# Round Houses



## twinvaly07 (Nov 1, 2014)

Something that has had me wondering for some time; During the days of steam roundhouses were popular. It seemed every moderately sized town had one. Now a days rectangular engine sheds are built. I would think a roundhouse would be an economical method of storing and maintaining equipment. Any Thoughts?


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## Bus Nut (Nov 1, 2014)

Turntable is problem one.

Aren't locos a lot heavier than they were at that time?

What's economical? You can store equipment in a row in a long, rectangular shed, if you have to do indoor storage, which, frankly, I don't think the RRs are enamored of, but sometimes needs must. Building a rectangular shed is much cheaper than hiring masons to make a brick roundhouse. Also.


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## OlympianHiawatha (Nov 1, 2014)

I did a very quick look-up and found a "typical" 4-8-4 Northern weighed in somewhere around 500,000 lbs and a "typical" P-42 comes in at about 275,000 pounds; so based on that Steamers were generally heavier, though longer as well if you include Tender. A Transfer Table which moves laterally instead of in a circle can quickly shuttle engines between bays in a rectangular house.

But as mentioned by the previous poster, engines are now usually stored outside in the yard (look to your right when you pull into Chicago Union on the South Tracks) unless they are in for maintenance.


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## Bus Nut (Nov 1, 2014)

I stand corrected. I asked because in my foamer days I read about extant turntables with weight (and of course length) restrictions. My own field (see username) has seen size and weight creep up and up and up over the years.


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## boxcarsyix (Nov 1, 2014)

Roundhouses were built the way they were because the front of the loco was the "working end" (the part that needed the most maintenence). The wedge shape allowed the space to work in that area. The roundtable allowed for the turning of the locos. Today, many loco combinations are set-up to run both ways, if not they can be turned on much shorter "y" tracks.


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## Swadian Hardcore (Nov 1, 2014)

I read some of those 4-8-4s weighed 800,000-900,000 lbs!

Hard to imagine the P42DCs are so light, not sure if they have SCR.


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## oldtimer (Nov 2, 2014)

My first railroad job was to sweep the corners of the roundhouse! Next I had to bring a 5# bucket of steam. :giggle: :blush: :unsure: :wacko:


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