How do you do it? I have a small yard and using Bachmann EZ-Tracks (seriously, they aren’t that bad afterall) in N and I just can’t seem to get as many tracks in that little space I have (about 1.5’ X 3’) but yet, all the yard I have seen including protoype, they are practically next to each other, how do you do it? Bachmann just got some new WYE turnouts and cross-overs but I just did some computer muck-up and also Atlas’ RTS 7.0 but it doesn’t helpa bit at all! The cross-over may be but they are expensive and one side of the cross-over may be wasted as I think they are more intended for mainline use and so does the #6 WYE.
BTW, what exactly are the purpose of WYE? I haven’t got my hands on the Bachmann #6 WYE yet but the computer shows it’s almost impossible to get a parallel track with the WYE, well, at least with their current available tracks anyway…
Anyone have graphical examples of the above would be great! Thanks!
To get the tracks closer, you have to cut the turnouts down. IT is easier with other kinds of track, but it can be done with EZ-track.
The wye is for splitting the tracks evenly. If you put three together you can turn a train, like a three-point turn in a car.
Now that said, you are where I was two years ago. I spent a lot of money on EZ tarack and because of that I spend two years fighting it. Last week I cried uncle and flushed those two years of work.
Sell the grey stuff on eBay and go with a good flex and turnouts. You can do more and won’t have to fight the turnouts. Or if you have to have a prefab track go with the Kato.
This subject of yard track spacing came up in a post some time past.
As I remember it - (Please: don’t call me stupid. All I’m doing is reflecting what I remember reading in my early model railroading experience - and that was more than four decades ago; if you can provide more accurate information, DO IT!!!) - yards were traditionally laid on 13 foot centers; it was advocated that HO yards be laid with 2 inch centers (just short of 16 feet prototype).
I am an N-Scaler. I have always laid my track centers - for sidings/side tracks and yards - on 1.5 inch (20 foot prototype) centers; this facilitated the operation of my very necessary 0-5-0 switchers. I always hated the appearance of this spacing but one of the respondents in this earlier post - I took it that he was a railroader - indicated that the modern practice in building/rebuilding yards is to lay (parallel) track on 20 foot centers.
I hate to disagree but obviously they are that bad after-all or this post would not have been necessary. They just don’t make enough differently proportioned track pieces yet to get what you are looking for. The only way I know to get close yard tracks is with the crossover piece. And as you already noted, for building a yard, half the crossover is wasted.
Other people get the yard tracks close together buy using other brands of track - like Atlas, Peco, & Walthers.
A wye turnout is used where both tracks need to diverge simultaniously. That is there is no straight route. Common uses are: 1. for the “center” turnout of an isoceles wye track arrangement (where a loco or whole train is to be turned). 2. all three turnouts of an equalateral wye track arrangment. 3. The "center turnout in a scissors wye track arrangement. 4. for converting from double track to triple track. 5. mountain switchbacks.
Note that a #6 wye turnout is equivalent to a #12 normal turnout. For use with #6 turnouts a #3 wye would be used.
I know what you trying to say about the EZ-Track…some of them required a bit of ‘tuning’ and today just discovered one of the switch has the reverser inside stuck and no wonder it was shorting out for apparent no reason at all.
But I guess in the short term, I am stuck with them for now.
Thanks for the help on the WYE…I think those are probably useless for my existing layout…
Just measured mine, with consecutive left switches, the cloest i can get it is almost 3 inches centres or 40 foot prototype length. Guess it’s really sad. But on a cheerful note, may be I’ll use that space to transform part of the yard to passenger platforms!
I am trying to prevent using under-table tortoise switch machines due to space problems and I am trying to automate switches for use with DCC routes. Do you think those switches can be adapted using twin-coil switches?
I think the EZ-Track is about a #5 and using Kato #4 you get about 33mm (about 1.5") between rails and I think I am about 50mm (about 2 inches) out. Suppose I will just have to live with it. Would WYE help in anyway in this situation? Like after the split, using combinations of left and right turn-out? Probaby just have to try beause on the computer, it won’t work…because I think the turn-out are about a #5 and the new WYE is #6.
