3-Way Wye Turnout----Where It Should Be Used?

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I bought a Shinohara 3 way turnout years ago, for a layout I never finished. Now I am gathering all my “dithers and druthers” as John Armstrong says, in the few free moments I have, to form a new track plan.

I was thinking of using it to branch out a yard, but most yards I see just ladder regular turnouts in sequence.

Where would a Prototype RR use one? Yard? Mainline? Branch? ???

2

Wherever it makes sense to have one. Yard throats in some cases, hump-yard downramp route splitter, off a lead to a busy three-stall backshop, maybe in a passenger terminal to spread/gather three different loading platforms…?

3

Screw the prototype. Use them where you need them.

I have three 3-way turnouts lined up end to end. The first and second ones let trains enter and exit the downtown passenger station from a double mainline which, in effect, circles the station. The third one permits switchers to enter and exit the adjacent coach yard, connecting the station to the coach yard.

Rich

4

Here are several at a hump yard…

http://binged.it/1jndvqg

And here are a couple more…

http://binged.it/1jnd5QG

But if you scan around those areas, you’ll see dozens, if not hundreds, of switches and only a handful are 3-ways.

Steve S

5

They don’t seem to be common prototypically, but they help squeeze more railroad into our smaller spaces. This is another example of selective compression (as per your other thread on that). A three way switch takes up considerably less space allowing for you to fit in more other things.

6

Maybe not per any prototype but one proved perfect as a split into my Cornerstone wood coaling tower leads, all of which had to fit within a fairly short length.

7

Not a common place, but I used a three way going into staging, to save space. Its not part of the layout, so who cares.

Dave M

8

I don’t know what it is about my old hometown of Butler, Pennsylvania, but it seems to be one of those locations chock full of railroad and manages to have (or had) an example of ever single uncommon* on the prototype things.

One three way turnout: http://binged.it/1m5t94r

And another: http://binged.it/1zxnLRS

Both on opposite ends of the Buffalo & Pittsburgh locomotive shop.

  • It even had the “ultimate” prototype minimum radius curve. The junction between the PRR and B&LE was extremely tight and when Pullman-Standard was building the prototype for its 89’ flat for Trailer Train, it used that curve as its absolute minimum. They’d take the prototype out there, derail it, and then go back to the drawing board to tweak and modify until it worked. Almost every outbound P-S order had to make it around that curve, so…
9

If the main passes through tht center of your yard, east and west bound trains use opposite sides. Also, passenger station off one side, freight yard off the other.

I have a couple I hope to use when I get the next layout underway. Not just sure of the use yet.

Good luck,

Richard

10

Here are two examples of how I used 3 ways.

Bob

11

Those 2 autos look real.

Who makes those?

12

It’s been atleast 5 years since they were purchased so I have no idea who made them.

Bob

13

The red station wagon is from Classic Metal Works - - a 1953 Ford Customline, Coral Flame Red.

Not sure about that black convertible.

Rich

14

In Rapid City, SD, a three-way turnout replaced a turntable to give access to a three-stall roundhouse. The roundhouse is still there, but Mapquest couldn’t show if the track was still in place.

On my layout, there are four three-ways in Down staging - but you’ll never find the equivalent in a bubble pack or box. Two have two routes left, one straight. The other two have all three routes curving left.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

15

That would be “Givens” and “druthers”

As he used the phrase, “Givens” are things that can’t be changed, such as the size of the room. “druthers” (from “I’d ruther” [sic]) are personal preferences choices.

16

OK, that’s right.

I should have looked it up instead of relying on my sometimes not so accurate memory.

17

If this is the place, it looks like a couple of standard turnouts.

http://binged.it/1r09AAJ

Steve S

18

I use one in staging to keep most of it double ended. I was surprised (even after reading the dimensions) how big these things really are! My planned use didn’t work out and I finally realized I could put it on the other end of the staging yard and it fit perfectly performing the same function.

Something to keep in mind if you get a great idea and it doesn’t seem to fit. Can the 3 way go on the other end of things and still work? These things take me awhile to get a light bulb moment :wink:

Jim

19

The black convertible looks like it might be an early 50’s Buick. Don’t know who makes the model.

20

I could never buy into that thought since we are modeling railroads.

Use them where you need them.

That I can agree with due to our limited space but,I would still keep a tight grip on believability and not just hither dither and over yonder just because I can…