I drove downtown from the car museum (worth a look BTW), and stumbled across the Sounder station, just as I turned up, a Sounder train arrived heading north. Nice, and click!
I decided to roaming aimlessly around the Tacoma Port area, being a Sunday evening the place was fairly deserted.
I stumbled upon, this interesting section of line.
While following the line down Lincoln ave, and Port of Tacoma Road, I noticed, a extremely short head shunt. I had to stop and double check to see if it was real, and it was, note that the wheel stops have been cut off, I assume to enable the cowcatchers of locomotives pass over the stops.
This head shunt is very short, check out this google earth image, against the 53ft trailer.
I think that would be at the best very difficult to shunt one wagon at a time, I am guessing that they used two locomotives to shunt this location, and then could have shunted two tankers at a time.
Here is an overview of the Lincoln Ave section of railway.
1. Tacoma Rail line from the north.
2. Short head shunt.
3. Tanker sidings, served via the short head shunt.
4. Bulk fuel sidings.
5. Industry.
"mainline" across Port of Tacoma road.
Given the short section of trackage, it would be an interesting slice of the Port of Tacoma.
Both ends have a convenient curve which would help in model form, and trains can just pass through the scene with a purpose. Thus more equipment variety without any angst.
Anyway it just goes to prove in the USA you can almost stumble across a model shunting layout without even trying.
Enjoy
Scott
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