I like to use curves on my layout to keep things interesting. In my yard, I have a mainline, 2 arrival/departure tracks, 5 classification tracks, and a lead off of the mainline to the servicing facilities and roundhouse. I have quite a few articulated locomotives such as N&W’s Y6b and Class A’s. I have a #8 curved turnout going in to the servicing facilities. I was wondering if this is a mistake. Although the three tracks leading to and from the roundhouse are installed, the turntable and roundhouse are not yet in place. I seem to be having some trouble with the Y’s, A’s, and even J’s making the turn into the servicing area. Before I get “too far” into construction, I would like opinions as to whether or not I should leave the #8 curved turnout in place or use regular track for the curve and the use a #8 right hand turnout to go into the servicing area.[:$]
Craig,
I’ve had no operational problems using #8 curved turnouts at the ends of my staging yard. But I don’t run articulateds, either[:P]
By trouble, I assume derailments operating through it? I’d verify that everything seems in spec, but if it is, Plan B sounds like a good idea. You don’t want an irritation like that to deal with down the road. Better to fix something you know is wrong now, than have to deal with it later when it comes to track.
What is the inner curve of the curved turnout? A number 8 is only related to the divergence of the track, not the radius. Hence, you can have a #8 that has a radius of 15 inches or 100 inches.
I would strongly suggest, that, unless you are running a radius of 40 inches, you should pass on the turnout as your arties are WAY too big.
David B
Craig,
Walthers lists their code 83 #8 curved turnouts as 36/32" radius. Some folks have measured them and claim that the inner curved is actually sharper that listed. I have had only one problem - I was getting a derailment on the inner curve. After a lot of measuring, I found that the turnout was not ‘level’ across the rails(I used a small metal machinist square with a ‘bubble’). After shimming the turnout, everything will run through it. The club ran into the same problem - The curved turnouts are ‘long’ and any ‘dip’ in the rails may allow a wheel flange to ride over the rail. I checked my other ‘normal’ turnouts and there were some that were not ‘level’, but I had no problems with them. I now make sure the roadbed is level all through the turnout area when installing turnouts. BTW - make sure your DCC power is OFF before using that machinist square/level!
Jim
You could set up a mock up on a piece of plywood and run your various locos through it to give you a good idea if the locos you have will go through trackage you plan to use.
Good luck,
Richard
David,
I think that you are correct. My minimum radius on the mainline is 38 inches, I believe that the curved #8 is 36 inches for the mainline and 32 inches for the diverging route. I believe that I already knew the answer to the question, but was hoping otherwise. Will put in the turnout on a straight section and use a #8 left hand turnout to the servicing facilities. It will be a bit of a pain, but better to change now than later when operation stinks.[B)]
The supposedly radius equivalent of a numbered turnout is very much open to interpretation, other than turnouts such as Lionel, which is an exact substitute for a piece of curved track. I think the old Atlas snap switches were something of the same concept as Lionel
If you draw a point where the turnout begins and then one were the diverging part ends, you can come up with a radius curve equivalent, but that is more for track planning purposes and tells you little about what equipment will run without incident through that turnout. It is possible to measure the actual curve that is present in a turnout and that is of course what the equipment is putting up with. But whether it is a simple curve or an easement, and the like, is awful hard to measure.
I note that the Peco turnouts don’t try to deal with frog numbers but their curved turnouts do advertise a curve radius equivalent. I pay less attention to the inches of radius they claim and more to whether it just seems very broad, broad, tight, etc. Peco claims 60 inch for its broadest curve on a curved turnout. Maybe, but I dropped on into my 42" radius curve and it seems pretty darn close.
Dave Nelson
i have 2 shinohara #8 curved turnouts on my layout and i think that is 2 too many.
hate to brag but i pride myself in my code 100 trackwork and operated for hours at a time with zero derailments.
the only glitches i encounter are running big steam (4-8-2’s and 2-10-2’s) through those curved switches.
those long rigid wheelbases seem to just look for a place to climb the rail or bind up.
granted, the later plastic big engines do better that the brass models and i think it is because they have more lateral play in the drivers.
i have used the NMRA standards gauge and attacked the frog and flangeways with dental scrapers and various other tools just to get the big engines to go through without a bump or bind.
still, those are the only points on a somewhat large layout where you can bet on trouble rearing it’s ugly head eventually.
oh well, whats wrong with 3 or 4 atlas geeps for powering a long train?
charlie
I have one W/S curved #8 and I am less than completely in love with it. It looks great, functions well enough for all but two of my steamers, and otherwise presents me with a crapshoot when I try to run a limited speed passenger consist through it. Two of my steamers seem to hop through the frog. I have looked hard and long, sideways, longways, overhead, low, used the NMRA gauge…I’m fried if I can find the problem. Those same two engines fly through my Peco #6 turnouts, the N. American style Streamline Code 83 types, and like snot through a soggy Kleenex with my hand laid #8’s.
If I use that turnout somewhere on my current new build, it won’t be where scale speeds are faster than 30 mph.
At the present time, I have removed the two curved turnouts from my layout as I no longer need them with a revised track configuration. However, when they were on my layout, I had no problems once I fine tuned them.
They were both Walthers Shinohara #8 curved turnouts, a LH and a RH. With a RibbonRail Track Alignment Gauge, I measured the outer radius as 36" and the inner radius as 32".
To fine tune these curved turnouts, I have found that the roadbed, foam or cork, must be a single piece under the entire turnout. As Jim points out, you need to be careful and certain that the rails are absolutely level, not one rail higher or lower than the other. And, the turnout needs to be secured to the roadbed by either caulk or nails. If it is permitted to float freely, steamers will encounter problems.
Rich
The problem always occurs with the inner curve. I have a Southern Railway set of FT’s A-B-A, and they are no trouble. [:)] But, the steam locomotives are another story. Even, my Southern Railway 0-8-0 does not like the curved turnout. They look great but I am concluding that they are more of a problem than they are worth.[tdn]
OK, so the problem occurs on the inner curve but only with steamers.
Is the pilot truck derailing? At the frog?
Are the driver wheels coming off the rails?
Is the trailing truck derailing?
Rich
I have a few on my layout and the only one I had trouble with was the one I installed on iffy cork work.[:-^]
From my live and learn experience, a curved T/O needs extra care during installation. Like others have said, a solid level roadbed is crucial. Also unlike regular T/Os, the turnout must be secured in position. I found the larger T/Os will torque out of gauge after a few passes of a heavy steamer. Three passes of my 2-10-4 would push it out of gauge. I would straighten it out and experiment. Sure enough three passes at forty MPH and wammo! It was out of gauge and the engine would ride up and out. Once I fastened it down with a very thin film of caulk, all was well.
Another idea is to set the video camera looking closely at the T/O and then watch it on the big screen frame by frame. It is amazing what kind of trouble you can spot and remedy when you do this.
Curved T/Os are like train lovin husbands, treat them properly and they won’t cause you any grief. At least that’s what I think I’ve convinced my wife to believe.[(-D]
Brent[C):-)]