Layout Questions


sparkyftw

Member
I finally have a place to start building (again, this time it won't move).

The concept behind the layout is an old city has been dying out since the large plants left, leaving behind over grown tracks and worn down buildings (which works great with what I have building wise, which over the last 20 years as warped or broken in spots, which plays into the worn down).

The city, hoping to bring life back into their town, gives huge incentives to try to have new industries move in. That aside.

How prototypical are three-way switches? How well do they work? Would I be better off using two switches or should I eliminate a spur?

Also, with a station, using the buildings I have, I have something that would make sense to put between tracks. Would they do this on something like this between the mainline and the siding, or would they tear it down so that it would not interfere with mainline operations?
 
3 way switch

As far as the 3 way switch question goes. I have one Peco code 100 and it works extremely well. It’s the lower switch in the photo below. In my Janesville Branch video on youtube the coal train passes over it heading for the horse shoe curve.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsXBHWJsbzg

three_way_switch.jpg



NYC_George
 
Three-way turnouts are about as prototypical as you can get. Railroads built turnouts in many, many configurations, and used them where they served their intended purposes. In this month's Trains Magazine, there is a turnout with a frog that lifts the entire wheel over itself. If railroads will use such a bizarre thing, a three-way is a real yawner.

I use one myself...and I think it is a Walthers/Shinohara one, but it may be Peco. It's a #6 insulfrog and comprises the yard throat on one end.

-Crandell
 
they were common in tight spots. i remember seeing one on an old spur that lead to a bunch of buildings. It was half in the ground with weeds growing over it. I dont think you would find one in a street as the points need room to swing and that would leave some large gaps for cars to travel over.
 
As has been said, three way switches, while not common, are also not rare and used particularly in congested urban areas so that fits right in with your idea.

Stations were often built with one side facing the mainline and with a siding at the rear. Many stations were "double-sided", so to speak, in that they would load passengers from either the mainline or the siding, depending on the type of train. A through express might only stop on the main for five minutes for loading and unloading. A local or branchline train might have a very long layover at a station and it couldn't block the main for that period of time. Hence, the siding behind the station, where the train could layover, load and unload passengers and, commonly, LCL freight.
 
Alright. I have been back in the room looking at stuff and working on how the yard will look when I build it.

I noticed with the Atlas switches I have now, #4 if i remember, the yard lead ends up being very long. What size turnout should I use for the yard. I plan on hand laying the track, and was looking into getting a turnout kit from Fast Tracks so its as simple as it can be. Should I stick with #6 turnouts on the whole layout and work in some other type of staging or yard, such as something like a barge (which I have thought about for awhile on doing).

If I am doing an shelf layout, I have a U shape I need to lay track on. What radius should I use for this around part. Should I go as large as 32" or should I stick to smaller. I don't plan on using 6 axle locomotives or any passenger cars. I think I may run some intermodal cars. Whats the minimum radius with them?

I want this to be something I can expand, and I have to keep that in mind when purchasing assembly fixtures for hand laying the track.
 
Depending on your future interest in steam engines, ones with large diameter drivers where four or more are present on one side under the boiler, and especially so with brass engines, you should consider going as large as you can for future considerations...even ones you don't really contemplate at present. Nothing worse than suddenly yearning for something that effectively means not ever getting it or ripping up a lot of curves.

With that out of the way, personally, I wouldn't think of using anything less than #5's in a yard. The longer cars, such as auto racks, or long passenger cars, will not do well on anything less than about a #5, with some able to handle a #4.5. If you have room for #6 turnouts in your yard, I would encourage their use. I use Peco Code 83 insulfrogs myself, and they are all #6 turnouts.

For your larger loop, your main, #6 turnouts are fine there as well. In my case I built several Fast Tracks #8 turnouts and love them. Mind you, I have no curves smaller than 24", and they are all in my yard throat. My mains have no curves smaller than 28", with most of them upwards of 32". I also use #7.5 and #8 Walthers/Shinohara insulfrog turnouts out on the main.
 
Alright thanks.

Thats why I asked, although I don't really have an interest in autoracks, passenger, or steam right now, you never know when it could happen, and might as well plan well in advance for it.
 
I agree with Selector in using at least #5's in the yard. My guess is you are putting the turnouts end to end (common ladder) in your design and that eats up a lot of space for the throat of the ladder and not much for the last track. One thing you can do is use a compound ladder or a modified compound ladder. Although used, it wasn't a common design for use by the prototypical yards.

Instead of connecting straight section to straight, connect a turnout to the diverging route and another to the straight. Continue this until you have the tracks you want. (Kind of fanning the tracks out, but into a common direction.) To modify this, connect as stated and then go to a simple ladder where it is needed or desired. Do whatever is necessary to fit. Remember that railroads may prefer a certain design, but the bottom line is the design was dependant on the land available, both in size and shape. They sometimes had to make modifications here and there just like we do. ;)

The photo I posted is my Central Yard. It utilizes several methods of laying out the throat a ladder. (Disregard the arrows. That's about something else :eek: ) Looking up from the bottom right, the large angled yard is a modified compound with several turnouts that are compounded.
 
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Thanks, Rex compund ladder track was what I was trying to think of last night when responding to a question. They are a great space saver for small layout (even big one). Here's a good example of a compound yard ladder on an N scale layout:
headyard.jpg
 



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