Railroad Yards to Model. Tips for making a yard for your layout

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Designing a layout is tough, yards don't have to be. This is simple, yet effective and may be what you need.
Check out my playlists for prototype modeling, scenery, life as an engineer, and more. All videos are great! Watch them all!! Lol.
Please don't copy me. Be yourself, one of me is enough.
Thanks,
DJ

[@sherrypilorski8975]

Nothing better then hearing your voice after a long day of work, and that great HD video.

[@djstrains]

what job are you on this week, I haven't looked at the boards.

[@sherrypilorski8975]

@@djstrains I work for cintas

[@elsdp-4560]

THANK YOU...for sharing. Four wheeler looks like he doesn't care about railroad laws:)

[@djstrains]

funny story, i wanted to clothesline him but then found out he is related to one of our drivers, lol.

[@carlmiller8978]

I'm retired Machinist out of Cumberland Loco Shop. Made several repair work trips to Newell so CSX didn't loose turn in rotation to NS for loaded coal drags. Every one there was extremely helpful to get me blue flag protected for me to work. Was over 15 years ago. Hate getting old. Be safe!!

[@southjersey10]

The yellow tie; the “no foul” indicator”. That one bit of information makes my small layout designs more functional. This is my favorite video in your series. Thx.

[@LS3Jack]

I really enjoyed the explanation of how the yard is layed out and how it operates. Great video, keep them coming. -Jack

[@coxsj]

So much good stuff in these narrated drone vids. The operational explanations are invaluable. Even simple things like track names and the history behind them is great fodder for modeling. One thing that jumps out at me is all the track details like ballast (never uniform in yards), grease on turnouts, ties of differing colors, as well as all the adjacent non-track details like roads, tire tracks in cleared land, drainage ditches, on and on.

[@fredbartels3958]

Another great video DJ! I like the way that you provide prototypical and modeling information. Always a good balance between the two. The reference to yellow and white painted ties is probably new info for those not in the railroad industry.

[@wolfpack4694]

Finally! Some real explanations! Thanks! I hear over 300 ppl a year are killed trespassing on rr property. Not to be messed with. Drones are a great tool for rr companies. Love it!

[@tomstarcevich1147]

Very good modeling ideas great drone footage 🚂🚃🚃🚃😊

[@railbuilderdhd]

Nice video DJ. Thanks for the yellow and white painting tips

[@westonward735]

Very interesting video. I haven't modeled trains in maybe 30 or 35 years? I remember the SDs were the new engines. My brother and I always butted heads. I liked old Steam and he liked mid-century diesel. I live in Elkhart, Indiana. We have a pretty good sized yard here with a hump. I've seen it up close years ago before it was Conrail. Great video.

[@17leeward]

Hi from the UK. I'm just looking at designing a model railroad. As you may know, here in the UK we don't space to build basement empires so Riverton is a real inspiration. Thanks for putting this up. I've now subscribed and am about to binge watch more of them.

[@djstrains]

Thank you so much!

[@Mike-tg7dj]

Very interesting. I agree no trespassing. All it takes is one slip up and you're spending the rest of your life in a wheelchair ....if you're lucky. Hey if I build but us your idea I'll give you credit, but I want to build it so it looks authentic and what better way to do so than model it on a real working railroad.

[@jerrysmith1929]

Your drone has been a nice addition to your videos. I have seen painted spots on the side of rails as an alternative to painting a tie.

[@gmburzynski68]

The foul indication,,cool point not many people know. At the CNW Proviso Yard in Northlake.Ill. In the mid 90's we did the same thing,,but,,,we had three ties paint dayglo orange,,with a single roadside marker fastened to middle of the three ties. It was about 2 foot tall and flexible so when the equipment went over it,,it would bend and not break. These were used in all the yards in Proviso,,2,4,5,7,9. 5 was the hump,,67 tracks. The markers came in handy when the trimmers would shove the tracks to create more head space for hump yard master. Great video,,,nice shots for weathering. Greg

[@bnsfnscale]

Very nice drone shots and explaining how things work in the yard. Thanks for sharing.....Remco

[@jolliemark6294]

GREAT TIPS DJ, like these little videos and explanations, and yes trespassing is not cool, your help with these videos are much appropriated....thanks for sharing....Jack 😉

[@jamescarryl9690]

DJ, I would NEVER even dream of tresspassing on any RR property. Cause to here's so much info on the internet. Run trains

[@jefwisse1957]

I should have watched this before I started to built my railroad yard. However I didn't have to much space to create a large yard. Greetings from the Netherlands.

