Railroad Staging Yards! An ENGINEER EXPLAINS IT BEST! Real & Model

www.djstrains.com
Staging Yards & Storage Yards! Great never seen footage
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🕺🏻ABOUT DJ: DJ is a locomotive engineer for CSX Railroad since 1999. He has built dozens of layouts, gave presentations for model railroaders, is a KZbinr, licensed drone pilot, and a great father.

[@franks471]

I added massive staging to my TRS19 routes, and then buried them under the terrain. Trains pop out of a regular looking tunnel.

[@djstrains]

oooh, you may be on to something! Ok, LONG LONG LONG ago in Ravenna, Ohio, there is an underground yard for the military. I personally never got to go in, but the stories from crew that did!! Google maps may still give clues. Off CSX mainline (Ravenna-warren road) look at the terrain and then see the tree lines. Its nuts.

[@franks471]

@@djstrains Map reading is fun, I should try looking for that. Mostly I use the tunnels to get AI trains on and off the layout. I put little signs above the entrances like, It's the end of the world as we know it, or abandon all hope all ye who enter here. It's weird in TRS once you leave a tunel and you're underground.. like a semi transparent view of the ground above you. :) I'm a fan of the N&W, the No Where road. I actually like that awful paint scheme. I even like the blue ones as long as they're so dirty they look black. BUT... I was doing a route with mountains though and ended up working on a BN theme, that's where I dreamed up the tunnel trick. The tunnels just to Points East or Points West.

[@duanefalk219]

Hi DJ. Saw on your web site that you have a Union RR layout. I grew up in Dravosburg, very close to their line from Duquesne out to the slag dumps and the URR has always been my favorite line! Love to see videos of that layout. I was curious- the layout you show in this video- is that your own or from a club, maybe the Gibsonia club (or museum I guess it is now)? Used to belong to the McKeesport club myself.

[@djstrains]

The staging was my friends layout. I have made numerous union railroad layouts. My last one I did a few videos of. Like this: Model Railroad Layout Tour. N Scale Union Railroad Part 1 kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGGzaXxjjchrfKc

[@beeble2003]

1:15 Unexpected British passenger train!

[@djstrains]

This is why I love you guys. You catch the cool stuff!! Great eye!

[@beeble2003]

@@djstrains Look up the InterCity 125 for more information. The best part is that British Rail hired a guy to design the paint scheme, but he decided the prototype looked terrible, decided to change the shape of the whole power car, made it more aerodynamic and convinced British Rail that his design was better than theirs!

[@jolliemark6294]

I look at staging as a way to add more trains to a session that just travel through or at part of operating session. That said it can more interest to operations too....thanks for sharing. It is always nice to see and learn about how the real railroads work too....thanks 😜

[@bhproductions1061]

Nice job explaining this the B&P Butler Yard has some staging tracks which looks full all the time

[@shawnpowell5876]

Great video and tutorial abt staging yards. I have my h.o.scale layout picked out and once we get moved into our new home all the fun begins! I'll have a total of 4 tracks for staging and that was the 1st thing to be part of my layout. I wanted to make sure all my rolling stock was incorporated in my switching process. I didn't want any put underneath on a shelf. I'm getting ready to start doing some weathering on my rolling stock w a new airbrush and panpastel powders. Hope you're doing well and thanks for sharing your videos with us along with your time and effort my friend!

[@cdavid8139]

It's amazing what you can do with just a few minutes of weathering per car. Good luck.

[@StormySkyRailProductions]

Excellent ideas and tips!

[@YardLimit]

Great info, DJ!

[@djstrains]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jeffbaker2897]

Great drone shots DJ, yes this is something I really need to consider for my future layout, thanks for sharing your view points on staging 👍, take care buddy & stay safe. 👋😎🛤🚂

[@djstrains]

Glad it was helpful Jeff!

[@oaktadopbok665]

Rolling stock storage (sand hoppers) at our little BNSF yard at Oregon, IL costs $76.00 per day per car.

[@djstrains]

Great info. I was thinking about $50.

