switchers and freight yards


C

Clair

New Member
Hi --
I've searched but no luck. I'm looking for HO freight yard plans, discussion, anything!

And, I want to know the proper way to find switcher locos. I guess I would need specific types and I don't have those -- so how to begin? I look at locos> diesel, and then all I seem to find are pages of the big locos.

Thanks for any help here -- I'm just getting back in after a 25 year absence.

Clair
 
Hi Josh -
Diesel Freak is just the freak I need! lol

I want to find one to buy. And I would like to learn about them (and also anything I can about freight yards (and I do have the book by Wilson? on my list). I have two very small locos now and I think they are switchers but I'm not sure-- both carrying the name Atest and made in Yugoslavia. They both say GE-35 though they look quite different (aside from the color). One is Conrail with the number 2648 on the side of the cab, the other is Illinois Central with 420 on the cab.

And, I'm sorry but I don't even know if such numbers are important or if they are just there for decoration!

My interest in MRR is strictly moving stuff -- backing up, coupling, uncoupling, round the track to another freight yard entrance == likely boring to real modelers, but that's my interest = and obviously all freight cars!

Thanks so much for replying -=- as a new forum member I really appreciate it.

Clair
 
Clair, I don't find that boring at all, That's exactly what I love to do. I've never heard of atest, but that doesn't mean much, I'm rather new around here. There's a wealth of information, and Josh is one of the brightest when it comes to locos.
 
YOC --
I dug out the magnifying glass and they also have to the right of ATEST -
MDT and to the left RSO. These are much bigger letters and are on both the locos. Does that tell you anything?

Cheers,
Clair
 
Clair,
for plans and operations I highly recommend these books:

"Track Planning for Realistic Operations"
John Armstrong
Kalmbach Publishing

"The Railroad. What it is, What it Does"
John Armstrong
Simmons-Boardman Books
 
THanks guys -- I will certainly have a look at Armstrong -- and no doubt will go on my list, which is groaning now. sigh.
Clair
 
Clair, if you click the "Railroadbookstore" model railroad books link at the top right of this page, Track Planning and Ops is on the first page.
 
Clair, welcome aboard! It sounds like you have one AHM Plymouth MDT switcher. This is a small industrial switcher with three wheels per side. They would be mostly found switching industries. Major railroads never really used switchers this small except for occasionally switching tie plants or engine facilities.

The NMRA website has a great amount of articles about how to build your layout. There's one section devoted to yards at http://www.gatewaynmra.org/frt-yard.htm. You need to decide how much space you have for your layout, what era you want to duplicate, and how big you want your yard to be. There are a great number of switchers available for everything from the steam era to modern times. Walthers is a large supplier of model trains and the pages at http://www.walthers.com/exec/search...rds=restrict&instock=Q&split=30&Submit=Search will give you an idea of all the different types of switchers available.

Do some thinking and studying, ask questions, and decide what kind of trackplan you want to have. Those are the first steps towards building a layout.
 
I bought from Barnes & Noble, North American Railyards printed by Voyageur Press. The book is 200 + pages of pics, info and drawings of railyards. It has been very good source of info.
 
Can't help you on identifying the ones you have, but the prototypes, I can let you know what's out there (somewhat).

You have (in HO Scale)
Athearn Baldwin S12 (older kit, but you can find it on eBay)
Athearn EMD SW7 (also older)
Athearn EMD SW1000 (currently produced)
Athearn EMD SW1200 (same as SW7 mostly)
Athearn EMD SW1500 (currently produced)
Athearn Genesis EMD MP15AC (currently produced)

Atlas EMD MP15DC (currently produced)
Atlas Alco HH600/HH660 (coming soon)

Concor EMD MP15 (OOP but can be found on eBay)

Stewart Baldwin VO-1000
Stewart Baldwin VO-660
Stewart Baldwin S8
Stewart Baldwin S12
Stewart Baldwin DS 4-4-1000

Walthers/Life-like Proto 2000 Alco S3
Walthers/Life-like Proto 2000 EMD SW8/900
Walthers PROTO 2000 Fairbanks-Morse H10-44
Life-like Proto 2000 Alco S1/S2/S3/S4

There may be more, but those are the general, end cab style switchers I can think of at this time. Depending on the era you pick, it'll dictate what is common in switcher duties. Modern day, larger units, like SD40-2's are more common for the added power they have.
 
Kalmbach publishes a paperback titled, "How to Build Realistic Layouts: Freight Yards," that might be of some help.

In a lot of yards today and back about five or more years you will find alot of GP38-2's and SD40-2's being used as switchers.

Ray
 
Well, I finally got the scratch together and these are the books I have now -- thanks to your advice:

Armstrong's The Railroad
Sperandeo's Freight Yards
Rhodes' North American Railyards

In seventh heaven I am.

BUT, now I need a bit more help of a different nature. But, going to post under new topic. It's about identifying engines.

Thanks again

Clair
 
Jim (UP2CSX) and jbakko --Ray and others --

My apologies -- I thought this thread was dead -- because I thought I was signed up for email notifications of posts. But, I wasn't!

I'm having real trouble finding small freight yard plans (well - if I think about it, I haven't seen any!) (right now 3 x 6 - but eventually I hope 4 x 8).

So, I'm making it up as I go along. Which probably means I'll be making it up about 6 or 8 times! lol

And Ray -- thanks for the tip about the Kalmbach "...: Freight Yards" -- but for a while that price will be a showstopper!

Clair
 
Here is a freight yard you would have probably enjoyed.
I dismantled this one about three and a half years ago.


Yardlongwise.png
 
Ken --
Wow == that is a wonderful shot and wonderful yard. Thanks very much for putting it up -- how could you dismantle that?!

And also thanks for the GSWR 1901 IDs on that question.

I'm off now to look up GSWR.

Again, thanks for the picture.

Clair
 
We wanted to prepare the house to sell by putting up drywall and a bathroom in the basement, just before the housing market crashed.
The basement is sitting empty right now and the housing market has no sign of improvement for years to come if ever. I'm considering putting up another railroad.
Check the thread over in showoff of the D&J Railroad for a few other pictures of the layout and stuff.
 
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