Ahhh… The ol’ 0-5-0. I still use mine. I have had it since I started modeling. It’s the fastest switcher that I have ever used… It can move a car from one side of the layout to the other in seconds![;)] Dave
As you have found, EZ Track is very limited. The standard curved piece is 11.25" radius. That Atlas N SnapTrack is 9.75" radius - So the Right Track software will not be able to give you an exact diagram of the Bachmann track. Also, those switches are not true #4 or #6 turnouts. They have a ‘continuous’ curve through they that matched the standard 11.25" curve section - No wonder you wind up with 40’ track centers! Also the built in switch machines are not very high quality, and are going to burn out eventually. This makes them a poor choice for hidden trackage.
If you are determined to go the ‘all in one’ sectional route, look at the Kato UniTrack system - Lots of different geometry for building something very prototypical, but the stuff is quite expensive!
Look at the single side of the turnout–on any not pre-fitted turnout, you can cut right up to the points.
Problems I’ve run into with EZ-track:
The turnouts require a lot of work. They need to be filed and shimmed to get the track running 100%.
Look at one of your loading docks or passenger docks on your layout. Now put a box car or passenger car next to it. You will notice that they don’t line up. After a while you may decide that it would be nice if they did. To do this you need to recess the track or raise the layout 1/4" to get it to line up. This took me 2 months of weekends to do.
All the serviceable parts are on the undersides of the track. You have to pull the parts out to service them. If you have them buried in place to make them look good, you have to destroy the layout to get them out. Do this a couple times and it will get tiring. When I cried uncle. I had three turnouts that needed to be yanked. It was more than I could bear.
You say you are stuck with EZ-track. That’s what I said. Right now there are a zillion people who got EZ-track for Christmas and are looking for more on eBay. You will get more than it’s worth if you sell right now. Sell it and if you still want plastic road bed go with the Kato. It’s a much better product.
Here’s a picture of my EZ track and what I am giving up because it sucks. We are talking about 1000’s of hours and $1000’s of dollars.
So that’s how you get the track so close with WYE and flex track! Hehehe…back to the drawing board! So what am I suppose to do with half dozen EZ-Track turnouts I just bought! LOL Not to mention all the tracks!
But we still have a problem! My mainline is EZ-Track, how do I go from that to Flex-Track?
Yeah, I know what you mean by the file and shimming, some of them will only go one way otherwise you keeps on hearing ‘beep, beep’ beep’ which means the decoders are in short mode!
Wow, is that in N? Nice work! Never thought of bearing them to look good, I just add ballast besides the track and it’s a lot of work, but not as much as yours! I am too lazy!
Actually, I might just yank them all out because I got this Union Staton that I really want to put it next to the yard so I can do it like Cheyenne station with station in one side and freight in the opposite end.
To be honest guys, my very first layout only lasted 2 months and the second one (now) I thought would last longer but I was reading this book called ‘48 Greatest Layout’ and I was really tempted to yank them all out and do it all over again! But I am also itching to wire up a couple of the F7’s and Dash 8 and have a go and not sure if I can get it all done in time for my bro’s wedding in 3 week of Jan. I mean the basics anyway. But I think I really need to do it properly this time and not try to cheat like using EZ-Track and grass mats. And I think build them in sections (inclines and bridge sections and rock face etc) just don’t work because you see, I was try to anticipate future move by lay the track first and then try to add terrain to it which is just too lazy. Should have done it with proper grades.
So yank them??? [banghead] LOL
May be I really should because I got this glass shelvings behind the existing layout now and if I can get that out of the way, I will gain another feet in length and another feet wide for the yard. Hmmm…it’s really a lot of work, it’s worse than starting fresh because you already have equipment and stuff on it and involves dismentling and safe storage. But the existing layout have its operational problem anyway because it’s sort of only one way but I do have a turntable to turn it around if required…it did took a while to design this because you will beliee how much stuff I crampped into this 4X2 board!