[@kamala2111]

Another great vid

[@blueringedoctopus4778]

Staging yard. IMO, it’s a yard that has cars statistically placed to go to an industry without it being “buried” in the middle of a track. It also stages for interchange.

[@zonegamma8197]

nice drone shots

[@djstrains]

Thanks! I have been using the drone for the past 3 years and it really helps show the railroad in a way that looks like a layout.

[@philliplee980]

I have a 3 track stage yard on my layout and 1 have my military train the other is my double stack and the 3rd is my 2 bay open car on it I got a o scale layout

[@djstrains]

nice variety

[@philliplee980]

@@djstrains yes sir plus a few different types of locos as well

[@raymondwedley]

Like your video

[@djstrains]

Thanks, I have over 300 of them. Please watch all of them by next Monday, Lol.

[@michaelmoses8745]

Oh if only I could afford a house to build a model railroad in the basement in n scale. I would probably go crazy in scope.

[@djstrains]

Can you start with a 2'x4' plywood and slide under the bed? When space allows, add on.

[@michaelmoses8745]

@@djstrains Not easily. I'm a poor millenial who lives in his parent's basement and would almost certainly be broke without the cheap rent. I live under 7 miles from my job. Even so, life can be expensive. I would also have to clean out my entire room and reorganize everything. That is more difficult than it would probably be for you, as I more or less do everything I need to live in one room. Before anyone brings up the subject of roommates, I have literally no friends.

[@michaelmoses8745]

I also live in Massachusetts. It's not as bad as California, but it still sucks.

[@jwrailve3615]

I’m 26, started collecting at 14 or so, have built 6 different layouts on literal shoestring budgets and scrapped wood from sub divisions being built where the workers threw away perfectly good plywood. My layout im currently building will literally take me years to afford to complete, right now just to get one of the three decks running will be a 1000$ at minimum, and 2/3 of the thing is already completely built structurally. To complete I wanna say at minimum would be around 6-7000$, just take your time with it. It all seems so out of reach when I type it but I know overtime piece by piece it will one day be what I aim for it to be. If you don’t have any trains starting off, getting a quick small set and a piece of scrap wood with basic scenary items might be 150$ at most, a lot of times even Fb marketplace has people just trying to clean out a garage and end up having steal of a deals on ho and n scale sets. First thing first with any layout is just starting and going for it.

[@CentralPaRailfan]

At 6:12 is that going to be the Amtrak station at Pittsburgh?

[@djstrains]

Yes. It is a 3d printed rotunda awaiting painting and placement. See this video of the layout kzbin.info/www/bejne/onjMpJd6fJqJmdU

[@KutWrite]

Nice job, as usual. I saw no yard office at McKee's Rocks. Where does the yard crew get their orders? Same at Dunbar. I can't help feeling nostalgia for all this. When I was active, McKee's Rocks was, I believe, just a signal post on the way to Neville Island. I had fun glimpsing the people going in & out of the stores there, crawling by on the main line. You get a different view of life from a moving engine.

[@djstrains]

There is no Mckees Rocks yard office for CSX crews. Even during the brief intermodal era, the paperwork was picked up at Demmler, Alliquippa or New Castle.

[@mesenteria]

To be honest, I'm very surprised at the number who claim to have some kind of staging on their layouts. I thought that it would be something in the order of 15-20% tops because so few of us modelers have layouts larger than about 12 X 12. It makes me think that your audience tends to be heavily made up of those with 'medium' to large layouts where helices and staging are as popular, as are the dual levels one often sees in larger layouts. To me, staging means having ready-made trains, trains en-route (you park them there for a while as other things happen on the layout, but the train is out of the way), and it obviates having to put your oily and sweaty hands on the painted items, be they the locomotive(s) or the cars if you really do want to swap out another consist with what you have been running for a while. For example, I have an interest in about seven roads, mostly transition era ((1935-1959 for 99% of N. American railways). It would be unlikely to see a modern CP SD-70M in a yard with a Norfolk & Western or a Santa Fe steamer. I can park entire consists under the layout in my butt-ended staging for weeks, or just for hours, as the mood strikes. Obviously, weeks means more like 'storage track', and not 'staging'. But, if we're only talking 30 minutes in one operating session, it would be staging.

