N.Y.C.T.L. Diagrams & Photos

Greetings All,

A diagram of the layout was recently requested to better follow along with the photos being posted. I thought this was a great idea and here are the diagrams with photos to give everyone an idea of how the N.Y.C.T.L. is situated.


Terminal Yard. 
Room Dimension: 13'6'' x 14'6''.
Original Yard: Shown below right. Originally nine stub ended tracks with the expansion it was reduced to seven stub ended tracks. Tracks 8 and 9 became running tracks to reach the expansion and new engine facility. Engine facility is 9 tracks.

The original Terminal Yard circa 2011. Originally conceived to be a staging yard and place to store trains it has evolved from its humble beginnings to become the heartbeat of the layout.

Terminal Yard in January 2019. Facades attached to shelves with velcro hide the train boxes. Tracks closest to front edge, tracks 8 & 9, run thru to the new extension to the left. Paperwork on fascia is L to R Framed paperwork is yard track capacities. The others are Terminal Yard train schedule, Kings Port Division map for P.C.C.M. blocking purposes and a schedule of NYC M&E Trains. 

Terminal Yard Engine Facility is accessed via track 9 thru either #6 switches connected to the wye or a #6 switch behind the shop building. The engine facility is built on a 24'' x 80'' door slab.

Track 9 from the yard leads to the entrances to the Engine Facility. Track 8 splits with a #4 turnout into two tracks that allow access to the T.O.F.C. track and Terminal Warehouse. 

Coming out of the original portion of Terminal Yard

Looking towards Bruce Electric Equipment. The NYC caboose is on track 9.

 Making the turn at Bruce Electric Equipment. 

The undeveloped extension on the left hand side of the room past Bruce Electric. Track 9 is to the left.A large grain elevator is planned for the upper right. To the lower right is an undecided industry. Originally conceived to be the Empire City Power Authority to receive coal shipments from my Hudson Coal. I have started to rethink this as seen by the boxcars below. 

A hidden track under the grain elevator allows access to the sidings of the E.C.P.A and Bruce Electric w/o interfering with the grain elevator. The hidden track can also serve as a staging track and a link to various RRs that floated cars into Manhattan by barge. Hopefully by 2020 this will be looking better. 

Next we'll take a look at Bedford and Bedford Park. One the left is the mainline into Terminal Yard with Hudson Coal, the Highway Dept and T&R Gravel.

In the center is the other industries of Bedford on the 12'' shelf with Main 1 leading to the lower level at the edge. 

To the right is Bedford Park with the Ford Plant, American Hardware and Bedford Park Yard with All City Storage.  

The mainline to Terminal Yard behind Hudson Coal. The mainline shelf into the wall is 9'' wide and Hudson Coal is 16" wide. 

The lead into Hudson Coal, the highway dept and T&R Gravel. This wall measures 12'4'' in length. I use the controller on the fascia when working at Hudson Coal.

The 12'' by 34'6'' Bedford shelf. Main 1 leads downgrade to the lower level, Main 2 runs to the Vanderbilt Bridge and the High Line for the upper level to Empire City. Main 3 leads to Bedford Park and the double ended siding allows access to the industrial flats.

The industries on the double ended siding are University Millwork, Berk Enterprises and Hostess / Wonder Bread.

 Further along is the Heileman Siding with Heilman Brewery and a TBD industry. Bedford Station is at the edge.

At Bedford Tower with Main 1 continuing downgrade, Main 2 turning past the water tower towards the Vanderbilt bridge and the High Line. Main 3 runs into Bedford Park and the Ford Plant.

A curved switch leads into Bedfork Park and the Ford steel track. The Bedford Park Yard office sits between the tracks.

American Hardware, All City Storage and the small three track Bedford Park Yard with a team track at the front edge. You can see the top of the Vanderbilt Bridge at the bottom of the photo.

Next up is the Empire City peninsula that measures 28' x 5'. The brown shaded areas are the top level and the blue areas are the bottom. The west side is at the left, midtown is to the right in the upper photo. Midtown continues at the left in the bottom photo and the east side is at the right.

The upper level west side. Anchor Cargo (#11) is to the left. The EC Viaduct is at bottom right. Superior Furniture (#2) is top right.

The EC viaduct takes trains over the lower level tracks that go into Empire City Station. Neubaums Coffee & Tea Importers (#4) is behind the B&O boxcars and in front of Superior Furniture(#2). Moore & Company (#5) is to the right of Neubaums.

The view of the west side from North Side Yard. Superior Furniture(#2) center, Hohman Ave Tower (#7) and Reliable Machine Works(#1). The reverse curve is to the left of Superior Furniture with a siding under Superior Furniture to Reliable Machine Works.

North Side Yard and midtown industries Empire Produce(#10), EC Caterpillar(#9), Red Wing Milling(#8) and Prestage Gear(#12).

The east side entrance into North Side Yard and midtown industry Neal's Lumber & Hardware(#17). The switch to east side industries Gervais Pipe & Fitting(#13 & 14) Cargill(#16) is just past Neal's Lumber

Ralph's Grocery Warehouse(#15) shares the siding with Gervais Pipe & Fitting out of photo to the right. The City View Apartments (#18) and the Vanderbilt bridge to the High Line are in the distance. Main 1 passes over the lower level tracks as it continues down to the lower level.

Main 1 running downgrade in front of Ralph's Grocery Warehouse (#15) and passing over the reverse curve coming out of Empire City Station on the other side of the layout.

Now looking at the other side of the layout we see the upper track heading to the west side in the distance. The turnout to the west side reverse curve and industries is just past the signal. Empire City Station is on the bottom level. A pair of circular tracks representing a subway system sits below EC Station.

Looking to the east side the High Line is upper right. The EC station reverse curve is in the center. The track to the lower right leads to the REA and NYC Water Street freight house.  

The High Line and the railfan pavilion on the upper level. Ralph's Grocery Warehouse sits behind the private homes. The REA building(# 19) is bottom right. The curved track off the REA siding leads to the freight house.

Last but not least the High Line to the Vanderbilt bridge and Bedford NY. The City View Apartments(#18) tower over the upper and lower levels. The NYC freight house sits under the High Line and the REA (#19) is at the bottom. Bedford Park is across the aisle to the right.

And there it is! 

Special thanks to Robert R for initiating this project. I now actually have decent drawings of the layout and measurements.

See ya soon!!!

Thanks for reading.