A little change makes for big changes to operation on the CSFT

For some time I have been thinking of changing the Calumet South yard approach on the CSFT. I had a basic idea of what I wanted to acheive but didn't have the time to make the change without too many disruptions to operating the CSFT.

Holidays! Tis the season to make the change.

Today, the first day of my holidays, I embarked on an epic journey of discovery to the model train supplies shop in town and purchased the necessary equipment. Then I set about making the change. Some before and after photos and track plans follow.

This small change will allow considerable changes to how the yard hog and arriving and departing trains interact with the yard.

• The yard hog can now continue to switch cars until the arriving train is ready to back into the yard rather than having to stop switching the east end of the yard just to allow approaching trains to go east of the yard approach. In other words, the yard now has a proper drill track independent of the thoroughfare track!
• The Forest Junction Team Tracks and Petra Stone spur can now be switched without using the thoroughfrare track at all.
• The yard runaround track at the east end of the yard now has an extra car capacity. It might not sound like much, but it will make switching facing and trailing spurs more realistic and considerably easier (but not too easy!).
• The Yard / Forest Junction drill track can also be used as a passing loop so a train from Illinook Industrial Park and a train from Calumet South can now pass each other. This might not ever actually occur, but it's kind of nice to think that it can.