[@djstrains]

I agree actually. I thought the number would be lower too.

[@markjohnson9136]

What drone do you have?

[@djstrains]

amzn.to/3u9cg6l. but in black.

[@renflen7914]

On a double track main, which one is "track1" and which one is "track 2"? You came close to answering that in your video, but never quite got there.

[@KutWrite]

I'll guess it has to do with which direction your lines are going. In our territory at CSX, I believe Track #1 was on the left going S or E. But that changed as one traveled, depending on how the original railroad numbered the tracks. I heard of one place in Ohio where the MAIN track numbers changed at the boundary of a former smaller railroad. So for my money, you can do it as you wish. If you're a stickler for originality, look on line for a map of the prototype and go by it.

[@djstrains]

CSX is a East / West railroad. When we go west, 2 is on left, 1 is on right. All railroads may vary. Try to find a timetable online or for sale at train shows, they have a schematic in them at beginning.

[@mmi16]

Wasn't the McKees Rocks facility originally intended to be a intermodal facility?

[@Gasman1109]

That is correct. They have added a lot of tracks.

[@gvblack2689]

Good question. I live near there and there were gantry cranes the last time I checked that area out crossing the bridge. Edit: Answered down below.

[@djstrains]

yes, but they never generated the business, so they removed the 3 cranes, tore the whole thing up and made this.

[@charlierumsfeld6626]

You showed this long yard before. Where is it and how long is it?

[@djstrains]

Actually whats interesting is that it was a 3 track yard for intermodal years ago. The intermodal failed, so they removed the 3 cranes, tore the whole thing up and made an 18 track yard for Shell Plastics

[@djstrains]

outskirts of Pittsburgh.

[@djstrains]

about 3 miles signal to signal

[@charlierumsfeld6626]

@@djstrains Thank you

[@johnm8342]

No room for staging sadly.. rather a fiddle yard ran by a 050 switcher 😂

[@djstrains]

I have two 0-5-0 switchers. They come in handy. Handy..get it? ((I'll see myself out))

[@johnm8342]

Also… it looks like a truck scale with trailer parking…. Is that right? Anyway… I enjoy your videos… plan to donate when funds materialize.

[@djstrains]

I think you nailed it! The track closest to the hill has the environment protection black tarp for spills. Also some Augers for loading/unloading. So that makes sense to have truck parking at an angle like that.

[@michaelmoses8745]

Under 1k club:)

[@djstrains]

What does that mean?

[@michaelmoses8745]

@@djstrains It means there were under 1,000 views on the video when I first saw it.

[@djstrains]

@@michaelmoses8745 Patience my friend, patience, LOl.

[@royreynolds108]

Rail track engineer experience here. For model purposes, use the smallest number of turnout the equipment will take, keep the tracks as straight as possible, or use the largest radius as possible to help keep derailments down, and use a ladder arrangement of turnouts on both ends(if possible). Yards take up a lot of space and track, real and model; not to mention any other support facilities. A big railroad's shops, car or loco, would be too big to model in entirety.

[@fermitupoupon1754]

The thing with staging yards is the expense of building them. A single manual switch, like say a 24611 costs 15 euro, adding on electric control and the lantern takes that up to 30 euro, adding on digital control to that, takes it up to 50 euro. 50 euro for a single switch. Decoupler track with lantern and appropriate digital controls, 32 euro. Sensor track piece 9 euro, bumper with appropriate light on it, 11 euro. Add in 7 euro a pop for a couple of 360mm straight tracks... The longest consist that can fit on my layout is about 70cm, so let's quickly do the math there... If I want to be able to store 3 of my 4 trains on in the staging yard, I'd need 3 switches, 8 straights, 4 sensors, 4 decouplers, 4 bumpers, and I've probably got an appropriate curve laying about somewhere. It'd set me back about 400 euro... If I were to externalise all the digital controls with a couple of S88s I could probably shave a couple tenners off of that, but that adds wiring complexity. So there's that. So no, I don't have staging of any realistic size or kind on my layout. I don't have the space and I don't feel like it's worth the cost. I'd rather spend that money on buildings, lights, or even Faller Car System to liven up the city scape.

