prrjim posted:For me a fake turnout is useless. I have seen them on museum layouts that just run trains in loops and it makes sense in that case. But on an operating layout, a fake turnout and a boxcar that never moves is a waste of good real estate in my opinion.
It looks like that location is maybe the stores siding for a pending engine house. a boxcar going in once in awhile is a neat idea and a little critter could switch one car in. It would have to pull one out first.
For many eras, having turnouts spiked out of service is extremely common.
These include “dummy” turnouts where rail service has been discontinued and part or much of the turnout is removed to eliminate maintenance from wear and tear.
