Realizing this is the Real Trains forum, here is some guidance from "The 10 Commandments of Model Railroading Yard Design": "Whether it's a double-ended siding or a stub, you need to have a place to store cabooses out of the way while classifying trains, but accessible enough to get to them fast. Usually the Caboose track is located off either the yard ladder, the yard lead or one of the A/D tracks. My personal favorite is off the A/D (where you are building or breaking a train anyway), but any easy to get to location will work. It's a great place to display all your caboose models too. If it is a stub track, make sure it is accessed easily from the yard lead and that it is from a facing-point turnout." Here is a diagram of a sample yard layout for a model railroad.
Here is my layout's 1st stage (someday it will be finished). The cabin (PRR term for caboose) track is in lower center and circled. My runaround track is the one inside the loop.
The runaround track allows a switch crew to remove the caboose from the train and set it out on a caboose track. Once the road engines and caboose have been cut off and are out of the way, the inbound train is ready for switching. The road crew have done their job and now the yard crews take over.