[@geoffreybslater1146]

So do they back into the rails with the yellow bumpers or drive forward into them?

[@djstrains]

You can back cars up towards them, And leave them on that track. Or if you needed to use that track for switching moves, you can pull towards it. But by rule, you are not allowed to touch the bumper. It’s last resort for protection for running off the track

[@kalpeshwani8520]

. ||. || =={[((|||))]}==. Best format ==🛑== ||. !!

[@titusrider7948]

Great video and topic, especially for a modeler. I liked seeing in the prototype that a staging yard can include a curved portion, not just the classic ladder

[@djstrains]

Great point!

[@debbiemilka2251]

DJ, This is a fantastic video. I love how complex it is. They all look super clean. Is there much problems with taggers in places like these? I would imagine cameras would catch anyone with malicious intent .

[@djstrains]

25 years and I have never seen a tagger in action. The railroad doesn't care to be honest, just as long as it doesn't interfere with reading car numbers.

[@paulyoungtrains]

I built a horseshoe-shaped point-to-point shelf layout in my spare 10x10 bedroom with nine separate industries. I put a staging yard in the closet to put together a consist to serve the industries. The layout only goes around three walls, leaving the doorway clear so I don't have to duck under to get into the room. Getting too old for that. 😆

[@djstrains]

Sounds well thought out!!

[@DarrenMalin]

I live in Spain I am looking at maliga station. it is a end of the line station , to me it looks like a staging yard with platforms. I do not see why my staging yard cannot look nice and be part of the layout.

[@andrewlaverghetta715]

I definitely DON'T have room for staging anywhere near any of this on my 2.5'x4' layout if I want to have anything scenic. That being said, I do have a track that's going off to a dead end that I've labeled as neglected and it'll be covered in grass and dirt, but still workable. In the future, I can see this joining up with something else to be possible staging or just something else. Maybe staging AND something else...hmm

[@jameskoryta7197]

A lot of tracks with NO cars? Why?

[@djstrains]

It was just finished when I filmed. It’s packed today

[@CSXEK]

I have a stagging yard on my table and there’s a crossing at the bottom of my staging yard and right next to my csx yard I have a 4 lane divided highway

[@crsrdash-840b5]

I recently added a hidden staging yard to my HO Scale CRSR to allow trains to run from the lower level, arrived into staging, and exit to the upper level with new train.

[@michaelmcdougall4527]

Hello DJ just wanted to take a moment and say thanks to great information just watched the video on staging yards and as a blessing would have it I’m getting ready to build one and now I have some more information to work with also just watch the video on minis with a the printers and that’s gonna be huge thanks for all you do for the industry hope to bump into you someday and shake your hand great stuff man wow🚂🚂

[@djstrains]

I am in the Pittsburgh area, but will be traveling. It would be my pleasure to meet you. I am grateful for people like you and your support.

[@jaydigshistory36]

On Google Maps the paved area in the plastic yard is listed as Intermodal Way. There is a truck scale too… I wonder if it’s set up for a trans load operation.

[@djstrains]

I'm thinking that also

[@Andrea.583]

I didn't know they'd built a rail tunnel under the Atlantic? At 1:18 I see an HST from the UK.............!

[@djstrains]

Its top top top secret, shhhhhhh

[@royreynolds108]

I remember in 1969 when THE FLYING SCOTSMAN plus several cars were shipped over from England for a tour. It came through Shreveport but I wound up sick & didn't get to see it. The "tour" wound up to be 3 or 4 years long before the equipment was shipped back to the UK. The loco had been shipped over to the US in 1937 or 38 and got caught over here for the first part of WWII before being shipped back to England. So "foreign" equipment is not new.

