The layout I’m planning has a 5-6 track freight yard that will occupy an inside corner in a room. Recently MR described a pinwheel ladder for such a situation. I’ve laid one out with Shinohara code 70 #6 turnouts, but with the straight rails before the points and after the frog, the ladder track is a series of short straight and curved sections that doesn’t look right. Would Walthers or Shinohara curved turnouts work better? I realize I’d have to cut them down or I’d wind up with a helix. Anyone out there ever built one of these things? I’m modelling the early 60’s so 40 foot cars would be the norm, with two inch track spacing. Thanks, Ken
You should be able to make a pinwheel ladder with straight (“normal”) turnouts. That’s normally what they are constructed from, not curved turnouts.
You migth consider trimming the Shinoharas a bit to see if it gives a better look and spacing.
Jon
Is the yard in the corner or just the yard lead? I sat down with Right-track and was experimenting last night when I realized what a huge difference it makes.
Pinwheel ladder is a new term to me after forty years in the hobby. Please describe. Sound like tracks go off in all directions!
The turnouts are in the corner, the bulk of the yard tracks will be straight.
To describe a pinwheel ladder, I’d say think of a series of turnouts, lined up with the rails of each turnout, just before the points, connected to the curved track of the previous turnout. The straight tracks would peel off from this circular track at intervals like sparks flying off of a pinwheel. The curved track conforms to the inside corner of my benchwork, the yard tracks are curved initially, then will run straight. Clear as mud, right. Someone I hope can provide you with the location of a diagram of a pinwheel ladder that appeared in one of the recent Kalmbach model railroad publications. Given my limited descriptive skills, a picture really will be worth a thousand words. Ken
Model Railroad Planning 2005 pages 81 & 82, has a description of a pinwheel ladder. The Dec 2004 MR has info as well. I recommend either over my description above.
Thanks for your idea, Jon, By putting the points of the second switch as close as possible to the guard rails of the first switch, while leaving enough room for the moveable tie between the points to move, it does look better. Ken
Turnouts that curve through the diverging route (like PECO) also work well in a pinwheel ladder. Just another thought if you can use the Shins elsehwere.
Jon
i just did this with atlas mark 3 custom line #4 switches and have had no problems. i have run 6 axcel locos and 50’ boxcars 60’ flat cars with no problem .
Excellent article in Model Railroader Special Issue - Railroad Planning 2005. I’m new to American Railroad systems and it helped me a bundle.
Turn the photo so that it is ‘landscape’ rather than ‘portrait’ (wider than it is long). Then it should enlarge when clicked.
I’ve done similar yards with the Atlas #6 turnouts, and am doing a similar one now. I’m using Code 83 Custom Line turnouts to make a 4-track double ended staging area on the inside of a corner of the room. The nature of the Atlas turnouts works better than the Walthers’ items in this case. The Atlas diverging track is curved all the way to its end, while the Walthers items have an inch or two of straightness there. No trouble with passenger cars or auto-racks. Tack things down and test-run the configuration a lot before mounting switch machines and such.
Cheers, Doug
Thanks for the answers, I think I’ll use turnouts with a curved diverging route, like Peco. I f and when I get this built, I’ll give a progress report. Ken