#6 and #4 turnouts what should i use

Shinohara and Peco both make 3-way turnouts. The Shinoharas are #6, I think, while the Peco’s look like #4’s. They are basically just 2 turnouts in tandem on the same frame. If you are tight for space, these are a good solution in some cases.

[#ditto] It just depends on your space.

[#welcome] to the forum mrdls1.

ICMR

Happy Railroading.[swg][swg]

A #6 (or greater) turnout is not required for reliable operation. John Armstrong points out in “Track Planning for Realistic Operation” that a #4 has a 29" radius. An Atlas #4 is close to 36". Those who supposedly have locomotives that won’t make it through these size curves have locomotives like I’ve not seen. #4s make beautiful yards with closely spaced parallel tracks, and as Don points out, just the right spacing to be able to work with your cars by hand. The problem with #4 turnouts is not is yards, but when you introduce S curves such as on sidings or passing tracks where you turn-out to the right then immediately shift back left to make the siding parallel the main. A tight S [:)] like that will create derails for ya’ every time. It’s easy to say you need at least 45" radius curves and #6, #8 or #10 turnouts… but hard do in a real life spare bedroom.

Ummmm

#4 is about ~18" radius last time I checked. (Depends on make of turnout) You can sub them for an R18 curve on a 4x8 with Bachmann EZ Track, or LL-Powerlock. (Possibly others)

#6 turnouts take about 12" of space. But as Chip said, these can often be clipped to make this a little shorter.

If you engine can take an R18 then you’re fine. However I would stay away from passenger cars if you have S curves. (Chances are you’ll have at least one on your yard track. 40’ box cars and hoppers are fine however on most S curves.

John Armstrongs book is an excellent guide with ways to help avoid S curves. It also list information about turnouts and their equivalent radiuses.

A lot of modelers go overboard on their turnout number. The turnout used should match the minimum radius curves on your layout. A #5 turnout is equivalent to a 28 inch curve and so if you have sharper curves than this there is no reason to use a #6 except for appearance. In Amstrong’s book on realistic planning he has a table with the equivalents and recommends using a 4.5 turnout if you have 22/24 inch curves. The Atlas customline #4 is supposedly actually a 4.5.

Brakie,

I was being sarcastic.

Until recently, I’ve not had any derailment problems, and when I figure this one loco out, I won’t have them again.

I will say that for right now I have better things to do than model poorly built track and make it so I can run really slow on it. Our local B&P had a section like that and they ran 5 mph on it and still derailed. Eventually they just fixed it. Fortunately, I’m modeling well built track although I may face that delima when I guild the run from the logging camp to the log loading area.

Not really…The Atlas #4 switch has a smooth transition and eliminates S curves in most cases…A “S” curve in a yard isn’t a bad thing and will handle cars up to center beams and 86 foot auto part cars.The key is having cars with the correct wheel gauge and coupler trip pin height and a slow steady hand on the throttle instead of backing in at mach 5. We routinely switch passenger cars at the passenger terminals #4 yard switches at the club with no problems.

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mrdls1

There IS no “Atlas #4 snap switch”, and there never has been. The poster is confused.

There are #4’s, and there are “snap switches” (notice they are not even called 'turnout’s). Check the ATLAS website.

Snap switches are ‘curved’ so the fit into a 36" circle and designed for the beginner ‘toy train’ market. As such, they make poor Yard ladder’s, and tend to derail 6 wheel trucks.

Don is correct. The Atlas Snap Switch has an 18" radius. Not the #4.

Chip

I have over 150 Atlas #4’s and #6’s on my layout and most of them in the yards and industrial tracks are #4’s

If your equipment is in gauge, properly weighted and you try to keep the S curves to a minimum you should not have any derailments.

As I operate the layout more I am trying to replace the turnouts on the layout with larger numbered ones. I have a number of #8 double curved turnouts and these go a long way in smoothing out the trackwork.

Remember the ZREO maintenance layout info!

BOB H – Clarion, PA