[@bradklingensmith]

Funny how the Rox yard went from a new intermod yard that abruptly closed and now will serve the Cracker plant. The yard at the plant is on the other side of the highway from the plant. I think the parking was from the intermod design.

[@whiteknightcat]

OK, so the yard you overflew at the beginning - would that be considered a Storage In Transit (SIT) yard? If not, could you please explain the difference?

[@djstrains]

I never heard that term used. Where have you heard that term?

[@whiteknightcat]

@@djstrains Down here in Texas. With the UP specifically, I believe.

[@djstrains]

@@whiteknightcat I learned something new. Thanks.

[@canadianlocomotivelogistics]

Your words are you have to go back and add staging to your layout. That’s the fun of having your own layout you get to do it whatever you want, if you don’t want any staging and you’re strictly a mainline that’s fine too

[@ohriver2iais]

We did open staging of trains on the Grafton & Greenbrier model railroad. Then when I worked for Triple Crown out of Fort Wayne, IN our yard looked like a staging yard all the time, yet we would switch through road trains throughout the night. Then here on the IAIS in Silvis we have a few tracks dedicated to "staging" trains for a few days before we are ready to run them through. So both professional & modeling staging yards are indeed needed and can be used wisely when done right.

[@oldman975]

Have you ever thought of taking a trip to North Platte,Nebraska and flying your drone over Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard? It would probably take at least 2 days. You’d need at least a two car garage,the whole garage,to model that yard in N scale. I really dig your videos.

[@djstrains]

1,100 miles (17 hours non stop driving) so I’d need to fly and have someone local take me around. Anyone? Anyone?

[@michaelmoses8745]

Only 1,100 miles. Not too bad. I've endured worse.

[@railfanningpoints2.045]

👍

[@kinnywolf2255]

Great video

[@djstrains]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@DruSteel69]

Great video, Dj. Thanks for sharing the knowledge. Have a great holiday weekend.

[@djstrains]

Same to you

[@josephcirillo5292]

Always educational and fun DJ.....I have several spurs on my 6x8 O scale layout but no staging tracks...just not enough room....I have also added an interchange track where I do most of my switching cars in and out....all by hand-crane...definitely add more fun and interest...BTW: the drone shots always look great!!!

[@djstrains]

hand crane...the 0-5-0.. I have 2 of them, LOl.

[@cdavid8139]

So think of this Joseph...a single track interchange yard can be your staging yard. Just as DJ wisely said. I've worked with several shortlines and the interchange (staging) or setout/pickup track for Class I thru freights are just one or two tracks. Having one staging track (interchange) and several industry spurs is....very prototypical

[@bobm1625]

Love seeing the Conrail engines!

[@djstrains]

He has sooo much cool stuff. See the layout here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/onjMpJd6fJqJmdU

[@woods840]

What happened to the intermodal plans here? Obviously it was a bust...

[@djstrains]

My PERSONAL opinion is that they failed to underbid NS. We never picked up more than 3 cars a day. So much truck traffic potential. I blame the sales and marketing team.

[@lessmith9422]

That great maybe you should be the Boss. Like in the Military the Sergeants and the Chiefs take care of the Lieutenants. I was not worried about the Lieutenants but some of the ldiots in Home office

[@djstrains]

I am on boss #45 in my 24 year career. Let that sink in, lol.

[@Dachamp2001]

I'm a o gauge guy & have more or less a classification yard lol 😆 that 4 way yard switch with 6 whiskers takes up alot of room 24' long switch. 🤣 I had a supposedly passing siding but it's more of a rip track if anything. DJ I didn't think CSX would let a private industry company run there locomotives down the line from the cracker plant to the other staging yard. There on site yard is hudge as it is. Then behind it I think csx also has a customer behind the plant they serve if it's still there

[@djstrains]

The shell employs and engines stay in their yard. We just have a local move cars from plant to mckees rocks. It’s still in the early stages to see if there will be unit trains of hoppers, or just blocks of cars picked up by passing trains. The Alliquippa local works Shell, BASF, nova and then National gypsum

