Yards around the Empire Valley

What's a railroad without yards? Rail yards are used to classify and route trains in the real world.

Around the layout, yards are used for storage and operation. Photos will be added showing the different types of yards on the railroad.

Staging Yards

Being a model railroad, these are almost a necessity. These yards are used to store and "stage" trains that will travel over the sceniced portions of the layout.

Atlas I & Atlas II yards are located at the bottom level of the helix. Thay can hold entire trains in the range of 10 to 20 cars in length.

Entrance to Atlas Yards:

Atlas I Yard

Atlas II Yard

The plastic tubes you see on the tracks are the "train orders" for that particular train.

PECO Yard is another low level staging yard. Unlike Atlas I & II yards it only has direct access through one side of the helix (from the upper level).

The last group of stagging yards all share the same real estate. Depending upon which way one enters the yard, it has a specific name. Entering from Kingston, it's called Rondout Yard. Entering from Ravena, it's called Albany Yard. Entering from Paterson, it's called Paterson Yard. (Confused yet? It is not really that bad)

Imagine entering this photo from the bottom. The three tracks on the lower left are part of Albany Yard. The next six are part of Rondout Yard, the remianing tracks to the right are part of the Rondout coach yard. If you enter the yard from the top of the photo, it's Paterson Yard.

When entering from the left of this photo, Four tracks on the right belong to the coach yard, the next six are Rondout Yard and the last three are Albany Yard. If you were to enter to the right of this photo it is all Paterson Yard.

At the far end of this staging yard is a small "motor storage" area. Used to hold motive power between runs. The tracks curving to the upper left go to Paterson.

Model Yards

Unlike the Staging Yards, these are the yards on the layout that will be "active". Replicating what happens in the prototype world. Trains will be serviced, sorted and sent out to the various destinations on the layout.

Schneider Yard is the first yard a visitor will see when entering the layout room.  It is still under construction. It will have two areas for car floats, a pier station, an arrival/departure track, a small classification area, a scale track and will serve a passenger station. Service tracks are located just out of sight of the visitor.

Kingston Yard is at the heart of the Empire Valley System. Corporate Headquarters are here as well as the central stores, freight car repair and primary locomotive shops. Yard tracks here are mainly for passenger trains and crew changes of freight trains. Freight trains are classified in nearby Rondout Yard.

Kingston Yard East


Kingston Yard West


Newburgh Yard is a small yard mainly used for the coal trains that service the power plant there. The tracks that lead through the power plant exit at the coal mine on the other side of the layout. This "empties-in, loads-out" will add some operational interest. Local freights will use this yard to sort their days work as well.



New Paltz Intermodal Yard is a small intermodal hub with a central location that allows motor carriers access to the New York State Thruway and is a gateway to New England and New York Markets.