Curved Turnouts ????


T

Tennessee_Southern

New Member
Hey everyone,

Need a little help I have a single track Helix with the radius of 30". Which on the upper level will have scenery and Iam wanting to place a curved turnout that I have which is a Walthers NO. 7.5 with the out side radius of 32" would going from 30" to a 32" drastically effect the equipment going over this switch for poteintial derailments? or would it be ok?

Any advice is helpful.

Thanks
 
Will this switch be placed in the middle of 30" radius curved tracks? If so, yes, you will have a problem since you are going to create a kink in the curve. On a helix, in particular, the curve needs to smooth and kink free. If you can place the switch as the last section of the helix and have it connect to straight track, that would probably be OK. Curved switches tend to create problems when used on the mainline anyway and the way I think you want to do it will make that worse.
 
Well, I don't have much experience with that exact situation, but I would think that going from a smaller radius to a larger radius would be good; like using an easement. I think you'll be ok as long as it's at the end of the helix.
 
Well it is on the upper last level of the helix the goal is to come off the 30" enter the 32" outside radius curve. The reason I need this is because it will connect a siding and a yard lead together, I have no room for a standard turnout.
Which I would like to think going from a 30" to a 32" I may be ok, but going from a 30" to the siding which would be a 28" we may have a problem with autoracks and long cars.
None of this will happen in the guts of the Helix this is all scenery area and accessiable
 
7.5 curved turnout

The photo below is almost exactly what your attempting to do. My helix outside Radius is 35 which decreases to a 32 almost at the top of the grade. I put a Walthers 7.5 curved turnout there so trains could be routed to either of the upper deck mains. Since I just put the switch in just last week I haven't used it. I just went down stairs and tried a 12 car passenger train over it and then backed it up slowly through the switch. It worked fine. Then I tried a 30 car freight one way foward to save time and it worked fine. The passenger coaches are 72 footers if that helps.

NYC_George
 
Solution to the Curved Turnouts

Well, I just would like to say Thank You to all that replied.

I did however do a test run. I made a transition from the 30" single track out of the helx to the 32" switch, then back down to a 30". It works great!!! The 32" radius length on the switch is not drastic enough to make a diffrence with the equipment.

So then the next challenge was from a 30" main line to a 28" Siding. Basically I let the switch dictate the natural travel which is 28" because the equipment would be turning out just like any other turnout. So after about 18" I adjusted the siding back to follow the contour of the mainline creating another transition. Then kept it at a 28" radius and it works great. Auto racks pass through with ease.

Doing the transitions I did 1.5 the length of my longest car which is a 89' auto rack which is basically 12", so I take half of that which is 6" + the 12" = 18" is what I used for the transitions for the siding. Which it is not drastic on the equipment.

Thanks Again everyone
 
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