[@Dachamp2001]

@@djstrains For a passing train having to cut cars on the main to grab cars out of the staging yard and reconnect to there train has to be cumbersome to pump up the air brakes specially on a long train hope it doesn't take to long. I seen the B&LE sit in the yard a good bit to pump up the air system on there train Before CN 🙄 took over

[@djstrains]

@@Dachamp2001 Here is the best part. In most of our yards, the cars are on GROUND AIR which keeps the brake system fully charged. Saves time and if cars are OFF AIR for more than 24 hours, we have to personally inspect each car.

[@dennisp4395]

I enjoy trains. Since age 6 with an O gauge model. So when I came across this channel I was thrilled. Other channels are abundant with trains, some with really thorough technical verbage, but no so far with this sort of in depth simplified(through illustrations) technical explanations. It deepens interest, in my opinion, in teains. Please, keep up this enjoyable and educational channel. It'll bring more individuals, young and older, to a fascinating profession.

[@djstrains]

Thanks Dennis. I have over 300 videos, so I organized them to help people find things easier: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKDRp4qvfrKojJI

[@williamsakalaucks6335]

I run in large scale. My outdoor layout is a single loop with a planned interurban siding. My indoor attic layout has two staging/storage yards.

[@coyleodell2884]

Are hump yards still in use? MoPac built one in NLR, Ark where my dad worked. I was able to watch it in use as it staged trains

[@coyleodell2884]

many moons ago

[@djstrains]

There is one used by Norfolk southern in Pittsburgh.kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHW3Y4Fohd6of7M

[@kens.3729]

Your Explanations are Very Clear and Very Detailed. We know a Professional when we hear it. Thanks DJ.👍🙏

[@djstrains]

I appreciate that!

[@markjolyn94]

Great video DJ!!

[@djstrains]

Thanks!!

[@lessmith9422]

I enjoy watching your videos very much as I subscribe to it.I just want to say be very careful about what you say about the company you work for because if someone higher up does not like it you may fine yourself out of work as it does not take much after the age of 50-55 and you will not really know why. again thanks for the videos😀

[@djstrains]

I am on boss #45 in 24 years. I know what not to say and do, and have outlasted them all, lol

[@mhbpodnk]

Great video but I have a question if you don’t mind answering y do train crews always carry so much stuff when boarding a train looks like there going on vacation

[@djstrains]

LOL! We stay in a hotel at an away from home terminal. Sometimes up to 30 hours.

[@cdavid8139]

Even for local crews not staying away from a home terminal your 'grip' might be larger than you expect. In it you might have rule books, a log if you keep it, your lunch, extra waters, snacks and in many cases your own personal tool set. (Duct tape, pry bar, more duct tape, pliers, channel-locks and more duct tape).

[@richgreene7043]

DJ, thank you for this informative, and interesting video. Rich

[@djstrains]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jwrailve3615]

I have both a east and west staging, east staging holds two trains and a grain silo industry, and the west staging takes 2 trains as well, both stagings are at each end of the yard on my layout, both stagings can hold 2 10-12 car trains and the yard the era I model around a 100 cars can fit with 75 or so modern. All three branch lines I model all end up either from either staging or the yard if it’s a local. Without staging I feel like my layout wouldn’t be capable of truly grasping the prototypical operations I set out to run. Each ops session will be just the next day starting March 1st 1910- June 1935, around that time is when parts of my branch lines were abandoned one is entirely, and through to the 60’s operations will slowly only include specific industries that still operated, with an occasional modern sesh that runs the only remaining industry of the three branch lines that is still rail served rarely but still today.

[@djstrains]

Pretty neat

[@BNSFGuy4723]

Thanks for your videos DJ, although my layout isn’t big enough for a staging yard, I might implement one when I build a new layout one day

[@djstrains]

Go for it!

