# Efficient way to load locos and rolling stock onto track?



## GG (Jan 1, 2009)

I've seen clips with 50 pieces of rolling stock and multiple loco's on track ... 


What tricks are there to efficiently "load" rolling stock or locos onto a track? I think Split Jaw has an eazyloader. Any other tricks, homegrown or else. 

thx


gg


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

I don't know about efficient loading, but once I set up a train, it takes a long time to load each one, and then couple, etc, So I just ran a swtich off of the main, curved it into the garage under the door when I'm done running I take expensive loco in house, after unhooking train rolling stock and it is run into the garage and down the middle of it between the cars. Next time I run, I either back up or front pull the rolling stock out that was left set up in the garage out and away we go!!! No re-doing each time. The door closes over the track after getting into garage. Just sawsalled about an inch off and 6inches wide off the door on the right side, until I get what I eventually get set up in the garage to run out through a portal in the block wall or out a window and down to ground level. The Regal


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

I have an easyloader type device I will use for long trains but I usually just use the Aristo rerailer tracks I have set into the tracks where I load my trains. They also serve as a road crossing. 

-Brian


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Easyloader, the long one (from split jaw) and roll the trains up near the track, I have rolling cabinets that hold 21 cars each. (on my site). 

The trick is to get the trains as close to the track as possible. I start the train crawling slowly, and keep adding cars as it moves, so I can stand in the same place. 

Regards, Greg


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

The best thing I ever did was build a car barn that connects to the track. I store engines and most of my rolling stock in the barn, with some freight cars on a siding, so everything is on the rails. I just roll the trains right out and then back them in, lock the barn and I'm done. It makes the whole business easier and more pleasant and less stuff gets broken in transit. It made a really big difference. The downside--maybe it's actually an upside--is that it limits the amount of rolling stock. I'm getting close to capacity. But there are 9 locos in there, and a four heavyweights, and 6n bachmann coaches, and a bunch of other stuff

In this picture you can see the spur that leads to the barn, which is 16 feet long by a little over two feet wide and accomodates four sidings. It's vented and waterproof, but unheated. Lots of guys make storage barns like this where you can just roll out onto the mainline. It's the most efficient way.


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## Alan Aspinall (Jan 2, 2008)

I use an Aristo Re-railer. My track is on Ground level. The older I get, the further away the ground seems to be.










First put the car on the top of the rerailer in the middle, and approximately where it should be. 

With your hand, push the car back and forth a couple of times and the wheels will pop onto the track. 

You don't have to stand on your head.









This doesn't work well with locomotives though.


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## Nohandles (Jan 2, 2009)

I keep all of my engines and cares in the basement on 16 to 20 foot long shelves floor to ceiling. For loading there is a track at eye level that comes through the wall and into my workshop where there is a basement window that I modified to be removable to drive the trains out to the layout. When loading the engines and cars are set on the rail and driven out. It works out really well and I have driven 200 cars out at one time. Wish I had a place to leave them on the rail but it gets to cold here to leave them outside.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Alan, if you haven't tried an eazyloader, you don't know what you are missing! Check one out at the next train show. Also, sliding locos back and forth on a rerailer can't be a good thing. (or fun!) 

Regards, Greg


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## Duncan (Jan 2, 2008)

I have a Split Jaw EZ-Loader (the long one), and it's fantastic for getting even big ol' USAT Streamliners on the tracks, first time, every time... 
Battery powered locos like it, too. 
Especially handy for ground level track.


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## GG (Jan 1, 2009)

Bloody good.... 

Split Jaw easyloader is the way to go here. I don't have much stock so far however I do know the frustrations associated with getting my LGB onto the track, even with a rerailer. 

Thanks for the feed back here gents...


gg


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## eheading (Jan 5, 2008)

I fought the Split Jaw Easyloader for a long time. Seemed like an outrageous price for a piece of plastic that didn't cost 1/10 of the asking price. I finally broke down and got one, though, and now I don't know how ever lived without it!

Ed


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## GG (Jan 1, 2009)

Just got off the split jaw site.... 

Well, I went shopping for one item and walked out of the web store with all kinds of stuff .....












So I need to get back to work to pay for it.












gg


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

Lownote - I like your train shed. Very similar to mine, which is 18 feet long. But I gobbled up the first 5 feet or so with the yard throat. I like your front porch for the throat.










gg - The Easy railer will certainly make life easier for you, but a train shed or some sort of drive-in storage is the way to go in the long run. A train shed eliminates nearly all of the setup time (battery power eliminates the rest). I can have a train running in less than 2 minutes. It used to take me at least 45 minutes.


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## GG (Jan 1, 2009)

Del and Lownote: 

Your sheds are very smart. I agree that this is the way to go and I have a purrrfect spot to locate one.... thanks for this great input. 


