model train set on track

New Trackage in the Yard

e*Train Issue: Jun 2008   |   Posted in:

By Mike Stella

It has been almost 20 years since Lionel Lines (The Largest Lionel Railroad on my Block) track pushed over the mountains and reached its Western Terminus.  Cost saving measures in effect at that time made use of many 0-22 size switches that were cut down and modified to be used in yards and on various sidings.

Also, it should be noted that the largest locomotives available at that time would all negotiate an 0-22 switch.  Shortly after the completion of the railroad, there began to show up 4-8-8-4’s and other gigantic pieces of motive power that became “restricted” to a limited portion of the main line.

I’ve been stockpiling Hirth Century 100 switches as well as 0-72’s over the past 10 years or so with the intention of redoing several bottleneck areas.  The time has finally arrived and this is the second location where old 0-22’s are being replaced.

Mainline freight trains arrive in this yard “under the wire” and this runaround is required for the electric locomotives to leave their trains for the local switcher to sort while the road crew heads for the engine house.

New catenary is already being strung and in the future we will do an update showing yard operations as well as the beautiful passenger terminal that plays host to a wide variety of varnish.  Until then, happy collecting AND operating!

Runaround trackage as built using cut down 0-22 switches.
Old track removed getting ready for longer 0-72 switches.
New switches in place but catenary yet to be installed.