[@ThisWorks4Me]

While I don't have formal staging, but my layout is a single mainline, except for a helix mid run. The helix is tripled track and over a scale mile and a quarter long. Trains coming off the helix on the lower level are heading west and enter Owosso Yard. I tend to stack two trains one the inner track, which is primarily a yard lead. By the way, I got the idea of the yard lead paralleling the main from one of your videos.

[@djstrains]

Awesome!

[@1babysag]

Fascinating video. I never realized that staging could be so interesting. I knew it had to have value or railroads would not do it. Now I understand why it is done. By the way, was your daughter in the Pirates of Penzance? I can only think of just a few musicals (and in this case a Gilbert & Sullivan Opera) that have a pirate theme. Maybe it was Peter Pan.

[@djstrains]

She was a pirate in Peter Pan. Her boyfriend is Captain Hook. I embarrassed 2 for the price of one. Dad wins

[@Zebrails]

In my roster of trains, I included the Length of each piece in the description. So that I can calculate the totals in HO scale and "future" plan my track-storage requirements if ever I get my rolling stock out of their resting places ( Costco strawberry flats) . What I wonder, though, is the "measurement" of each "pulled" piece of rolling stock. Take a 40 foot boxcar... not including the couplers, the body is 40 foot long, while the couplers add from one to four feet per end, depending on the type of coupler and if it's attached to the body or truck assembly. I don't really have a "standard freight car length" ... so, I wonder how you determine your staging/switching/rec'-depart yard tracks. My "era" of rolling stock range from the late 1800's to a few years after the ridding of cabooses. A loaded multi-question/inquiry, if when you can address the length identities. John BC, Canada (nee WA, WI, MN, OK, but not in that order) p.s. When I watch your videos, it does nothing but fill up my depressive mind with a "Go do it" form of motivation. Eventually when my adverse distractions are gone, I will start building shelves, track... and start rolling trains on a loop. I will have both DC and DCC-capable running sessions. Your videos are "motivational-fodder" for my 53 year old mind and heart. Thank you.

[@djstrains]

I sincerely appreciated that. I really am trying to motivate people to start small, even if just a module. Just start

[@rrowan327]

Hi DJ, I have a question about high hood locos. I like trains as a fan and modeler (so this is only an armchair opinion from me). They would seem like a pain to operate by not seeing as much as a low hood. Have you ever operated one and your thoughts or other engineers about them? Thanks Rick

[@djstrains]

I have only been in a high nose at museums, but you are correct. We often run a gp 40 backwards on locals and it sucks, really really sucks

[@jeffreyhunt1727]

Fantastic video, thanks for posting this!

[@davidcurtis5398]

"Have to" no DJ, but we might Need to... As for me - no...

[@Vector_QF8]

Closing in on 50K #djstrains - 👍!!! Great informative video as always!

[@djstrains]

950,000 to go Baby!!!! Let’s hit a million!!

[@area5097]

The parking area looks like truck parking, likely pneumatic bulk tanks. The shorter siding directly next to it looks like a possible transload operation.

[@djstrains]

Yeah, the more I look at that it makes sense.

[@emyfire]

Is that parking area a leftover from its very short life as a brand new intermodal terminal/yard?

[@djstrains]

@@emyfire I have to review drone footage but I am not 100% sure, you may be right.

[@JustAGamerA]

thats exactly what it is.

[@B-and-O-Operator-Fairmont]

I remember CSX's Grafton, WV yard circa 1990 between about 3 and 4 in the afternoon. Westbound trains would be lined up across the four tracks waiting to depart. Open air staging at its finest! As a side note, in the 1970s B&O and PC / Conrail would have liked to have had MAIN LINE tracks in as good a shape as the yard tracks at McKee's Rocks.

[@djstrains]

I worked Newell to Grafton last year. I should go there with the drone. Lots of cool old buildings there also.

[@mikehowey4869]

I'm planning on a hidden staging yard for my layout.Haven't worked out the details yet.

[@olegray3705]

Can’t wait to get my layout completed! Love your videos

[@djstrains]

Yay! Thank you!