]

@njee20   The overall view photo I posted earlier: way back in the mists of time one of my operating team was going to create his own layout over very similar dimensions, and we considered designing his yard so that it could be used on the outside of mine to effectively double the capacity. We got as far as making his fiddleyard baseboards the same sizes and I put in pointwork in readiness but sadly we never got any further with that idea. I think we realised that doubling the amount of stock on the layout would add considerably to the setup and teardown times at shows

[njee20]

I have the 'luxury' of never needing to worry about being good enough to exhibit anything, so stock can just stay put! I can totally see the amount of effort become entirely disproportionate with the large layouts. I remember a monster European layout at Warley a few years ago, it was superb, but must have taken an obscene amount of time to set up!

[F2Andy]

Could you put the fiddle yard under the scenery?

I have tried to create a diagram; not sure how clear it is. At the left is a three track station, with scenery behind it going up the hill, which is over the fiddle yard.


I would guess you would need some supports under the backscene, and you fiddle yard pointwork might have to be routed round that. And it is not going to work if you do not have access from the back.

[Chris Morris]

How would you see the stock in your storage sidings? I guess you could use CCTV. It would be hard to carry out any maintenance or even put track back on the track.

[Chris Morris]

Out in the garden I have a continuous run with storage sidings coming off at a triangle junction. This takes up very little space (relatively speaking) and allows trains to leave/join the main circuit in either direction. I think the same approach could be used in N although I haven't used it myself.

[F2Andy]

How would you see the stock in your storage sidings? I guess you could use CCTV. It would be hard to carry out any maintenance or even put track back on the track.

Hence the last sentence "And it is not going to work if you do not have access from the back."

That said, you could load up the fiddle yard from the front, running each train into its own loop. You would need to be confident you never get derailments or uncoupling, so maybe not so practical.