Can someone please explain the following quote from page 35 of “The Model Railroader’s Guide to Freight Yards” by Andy Sperandeo.
“This ladder of no. 6 turnouts is laid on a no. 5 angle to save a little space.”
How do you do this?
Thanks
Mike
The trick is to put a few degrees of curvature between the turnout frog and the track connected to it. Since all the curvature is in the same direction, there won’t be any tracking problems.
The sticking point comes where the ladder diverges from the thoroughfare track. That little curve, leading directly into the points of a turnout, can yield a nasty S curve. With #6 frogs, shorter cars will track well. It’s the auto racks and humonguboxes that will be actively unhappy.
One way to avoid that S curve is to leave the first “track” space next to the thoroughfare track open. It’s a logical home for the yard office (in a de-trucked caboose or passenger car body,) speeder sheds and an access road. If you absolutely MUST have a track there, put in a separate #6 off the thoroughfare and watch the S-curve carefully.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I think I’ve read that too. I assumed it meant that the first turnout was a number 5 and the tracks diverging from it used number 6’s, but I’m not sure. I also saw mention of a spiral layout which was supposed to save space.
Jim