Fewer switches Make smoother Mainline?

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I’m designing my first HO layout since the 1960s so I am really just a beginner.

I am using Atlas HO Code 83 and creating a small layout based on a modest oval. (I have already stocked up on a lot of the rail so changing brands or anything isn’t an option.) Right now I have designed the layout with several sidings and turnout to a yard etc. on the interior of the oval. For that I have used 4 regular 9" remote snap switches (pair of left and right hand on each straight of the oval).

Now I am thinking that this might not make for smooth running. In the old days I remember my cars (particularly light ones) derailing over my old manual switches all the time.

Generally, is it better to minimize the switches on the straights to increase the general speeds, at least on part of the oval, or are the modern remote switches pretty smooth?

On the simple oval I won’t be getting up much speed anyway, but will it be smooth?

Thanks to anyone who cares to respond.

2

You could run on switches all day if your track is laid correctly and your cars are up to specs. Snap-Switches (the ones that have an 18" curve as a diverging route) are not made with tight tolerances so I’d spot check one with a NMRA track gauge to make sure that they are constructed properly. Next, go over your fleet of cars and with a postage scale (can’t be more then $5 for a cheep one) and make sure that all your cars are weighted properly. I don’t remember what the recommended practice is but it shouldn’t be hard to find out. Pennies add weight on the cheep or you could use any small heavy metal you have. The lower the weight is in the car, the better the cars will track over the switches. While you are checking weight, check the gauge of each wheel set on several spots to be sure that the wheels are both spaced properly and true. Finally, keep in mind that Snap-Switches are designed for train set style layouts. That means small trains (10ish cars), short locomotives, and slow speeds.

I don’t think that you will have much of a problem with the track, the quality of Atlas track, especially the switches, has gone up a lot in the past 40 years.

3

Hi Cisco

Car weight according to NMRA reccomendation should be 1 ounce + 1/2 ounce for every inch of the car. Of course, make sure that your coupler heights are all identical. Build everything so you get a gradual ride on every part of the track including grade.

As to the number of switches you have… the number shouldn’t matter as long as you lay your track and switches with your train and cars in mind. Track is the bedrock of your layout and every moment of time spent making sure it is level and smooth and gradual is time well spent. (There’s nothing worse than a constant de-rail everytime you run your trains.) It’s worthwhile running a couple of cars over the switches and the track as you build. Also, make sure you know the minimum radius your trains can use and plan accordingly. Modern cars and passenger cars need wide curves as do big engines. Again, the gentler the run the less chance of de-rail.

And lastly, plan, plan and plan. Make sure your track plan allows everything you want visually but also will allow fun to run and will take into account what you want to run.

Have fun!

Barry [#welcome]

4

I’ve got a bunch of Atlas snap switches and I have no problems with them at all. If you have a few “fussy” cars, you may find that having the main line on the straight route is more reliable, but that’s usually the fault of the car, not the track.

On general suggestion on track plans using these turnouts, or any other turnouts for that matter: Try not to put the point end (the end with one track) of the turnout right at the end of a curve. A few inches of straight track will greatly increase reliability of the turnout.

5

[quote user=“Cisco Kid”]

6

Cisco,

[#welcome][#ditto] Of all the problems one could have this is not at the top of the list. You’ll probably have more trouble with car & loco trucks being out of gauge than with switches. I unfortunately used a couple of Atlas switches from the '70’s and they cause car wheels to drop down and then back up at frog points. Irritating to look at but no derailing regardless of speed. When it comes to speed I’m fairly conservative in keeping with HO scale top speed.

Take extra care laying track because that’s the foundation for good running. Eye ball to make sure your straight runs are straight and there’s no up down elevation change where the track is supposed to be at same elevation. You could use a carpenters level to assure everything’s on the level(you’ll note after re

7

Well real railroads do tend to put as few turnouts into a mainline as is possible, since both in the prototype and model they can be an opportunity for derailments.

For example, on your layout, let’s say you are going to put in two spur tracks to industries located very close to each other, both on the same side of the mainline. You could put two turnouts one after the other on the mainline, with the straight part of each on the main and the curved legs each leading to one industry. It would work, but it would probably be more prototypical and better operationally to have one turnout on the main, with the curved leg of that turnout leading to another turnout that then creates a spur to each industry. It would probably work better and look better.

8

The keys to reliable running are found in the basement.

Start with a solid and planar footing. That means whatever your ties will sit on must be as close to level and planar as you can make it. Deviate even by 1/16" in the wrong place, but especially at either end of a turnout, and you can count on some problems.

Whenever I have derailments, they come chiefly because the points are not thrown for the approach. Naturally, you would expect your locomotives to take exception to that situation, and they will let you know. Next, in order of frequency, are points rails that are too rounded, too straight, or just not sharp enough where they first meet the oncoming flanges that they don’t get picked. You’ll need a track and flange gauge, and they can be found at any good hobby shop that sells a decent selection of trains.

Finally, it is the changes of direction outside of the turnout, but far worse when the roadbed, itself, is changing direction vertically. That is, if the tracks, whether in a turnout or not, are deviating from level due to what they rest on, there is a strong likelihood that the rolling stock and locomotives will rock somewhat and lose control due to flanges leaving their bearing faces inside the rails. If you also have a curve, it is really bad.

Therefore, you must assure yourself that the roadbed or track surface is very even, and that any changes in direction are gradually initiated and gradually extinguished. Your turnouts must lie on solid footing, because if they are allowed to flex, dip, or rock, you will almost certainly get derailments.

If you take your time and address all of these things, you are almost certain to enjoy running your trains from the outset.

9

Also, because there is a gap in the rail at the frog, the frogs take quite a beating over time as the wheels hit the edges of the gap. Thus railroads tried to minimize frogs on the mainline. Of course this really is not a problem on a model railroad unless maybe you have a constantly running display layout. Even then your talking about years of running before there may be a problem.

On the stretch of track I will be modeling, in one particular town that had a lot of industries, the railroad put all of the industrial spurs off a long run-around track. (I say run-around track instead of passing siding because the siding was too short to be used for passing any train except maybe the local.)

The railroad also used spring frogs for some mainline passing sidings. A spring frog actually closes the gap for the normal route of the turnout but the springs allow the flanges of the wheels to push open the gap for trains traveling on the diverging route.

10

Obviously, turnouts present a greater likelihood for derailments than straight tracks and curves but there is no reason to avoid them on your mainline. As long as your track doesn’t contain any extreme S curves or other oddities, you shoud be able to get it running reliably. When I get my layout fully operational, I intend to establish a troubleshooting procedure. Whenever I have a derailment, I will mark on a chart the location of the derailment and the derailing car will get a sticker on bottom on the end it derailed. If a car gets 3 stickers, it goes back to the workbench for maintenance. 3 derailments at the same location within a yet to be determined time frame will also require the track to be rechecked with the track gauge.

11

A friend’s railroad had his yard ladder and industrial siding all going to several switches on his main. I created a passing track with large #6 switches to bypass the two worst switches on his old main. That way trains not involved in yard or siding work can breeze by without constant checks of those switches.

My plans will have the yard isolated from the railroad and what few sidings will be concentrated in town off the passing track.

With perfect trackwork, you can have a maze of switches and engines, trains running forward backwards etc all day without any problems.

Some DCC systems with Torquises (Spelling) can even indicate to you if a switch is thrown or closed.