Where do your intermodals go?

I have the advantage of having a very large layout. I'm modeling much of the Minneapolis / St Paul area. The three major railroads, BNSF, CP and UP, each have their own intermodal terminals, all of which are being represented. The other thing that the layout has, is hidden staging areas. Intermodal trains enter and exit the section of the world that is being represented. Some will stop at one of the terminals, others will just pass through.

Those that do stop, could easily drop some cars with containers for local delivery, and even pick up others heading in the train's direction of travel.

I can't stress enough the importance of having some way of representing off stage destinations for trains to travel. You are very correct about just going between two yards getting dull in short order. Going off stage gives you the illusion of distance. Trains just have the chance to go "elsewhere".

My unit intermodal cars stay on the main. I do swap up front power( i use 2 different MU's 4 and 5 engine NS,CSX and FEC power. This is an older video..you can see the intermodal on the outer main.

I built an intermodal yard.  The track is Bachman Super Streets, the cars are from Menards.

PeterA posted:

I built an intermodal yard.  The track is Bachman Super Streets, the cars are from Menards.

Is that  homemade ramp or store bought?  I'm looking for store bought option.  Don't have a lot of time and tons of higher priority projects.  Love the use superstreets track.  Great layout

PeterA posted:

I built an intermodal yard.  The track is Bachman Super Streets, the cars are from Menards.

I don't dare start a 1:43 / 1:48 / 1:50 argument, but are Menards' cars a little smaller than 1:43 cars? On your layout they look so... appropriate. Or is it just that modern cars just aren't as big as the cars from the 60's we usually see on O layouts

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

I have the advantage of having a very large layout. I'm modeling much of the Minneapolis / St Paul area. The three major railroads, BNSF, CP and UP, each have their own intermodal terminals, all of which are being represented. The other thing that the layout has, is hidden staging areas. Intermodal trains enter and exit the section of the world that is being represented. Some will stop at one of the terminals, others will just pass through.

Those that do stop, could easily drop some cars with containers for local delivery, and even pick up others heading in the train's direction of travel.

I can't stress enough the importance of having some way of representing off stage destinations for trains to travel. You are very correct about just going between two yards getting dull in short order. Going off stage gives you the illusion of distance. Trains just have the chance to go "elsewhere".

As I add more and more ideas (though some will have to get scrapped) I'm seeing your point more and more. Eventually things will need to come and go from the small geo I'm representing -can't actually make/grow every commodity in New Jersey.
But the illusion of distance is a point I hadn't considered with regard to staging areas. I thought I solved distance with levels. The plan so far is to build two levels around-the-wall with a helix hidden in a mountain to connect the two. The thing is, both levels were still in the NEC. A staging area implies... well, more distance. I think of staging areas as specific places I couldn't fit on the model, but obviously the staging area can be an infinite set of destinations -it's invisible. Dunno why I'm just realizing this. 

Around and around in circles with occasional stops at boredom, derailment, or loco change

Hi, my Intermodal yard goes on two modules at my modular club shows. I recently received a MI-Jack Crane, but there was no room for it on the home layout. Nor was there room on a standard 4 foot x 2 foot module used for the club. So, I used two modules this past weekend, back to back. I used the Mi-Jack for the first time at the Timonium, MD Great Scale & Hi Rail show. It was a small yard, to be sure, and served primarily to show the crane in action. One visitor was so taken he went searching until he found one among the vendors.  Here's two photos of the yard, showing the proximity to the trains on the main line. there was also a magnetic crane on the modules, which visitors also enjoyed seeing in action.

This was my first day operating it, so I'm not very skilled, but here it was in operation.

BANDOB posted:

Hi, my Intermodal yard goes on two modules at my modular club shows. I recently received a MI-Jack Crane, but there was no room for it on the home layout. Nor was there room on a standard 4 foot x 2 foot module used for the club. So, I used two modules this past weekend, back to back. I used the Mi-Jack for the first time at the Timonium, MD Great Scale & Hi Rail show. It was a small yard, to be sure, and served primarily to show the crane in action. One visitor was so taken he went searching until he found one among the vendors.  Here's two photos of the yard, showing the proximity to the trains on the main line. there was also a magnetic crane on the modules, which visitors also enjoyed seeing in action.

This was my first day operating it, so I'm not very skilled, but here it was in operation.

I didn't see the cranes in action, but I did see your module on Sunday. Hopefully I'll meet you at the next show in April.

PeterA posted:

I built an intermodal yard.  The track is Bachman Super Streets, the cars are from Menards.

How did you make that ramp? I am going to need one on my upcoming layout for my auto rack unloading. I assume it isn't store bought?

Gents, the intermodal ramp is scratch built.  I went online and found photos of the prototype - there are several different styles - and did a somewhat simplified version.  On the Menards autos, they look pretty good for O scale.  I have filled one of my auto racks, as you can see in the earlier photo, with them inside and they look right  there.