Yardstick

With the layout back in one piece, its probably as good a time as any to tackle the yard.

After a bit of fiddling and experimentation, I'm going to end up with storage for at least 4-6 trains down there, depending on how you count things, plus between 1-3 up top. Plus one each way on the mains if things get really hectic.

Also, every track is well over the length of my 'test train' of 12 hoppers and two locos, with three of the storage tracks being about 50% longer - far more than the current loco fleet can haul.  Not bad for a layout of less square area than a door!

The schematic for the downstairs yard looks something like this:

As can be seen, two of the sidings are single-ended - so trains will back in or out.

Now for some baby steps... As I'm using straight DC power at this stage, I'll need to electrically isolate the sidings and only have them energised when I want them active - or else all 10 trains will move at once. I don't have any isolating rail joiners, but luckily a passing Jokertrekker let me borrow his Dremel and a cut-off wheel. My old 110 volt one having been donated to a model railway club when I left the US.

Cuts were made across rails mid-section thus (the plastic 'ballast' keeps everything together):

And then track was soldered at the rail joiners into sections:

And then everything started to come into place quite quickly:

She's lookin' good, Vern.

Hopefully workable at least, and probably with a little room for expansion. I'm a little short of track at the moment - as the intended clandestine meetup with my dealer of such items didn't work out a few weeks ago - so I'll be one loop short for a while.

In the meantime I have the track nearest the edge to connect up and some soldering of power feeds and the like to keep me busy.