Layout Design Plan "B"

A funny thing happened on the way to installing benchwork under the portion of the layout shown by the previous sketch in this Blog. The switches on the yard lead were obviously out of reach !  So far out of reach that even if I stood on a stool or step ladder I WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO REACH THEM ! Due to the nature of the basement construction there, it is impossible get to them from underneath.  This is not acceptable. Here is my solution at least for now.  It has given me a chance to rethink this whole area of the railroad too.

  There were too many yard tracks to begin with. There was no engine service or car repair facilities and only one reason for the standard gauge to be there.The wood chip facility.  This new design satisfies those concerns. Too many yard tracks? In the waning years of my employment with big yellow I worked at an outside point that had a 4 track yard.  We routinely switched 100 car trains there daily and built 100 plus car outbound trains without too much fuss. The longest track was about 70 car lengths and we had about a 60 car length lead. Everything else was shorter. Here, I'm dealing with 12 car trains maximum and not much main line traffic. There shouldn't be a problem. If it gets a little tight it just might add to the fun.

This plan swaps places with the geography but adds to the meandering look that I am striving for. It also adds revenue loads for the standard gauge and will make switching more interesting and involved when the local shows up from Coos Bay.