[@brantleyhester6641]

I have wondered for so long why the RR companies painted some of their ties. Thank you for that

[@uptownphotography]

Very well detailed video. Thanks for the link. Great advice to tell people to stay away from these private property areas. That would be very dangerous for sure. Phil NYC Area

[@richardbedard1245]

Your perspective as a CSX engineer (you get to run the BIG trains) and the use of a drone has taught me stuff I would have been unable to experience by myself. It's priceless!

[@djstrains]

I love to teach, because i knew nothing growing up. See my most recent video.

[@fgeneturner]

The footage that you provide gives a lot of information for detailing and colouration of ballast as well as the fouling point yellow tie information (I used that on my N-scale layout years ago in the fiddle yard... but didn't realize that it was actually prototypical). Thanks for your time and effort doing the video and the explanations of the track usage.

[@DanielParmelee]

The painted ties, such a great addition for operations. Great video!

[@georgiasunbelt]

Nice info. Thanks DJ

[@craigsummers131]

really appreciate the 1st hand insight you bring ...

[@tylerfrizzell7998]

Very cool view! Thanks for taking the time to video the location.

[@scottpool4777]

Yes thank you now I’m going to know how to build my yard up A.CHAL gauge thank you🤝

[@stevenrobinson1379]

Lots of great ideas! Thanks for all you do!

[@sparkslightingable]

Great Video. Very useful

[@kamala2111]

Enjoyed the video and tips

[@InvertLogic]

Very useful reference! I am designing my compact new layout and this will be helpful in that process.

[@JoeG-firehousewhiskey]

These are some awesome tips, thanks for linking it to the layout aspect also.

[@sernajrlouis]

Want more yard videos. Lol. Do a reboot like the steel makin video. I love watching them .

[@djstrains]

More to come!

[@thomassalerno5203]

Outstanding Drone/Video as always Thanks for the proto pointers Much appreciated!

[@jcschwendiman7984]

Great video with useful info regarding modeling. Keep em coming .

[@HenrikSweden1]

Ah your videos are great ! I think you are the first to use dronevideos and at the same time givning us viewers lots of information. And for free ! Thanks a lot , keep up the good work!

[@djstrains]

I believe I am one of the very few actual engineers who do these tutorials, and I wanted to be the first to do drones. I am against charging for videos since I have been making them free for a decade. However, editing software monthly subscription just went up again, and the website cost me monthly too, so I decided to accept donations through PayPal for those who want to support this and help offset my rising costs. www.paypal.me/djstrains

[@garynugent4400]

I like this DJ cause many times I've seen where layouts that are small build a large yards. Or bite off more than they really need. AWESOME thanks for the video and references! Be Safe out there brother!

[@joegold6122]

Thank you for what you do. I do respect railroad property. Thanks to you and all you do the tips are invaluable.

[@adriengadson3544]

Good information on the painted ties. I can use this on my layout. ..thx

[@nathandelay]

Very cool DJ

[@garypyke1576]

Good information. Thank you for sharing

[@AlohaMilton]

Thanks a ton for this helpful description of small yards for ops!

[@matthewzeppieri2226]

Great video and so interesting! I am definitely using the yellow reference marks. Will help me avoid some collisions.

[@Horse2021]

Even being on public spaces while taking photos is no guarantee that you wont be stopped and questioned by local law enforcement officers.. Happened many years ago while getting pictures of a small yard that serves the Portsmouth Marine Terminal and Portsmouth Port of Virginia intermodal areas in my neck of the woods. Thankfully these days there are many other means of getting visuals.

[@simonjacobs9616]

Great information dj love watching your footage, helping me immensely on my layout.

[@sparky107107]

nice DJ.. i too say stay off the tracks.. yards,, we all have cameras that will zoom .. no need to get to close for that perfect shot.

[@DGModelworks]

Great Great info! Thanks DJ, you provided me with some prototypical info and also encouraged people to think outside the box. This is honestly a different perspective for me also. ~Deryk

[@theenigmaticgamer]

Great video, full of really useful information. Thanks for sharing.

[@daveolliemetalhead]

Good video those homes must shake a lot.

[@jdmills4370]

That Boston and Maine is Mike Hamer’s layout. He also has some very well done videos on the tube. I know it from CNLVN channel here.

[@matthewjones1119]

Can you do a video on the roundhouse and the old part of the roundhouse that’s falling apart?

[@djstrains]

I have never got too close to it because I don't want a flat tire riding my vehicle there. If the weather allows, I may try. Not sure how close I can get without the drone, so maybe I'll fly it down instead.

[@nc_mtbmedic1399]

Pretty cool, thanks

[@dirkmontgomery5983]

That looks like a nice little town knowll

[@TheAardvarkguy]

Hi from the U.K. 🇬🇧 Brilliant upload. Brilliant info- as always🛤👍 Thank you sir.