This will happen however the GR&G Railroad capital plans for 2009 are focused on mainline construction and equipment acquisition. As such the need for the eazyloader bit... 


I will take photos of the construction site once we get rid of all of this snow bit... Meanwhile FEED design continues. 

Stay tuned









gg 

President and CEO, CFO, COO, CMO,CMO2 of the GR&G Railroad


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## GG (Jan 1, 2009)

PS: Del, 

If I send you my family crest are you able to sell me a vinyl stick on(s) for my loco's ?


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

gg - you have e-mail


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I make decals of the cool on Ralph made for me:







A castle - symbol of home - with a portcullis - a safe home - asylum. 
[*]2 hunting lions - 2 sons - no manes - immature lions - boys. Also since they face the portcullis it means they take from the door... they want the railway! 
[*]The Saltaire (cross) is Ruby red. It means knight on ARMOURED horse back=iron horse. It is also a US symbol for Railway. 
[*]The shield is silver (nickel silver?) showing serenity and nobility in poverty. 
[*]There are three CODE flags showing the source of the wealth. They are of course 0,1 and Knight Templar (a reference to Clarion) flags. 
[*]Stars show money; Gold, rich and self made; silver, it was inherited; and copper, the lack of wealth. More stars-more lack. 
[*]The deer is of course male - thus it's a buck standing still. In short the railway is not making a fast buck. 
[*]The flowers are technically called FRETS. Something the management does a lot. 
[*]The motto is in Latin indicating high birth -your layout is higher above ground than most! (Second floor apartment) 
[*]The Latin phrase: Copper straight - copper lines - brass rails.
[/list]


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Del, I did not want to waste space in the "throat", so I'm using one of these:










From Train-Li, costs about the same as 4 switches, does a better job (more gentle curve) and saves space.

Regards, Greg


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

Greg - I checked Train-Li site, but I can't find it. Do you have a specific link? I don't really need anymore room at this time, but I would like to research it a bit.

I should visit Train-Li more often. They have a bunch of stuff now. 

Edit: I found it 5-Way switch ($265 for the manual version), but no specs!


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## leonpete (Jan 4, 2008)

I liked Lownotes shed and came up with this storage shed addition. This is a huge improvement to storing and running trains on the spur of the moment. You can also use strips of wood for track inside the shed to save money on track if you want.


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## GG (Jan 1, 2009)

You guys are starting to make me drool.










All VERY nice layouts I presume that all roofs are hinged. 


Regards,


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Mine's not hinged but can be removed with a half dozen screws. A hinged design would have been better. That Train-Li switch is very cool. I could have used that. 


The other day we were out and ran into some friends with their kids who had never see our railway. We invited them over. Before I built the shed it would have taken me a long time to go into the house, get an engine, go back in, get some cars, go back in, get some more, assemble the train, etc. With the shed I just flipped the power on, opened the door, and out rolled an aristo Pacific with four heavyweights. We ran a few trains for while, then just backed them into the shed. 

Before I had the shed I'd try to grab as much as I could to cut down the number of trips, and something would break. So I tried putting the rolling stock in plastic bins, and carrying the bins out, emptying then, then carrying them back in, then back out again to put the cars away. Often I'd end up ding it in the dark, or hurrying through it becasue dinner was ready or we were about to go somehwre. Stuff would still break off--brake wheels, steps, that kind of thing. You can get around this, and of curse you can just be more careful but for sheer ease and convenience I would think hard about starting out with a storage barn. Especially if you want to run big, long engines. I'm not sure how I'd carry and MTH trilex, or a Big Boy, out to the track. Unless you build some kind of carrying rig, how do you even open the door? It's got to be a two hander

I was inspired by Llyn Rice in this thread

http://www.mylargescale.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=42384 



He did a beautiful job


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Dell, mine is on order, but will take a bit longer since I am having the brass nickel plated. 

I'll measure it up when I get it, I believe it's close to 3 foot. Email Axel at Train-Li, he's always happy to help. 

Regards, Greg 

oh, here's my cabinets that I roll over to the track to make up and break down trains:


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## GG (Jan 1, 2009)

Nice cabinet Greg, 

I see that you routered your track into the plywood. 

Nice.


gg


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yep, I can make one in a 1/2 day now, set the table saw up and dado 2 grooves at a time on each shelf. I picked 3/4" plywood so the grooves would not weaken the shelves too much, and so I did not have to have any other reinforcement. It's thick enough to take a screw without splitting. 

I've stained them since, and they are standing up to the weather well, I have 4 of these, and one long enough to take USAT 80 foot streamliners. 

Regards, Greg


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## GG (Jan 1, 2009)

Sold.... this and "sheds" as outlined on other threads.They work together. 


thx

gg


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