Has anyone ever heard of a ready made 45 degree crossing with both HO and HOn3 crossing each other?
I’m sure it could be hand laid(if I had such skills) but was wondering about off the shelf.
I don’t recall any Dual gauge track being made commercially,unless,I missed it it…
Cheers,
Frank
Shinohara has offered dual gauge HO/HOn3 track and turnouts for years. There are multiple #6 turnouts depending on which side has the third rail.
A dual-gauge crossing would be tougher, since there are even more combinations depending on where the third-rail is situated on each of the crossing lines.
Edit: For the Original Poster – it takes a lot more room and will be a shallower angle, but you could use two turnouts points-end-to-points-end for the schematic equivalent of a crossing (a double-slip, in a sense). The real railroad usually doesn’t do this, as it adds a lot of moving parts not necessary in a diamond crossing. But it is possible.
Cuyama,
Thanks for clarifying that to the OP,sometimes at 70,the light does not come on,until after,foot is in mouth…LOL…
Cheers,
Frank
Yes, Shinohara has HOn3 crossings, but none are dual-gauge AFAIK. Mine was a custom angle anyway. I ended up building one, my very first piece of handlaid track. It is a little ugly, but after some initial tuning it works quite reliably.It’s in the foreground of this not so great pic.
Another option is a custom builder like Railway Engineering.
For me, non-standard specialwork is an off-the shelf item.
What shelf? The one where I keep my raw rail, tie stock, spikes…
I will admit that hand-laying even plain-Jane track is a challenge for someone who’s never done it. So is riding a bicycle. The answer? Make some practice pieces, using the various techniques found in print articles and You-tube videos. I will readily admit that crossings (any gauge, any angle) are more of a challenge than an ordinary turnout. They aren’t as challenging as a high-number double slip switch with movable points at the obtuse-angle frogs.
On my plate for construction in the immediate future, a crossing where two non-concentric 610mm radius curves (both concave in the same direction) cross. The main delay is the temperature in my layout space. I’m waiting for it to come in below blood temperature during the hours that I’m functional. I am not a morning person, and by 10 AM the garage is a tad too warm for comfort - one of the disadvantages of living in the Dessicated Desert.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - temperature permitting)
I would like to try my hand at hand-laying the crossing I need. I have been a modeler for over 30 years but never tried any hand laid track-YET. Fortunately both the HO and HOn3 are code 70 and I might be able to get away with 45 degrees. It is not duel gauge track just 2 different gauges crossing each other. Is there any good websites for instruction on this and who is a great supplier of materials? Thank you for your input
Taylor 67,
I used “Trackwork Handbook for Model Railroaders” by Paul Mallery (Carstens Publications, C86) to guide my work. If you want to lay track by hand, it’s a great starting point.
The Fast Tracks web site has many templates for crossings that are free downloads. I used these as a starting place for my scratch built crossings…They also have lots of supplies for sale as well
Guy
Thanks guys for the info. Mike it’s nice to hear from a local modeler
Bryan Taylor, Danville Illinois
Hi Bryan,
Wow, that is local! Drop me a PM if you’d like to tour the line in person or join in an op session.
Regards,
You might try getting in touch with Railway Engineering. They not only do dual gauge turnouts, but they will also build special items on order.