[@richgreene7043]

Nice, well done video. Thanks for sharing the Yard info. Very interesting and inspiring. I may build a Yard like those in the future. Rich

[@geraldmarcus947]

As a retired csxt engineer I did work in both of those yards as a p&le engineer . Little has changed since the middle /80s There was a bunk house with about 6 beds in Newell west end near the run around track I spent many hrs waiting for my coal train to arrive at Newell . Be careful out there

[@djstrains]

I appreciate the insight and welcome all your comments on my videos from your experience. Have a great 2020.

[@NSNUT2013]

There is one engine I would so love to model, and that would be csxt 751. It has the same number as my department's aerial platform, but have never seen it in person......and probably wont ever, but would be fun to have a mini version of it. I'm also in elmira, ny.......and rarely csx comes through

[@conecuhvalleyttrak]

Nice video. I like how Newell Yard is arranged. That might work for a T-Trak yard.

[@eagleriverandkankakeerailr6042]

Excellent video, really helpful. Why did I never think to paint a tie yellow on my layout?

[@ianroberts6929]

This is a great idea, thanks for showing us these yards! I model US railroading from here in the UK so I can't visit all these cool locations so your films will be a treasure trove of useful information and inspiration. I've subscribed!

[@djstrains]

awesome. Please see my other videos, I hope you love them.

[@andrewsmith9575]

Awesome video DJ! Thank you!

[@djstrains]

Glad you liked it!

[@francisresch6654]

Great work. Really appreciate the inside information. Love, love the drone work. Please keep it up. In my last layout I ran my staging for long consists along the front outside of the layout. I faced it with plexiglass and covered it with a removable street scene. Worked great.

[@djstrains]

new video today:kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaDWoZarppuIqNk

[@libra3655]

Great footage and great explanation. I'm still in the fantasizing stage of my layout, but yards are the one thing I'm trying to get done right. The closest yard to me is Pavonia in Camden, NJ and it's tough to observe for more than a few minutes because of location and lack of visibility. And as a larger yard it's not very feasible for me to model something small scale.

[@bansheeo3831]

Very helpful 🤘🏾

[@b3j8]

Thanks! Some great ideas here.

[@djstrains]

Glad it was helpful!

[@merrillwheeland7052]

Thank you for your veidos with the drome. I get a chance to see the roofs of factory's, and tops of holding tanks. Otherwise I would never get to see. Sorry for the spelling, but thanks I watch a lot of them. Merrill Prr.

[@jonathansabatino3987]

very wll done and interesting

[@robd2184]

Interesting

[@mitchelltstrains4799]

Very interesting video.

[@stevelanglands9136]

DJ, video couldn't have come at a better time. Just cleaned out the garage and am about to start building the bench-work. Still tossing up on scale, N or HO but the video gave me some great ideas on smaller yards if I go with HO.

[@Mercatoyd]

Another really great video..the layout that you showed the track plan with the outside staging .. that RR was in Model Railroader a number of years ago.. I wish I had the issue date for you. But, it's owned by Mike Hammer and there are four videos about it on Chris Lyons channel.. CNLVN,, Mike Hammer's B&M.. they are really good, well worth the view.

[@maciejqantas5535]

Very interesting and useful movie! :)

[@steve87thpsap]

Very good video and explanation. So you asked for some suggests. Any chance to get some actual industry cuts to see how to layout for different industries? Especially some of the smaller to medium ones and maybe multiple industry setup like in a business park? These are great explanation but I think more of us do local trains over the big unit trains. Thank you and keep up the great work.

[@djstrains]

Ok, I will try very soon.

[@sonnypruitt6639]

Using Google Earth to check out rail yards can be a big help.

[@yancyroston5617]

Thanks DJ. I'm new to model railroading and I have been looking for solid info about setting up my yard and tracks. I have been buying a lot of track & accessories and only have one engine but plan to have more later. Ill be listening for more info cause I have a lot of questions . Thanks again for the information.

[@djstrains]

go to my KZbin channel and look for PLAYLISTS. I organized all my videos to help you find what you need faster.

[@wurlitzer1538]

I see you were out at Riverton the same day I was out. Shot Amtrak at Schenley Tunnel minutes earlier

[@djstrains]

If you ever see me in public, stop me and say hi.

[@johnathanlewis2049]

Newell is just up the tracks from Brownsville. The other yard’s aren’t far away either I believe.

