On track arrangements

[Nick_Burman]

Hi all,

 

Am I right in thinking that in Japanese stations there is a tendency to try and keep tracks as parallel to each other as much as possible? I'm talking with stations with goods facilities, or even the goods yards themselves - in the UK or even in the USA track tended to fan in every possible direction and angle (especially in British goods yards, some of them looked like huge hand fans), while the few Japanese station plans I have in hand show tracks keeping paralel to each other as much as possible - is it true or were there exceptions? I'm drawing new track plans for a future set of modules and I need some feedback on the arrangements.

 

Cheers NB

[Densha]

I don't know much about it, but maybe try looking on google maps. For example this container yard near Osaka station: http://goo.gl/maps/wYRYt

And there's also yahoo maps and bing maps if a certain area has bad sattelite images on either website. Some places in Bing have bird's view photos, those are really great references as well.

And here an example of Matsuyama station that has passenger platforms, and service facilities for passenger stock (I think), but the concept could also be done with freight I think.

Edited May 17, 2013 by Densha

[bill937ca]

I think container siding stations are straight since that just makes it easier to process containers.  You can load passengers on a gently curving platform but it could be more difficult to load a container on a train with a fork lift.

 

From videos I can tell there a lot of curving platforms, probably about the equalvent of 718mm in N scale. A wiring diagram may not be reflective of the actual geographic layout, but what works best on paper.

 

Example:

 

http://www.rail.ac/kobe/route/route200202.gif

 

I don't think any line is that straight.

 

Its hard to tell from wiring diagrams just where the freight handling facilities are. 

 

There seem to a series of small yards within larger station complexes.

 

http://senrohaisenzu.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/2010/08/post-5c53.html

 

http://senrohaisenzu.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/2010/06/post-1a54.html

 

Tracks go all different ways at Tsuyama roundhouse.

 

http://www2.ocn.ne.jp/~tablet/image/roundhouse/tsuyama_sta_05.jpg

 

http://www2.ocn.ne.jp/~tablet/roundhouse/tsuyama_sta.html

 

Kanagawa Shimmachi station on the Keikyu Main Line has track going all over the place.

 

http://dic.nicovideo.jp/oekaki/152588.png

 

http://dic.nicovideo.jp/a/%E7%A5%9E%E5%A5%88%E5%B7%9D%E6%96%B0%E7%94%BA

Edited May 17, 2013 by bill937ca

[bill937ca]

This is a coal mine.

 

http://hwm3.gyao.ne.jp/kaneta-ichirou/layout-kaijima6.html

 

From the same web site more coal mine wiring diagrams.

 

http://hwm3.gyao.ne.jp/kaneta-ichirou/layout-cr.html

 

I'm searching in Japanese for railway wiring diagram with the aid of Google Translate.

Edited May 17, 2013 by bill937ca

[bill937ca]

This web site focuses on a Tokaido Line wiring diagram (Abe - Toyohashi ). At West Hamanatsu it has tracks all over the place and the translated text mentions a freight station, Japan Tobacco and a cement terminal. 

 

http://llkusaba.karou.jp/eki/tokaido_d2.htm

[Nick_Burman]

Thanks Bill and all for their input. I think I didn't explain properly when I said "tracks all over the place"; what I wanted to say/mean was tracks strewn helter-skelter all over the place, like in this drawing http://nr.mediastorehouse.com/kings_cross_great_northern_railway_london_goods_station_1866_1866/print/6235871.html - you can see tracks flying in all directions at the same time. Looking at the drawings and pages on the messages, I noticed that the Japanese do have a slightly different approach - they bundle their tracks in parallel groups, but angle these groups if necessary. With is input I did a few changes in my track plan designs.

 

Cheers NB

[KenS]

Nick,

 

It's not exclusive to the Japanese, many US yards tend to the same approach of "mostly straight bundles of parallel tracks". That said, I think the Japanese (at least in the Tokyo are that I've researched) seem to work that way more often. I think there's a simple explanation for that.

 

Parallel track are most efficient of space if all you have are cars to store. Given Japan's shortage (and value) of flat real-estate, I don't think that it's surprising that a lot of yards, both the older freight marshalling yards and contemporary MU storage yards, tend to parallel tracks. Some modern examples:

 

The shin-Tsurumi freight yard has a very linear layout. This is also true of the Kawasaki Freight Terminal (a linear layout) and much of the combined Tokyo Freight Terminal and Oi Vehicle Base (mostly linear, with some parts wrapped around others).

 

However, some uses tend to need more land around the tracks for loading.  The modern version of the goods track is the container terminal, where wide aprons for storing containers, along with maintenance facilities can sprawl, even in the dense confines of urban Tokyo. Witness the Sumida River Station (Sumidagawa Station), which fans out rather widely, and even has a slightly offset facility which may be a repair show (northwest corner).

 

A slightly older version is the Onagi River freight yard (see the Japanese Wikipedia page for an aerial photo from 1989), which is mostly linear.

 

Where you are more likely to have sprawling bundles are where geographic constraints (or available real-estate around buildings that can't easily be torn down) force tracks to be in less optimal arrangements. The Japanese seem more willing than many to bulldoze the old flat and start over with a clean slate when needs evolve.