Hey i’ve been reading the layout board for the last hour and Ive stumbled upon some more questions I was wondering if you guys could help me with…
Q1: What are Turnouts? (i think curved track?) And what are the different numbers mean?
Q2: Do any of you have multi-level layouts? If so how do you get trains from one level to another?
Thanks, ill just start editing this post if i have anymore questions I seem to be clogging the board lately with my question requests heh 
Have a good day[:o)]
Answer 1: Turnouts are switches. There are probably a zillion threads on RR chats lists about what you actually call them and what part is actually the “switch”. In a real technical sense the turnout is the curve leading away from the switch. In model terms it is used for the whole switch itself.
The numbers are the divergance of the frog. How much run is required to gain one unit of separatation. For example on a #4 switch the diverging route will move away from the straight route one inch approximately four inches from the point of the frog (or the intersection of the track centers). A #6 switch will diverge 1 unit for every 6 units. The prototype uses switches up to #20 (which is about 6 feet long in HO,)
Answer 2 : What are you using for your benchwork and sub roadbed, what do you have under the tracks and/or corl roadbed? Plywood, foam,? Answer that and I can give you a better idea.
Dave H.
Turnouts - The real world calls them “switches”. It is where a train may take one of two (or possibly three) routes. Model railroaders call them turnouts to avoid confusion with ELECTRICAL switches that route power. So we have avoided confusion on one hand, but created more on the other…
The numbers tell you how fast the diverging route moves away from the main. A #4 takes 4 feet to move away 1 foot, and #6 takes 6 feet, and so on. It basically tells you the angle of divergence. A word of warning - an Atlas “snap switch” - 1) is a “turnout”, and 2) forms part of a 18" radius circle. It does not diverge like a numbered turnout.
I only have a single layer layout, but you have options here - train elevator built with drawer slides or something like that, a helix, or a “nolix” which means that your layout is basically one huge, scenicked helix.
As for the questions, don’t worry about clogging the board. It is actually better to put each question in a separate thread with a descriptive title so people know what you are talking about… and whether they can help you.
Andrew
EDIT - looks like Dave got his answer up first!
@Dave, ill be using plywood for sure…i may use foam above it, im not sure. this is getting more complicated every minute allwell. But yes definitly plywood.
@masonjar , I dont think i could do a nolix because of my space limitations, and trains only being able to do 4 inches in a 100. but a helix up a mountain would add some realism to it. I want to be as realistic as possible in my “fictional railroad”
If you are using plywood then there are two general ways its used. One is a flat tabletop that you put stuff on.
Second is you cut out plywood to the shape of your track (actually about 1-2 inches wider). Either way you need some way to support the plywood. Two common ways are open grid and L girder.
OPen grid uses 1x4’s to make a frame that the plywood sits on. There is a 1x4 around the outside edges and then crossbraces every 16-24 inches.
L girder uses two 1x3’s or 1x4’s screwed and glued together to make an L. The L is oriented “upside down” with the horizontal part on top. Joists are run across the top of the L girders and screwed to the L’s thru the flanges. To raise or lower the plywood, you use “risers”, pieces of wood attached to the crossbraces or joists that the plywood sits on. By varying the height of the risers the plywood can be bent up or down.
Obviously 1/2" plywood is more flexible than 3/4 so if you are going to have alot of sharp grade changes then the thinner ply might be better. 1/4 is generally considered too thin and may not stay flat.
Now if you are going to put foam on that then it changes things because foam doesn’t bend real well if you are doing rapid changes. If you are gradually changing the grade and using 1" or thinner foam you might get it to bend to shape. If you are using 2" foam you might want a sheet of 1" to use in the transition areas, bend the foam then one you are on the grade go back to 2" foam. If you don’t want that then you will have to cut ramps of foam. Woodland Scenics sell premade ramps in white foam.
Dave H.
Otherwise y
Hmmm, guess I have a nolix
Hi all, new to site…can anyone tell me how to access the “How to make your own decals” from this months “Bridges on the levee” story.
Hi ord23…
The story is here: http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/004/723uxldp.asp
You can access it by clicking on the above link. I found it by going to trains.com, then to MR, then to “January 2004 issue”, and looking for the story title.
Andrew
based on what you said dave i think im going to do a combonation of things, flat pieces of plywood, and plywood cut to track width, i think i can do that easier than everything else. and working in a lumber yard i have a ready supply of junk material for the taking. Is there anyone that does this? By this i mean using flat pieces of ply and ontop of that using ply cut to track width for the track to run on(i guess we call it sub roadbed err…am i right?)
Thanx a million Andrew, you’re a gentleman and a scholar…