[@djstrains]

Riverton is basically McKeesport (40 miles)

[@KutWrite]

Hi DJ. When you say "Don't copy me" do you mean when you video the yards, or your track layout? Newell was where I was originally hired for just before the Conrail split. I wouldn't have had the seniority to hold it, but I was curious to see it. The yard office was still under construction there. You're right, it doesn't look like a yard, so I guess they meant we'd catch the trains at Newell. My main impression was what a dump Brownsville was, yet how beautiful the area looked. I guess going south (RR East) the trains head for the mines. Are those in W VA? I've never seen pictures or videos of 'em, though I'll bet YT has some. What's the end terminal for crews headed that way? Going north (RR West), I'm sure the tracks follow the Mon, but what's the end terminal for crews going that way? Demmler sure is smaller, and more spacious than I remember it. We were cautioned to keep an eye peeled due to close clearances, especially near that main. We did stop there going west to pick up or set off cars using the west lead that's gone now. It was a signaled siding & I believe we had to get permission from the dispatcher to take the switch out of motor to head in there. We had to do that at a siding near Glassport, too. Those runs were good lessons in RR procedure. See you on the next one!

[@oubrioko]

I'd be tempted to say, *new-ull* with two syllables... but _Newell_ is pronounced, *nooll* (one syllable). Pennsylvania has some wicked cool pronunciations 👍🏾

[@terenfro1975]

Is Amtrak ever on time?

[@phillipsakalik4877]

Awesome video! So excited for your upcoming vids as well! Is Demmler yard where all the Coke Express cars and URR locomotives can be seen across the river from Duquesne? If you could do a vid on that area I’d love it.

[@djstrains]

I was going to do it, but there was too much activity, and I didn't want to distract the crews. As weather improves, I may try soon.

[@UnionPacificFan]

Whoa....whats with those super liners...I thought auto train was the only one to use superliners on the east coast.

[@sherrypilorski8975]

Any chance we can get a video or pictures of what an inside of a yard office looks like?

[@djstrains]

you know its a torture chamber

[@davidkamensky5924]

How far back are yellow ties from the switch, so I can be believe. The space in between that are parallel trackes, too.

[@djstrains]

before we painted them, how you determined the clearance point was to stand on the rail and extend your arm. If you could touch the car in the next track, then you were too close.

[@Nscalestuff]

@@djstrains on NS, they are green, and in alot of places we have green reflectors the same style as on highways, and are mounted to the crossties. For NS, the lines are 225ft from the switch point, or 4 1/2 car lengths

[@joeahearn4413]

The video will be useful in designing a yard on my layout, so thanks for the images. Also, where is the yard located?

[@djstrains]

CSX Google Maps: McKeesport for Riverton and also see Newell, Pa.

[@dylanhale7300]

So the 2nd yard, the coal one, basically works like a nascar pit road...

[@djstrains]

hahaha

[@austinyingst5902]

Very interesting. The diagram was helpful. Why so many tracks for whole trains?

[@djstrains]

timing of coal trains, I guess.

[@ypop417]

So if your town is split by train tracks how do you know if you were born on the wrong side of the tracks with one hospital

[@RWSBaden]

Hi DJ, Nice video. Looks like there have been some changes in both yards since the P&LE days, I guess time marches on. If you want to check out the changes, have a look at the historic aerials site ( www.historicaerials.com/viewer ) (P.S. This is a great site for people who model earlier eras ) The aerial from 1969 seems to be the clearest photos. It's funny how some things change from railroad to railroad, our clearance ties are painted green. Cheers, Rich S.

[@Dachamp2001]

The other yard out of view is that the one union RR runs in/out of?

[@djstrains]

dexter is union, demmler is attached and is csx

[@westmorelandcountyfiresire4947]

Me: *sees UP dash 8* Also me: *Almost passes out*

[@Wild-Dad]

That is a cool note about the coloured ties! I will have to remember that. Is that a corp standard or can I go down to any yard and see these ties in place? If so, are these telltale signs found in Canada as well? Is flying a drone over a yard trespassing?

[@djstrains]

I think NS uses orange paint. There are a million drone laws. I have been studying for my commercial license. I would advise others and non employees from doing so.

[@Wild-Dad]

djstrains - I was just asking because I live in the GTA region of Ontario and grew up in north eastern Ontario. CP, CN and the ONR are the railways I grew up with and now that also includes GO Transit here in the GTA. I don’t remember seeing markings of any kind on any freight or passenger marshalling yards up here in this part of Canada. I will have to take a look at Google maps photos of the 8 major marshalling yards in the GTA to see if such marking are used.

[@Wild-Dad]

djstrains - flying a drone is getting very restrictive in our country as well. 😢 😡

[@MITracks]

Where is riverton yard located? Trying to find it on google maps

[@djstrains]

look for McKeesport, Pa