When I attempted to lay out a passing siding on my layout, I could not get the siding track to line up with the turnouts.
I am using two snap switches, with a 1/3 18 degree to get them back to parallel, and when I run track to connect, they do not line up straight.
On a similar thought, I have decided to abandon my 4x8 in favor of a larger layout, and am in the process of designing it. I have begun designing the yard in Right Track, and low and behold, even in the software the parallel tracks do not line up between #4 turnouts.
so, I cannot get anything to line up in real life or on software? somebody has to know why.
I am so glad (well not really) I am not the only one with this problem. I am trying to lay code 55 #7 turnouts and I can not get it to line up. And I have been trying all the curves. I am using RTS 10.0.
Best way to fix these things is to use flex track. You can also take a piece of sectional track and cut it with a dremel, track saw or rail nippers to make it the size you need.
I had figured that part out, and I am able to get the siding track parallel to the main line, but the problem is that the two tracks coming off the turnouts do not line up.
I used flex track to fix the problem on the original layout, but I really do not like the idea of having to “shim” all the parallel connections for the yard on my new layout.
Unfortunately, it could be any of a handful of reasons. Everything from manufacturing tolerances, a mis-manufctured Snap Switch, Atlas mis-packaging a #4 instead of a Snap Switch, differences in how tight the rail joints are, misalignment at some rail joints, lack of perfect symmetry at both ends of the passing siding, inadvertent substitution on your part, etc.
Snap Switches are now made in 2 sizes - 18" radius substitution and 22" radius substitution. 18" radius Snap Track comes in both 10 degree (1/3) and 15 degree (1/2) segments. There are also 1/2 15" radius, and 1/2 22" radius curves available. They can look remarkably similar.
Some batches of Atlas #4 turnouts also have a slight curve in their straight section. If this is also true of your Snap Switches, things will again be out of whack.
In other words, there are many possibilities, and it’s difficult to figure out and fix the cause. Carefully checking the track components before laying them, using your down at rail height to detect misalignments, and using rulers/straight edges to find misalignments and non-straight components are all a part of track laying for me.
Another consideration is that some Atlas track plans have built-in misalignments of 2.5 degrees and a 1/4" or so.
Replacing the 1/3 18" radius curves with flex track is often the easiest solution.
[quote]
On a similar thought, I have decided to abandon my 4x8 in favor of a larger layout, and am in the process of designing it. I have begun designing the yard in Right Track, and low and behold, even in the software the parallel tracks do not line up between #4 turnouts.
so, I cannot get anything to line up in real life or on software? somebody has to know why…
Fred explained it right. The best way to go is using the crossover option, you will find it under special. You can remove the second switch later and substitute it with flextrack.
It would be very helpful if we could know the desired center line to center line spacing of your main line and siding. Also are you asking about a single siding or a yard, or both? Are you committed to Snap Switches or can you change to Nr. 4? They are not the same geometry.
I guess what I am really after now is how is the best way to get parallel sidings, and also parallel tracks in a yard. I am not really sure of the spacing, I have not gotten that far in planning yet. 2"? 2.5"? Anyway, I started getting nervous when the tracks did not line up in Rail Soft.
I think I am planning on using #4 turnouts in the yards, and #6 on the main line.
So, if you all are putting in a yard, how do you lay it out?
For my yard I use the Atlas snap switch with the small curved piece they also include. It does not make it go completly parallel if I am using rigid track. So I use flex trax in conjuction with the small curved piece this way the flex trax is not curved too much before it become straight… and you end up with a nice long unjoined track for the yard.
I ran into this issue planning my layout using Atlas 12 inch #6 code 83 switches. I called Atlas Tech Support and they said exactly what was mentioned above… draw your centerlines and hack up a piece of sectional track or use flex track when laying the track. According to them, Atlas makes no sectional track to bring the lines back to lining up straight using the turnouts I have. The reason I was given was that people using their higher end switches would be using flex track anyway, so creating a sectional track for that application would be worthless. I know the geometry is different between the ones I used and Code 83 snap switches. But in Code 100, I think the 100-834 15* 18 inch radius curves worked with #6 snap switches.
I tried Right Track but didn’t like it. I used Anyrail for layout drawing. For planning, I used a single slip to create the proper position of the second line, then deleted the one turnout and popped a piece of flex track in its place. It’s an extra step, but I had no other options.
I just realized why it won’t line up with the Snap Switches.
The Snap Switch itself has a 20 degrees of curvature on the curved path of approximately 18" radius. The included small curve (1/3 18" radius) has 10 degrees of curve so that when added to the Snap Switch the 2 together substitute for a full 18" radius piece.
That means that for a parallel spur or siding, you need TWO 1/3 18" radius pieces to bring the diverging path back to parallel. For this reason, Snap Switches make very poor turnouts for parallel tracks or yard ladders. The Custom Line #4 switches have only 12.5 degrees of curve in the diverging path, and are much, much easier to bring back to parallel. However, because no Snap Track has 12.5 degrees, you have to use flex track or accept a 2.5 degree misalignment. The flex track is the much better solution, and will give a nice smooth curve.
with the 1/3 18" pieces, the turnout will be parallel again. the actual problem is the the right hand turnout is “lower” than the left hand turnout. This is the same with two other sets or turnouts.
So I guess the left and right snap switches are made differently from each other?
I cannot test this with #4 turnouts, because all I have is right hands.
I have given up on the idea of incorporating my snap switches into the yard on the next layout, but my concern is that in using the #4’s in RTS in the design of the yard, the same problem appeared to be happening. I have no way of knowing if that is just on the computer, and will actually line up in real life or I will run into the same problem.
PS - I assure you that the pieces in the pictures are all attached properly to each other.
I guess this is why so many just forget about dealing w/ sectional and go to higher end turnouts and flextrack. These issues did it for me. Never mind all the elec conductivity issues and feeders.
Jay, I have used RTS to design many sidings, and have overcome your problem by NOT using Snap switches to enter sidings. They were designed to begin an 18" radius curve, and have a curve thru the frog. This introduces an S-turn in your siding; not a good thing. The folowing method guarentees a parallel siding, every time. On one end, I use two right hand and on the other end, two left hand Atlas Custom Line #4 or #6 turnouts, if you have room, with the diverging routes facing each other, and connect each pair with two 1 & 1/2" Atlas fitters. I isolate the “Hot” rail between the two short pieces to prevent two opposing trains “Kissing”. Add a short length of track to the through route on the siding turnout to create a pocket to hold helpers, or to serve a nearby industry. Of course, you can vary the length of the connecting fitters to obtain the distance between tracks that you desire. Later on, if you want, mark the centerline of the siding turnout, pull it out and replace with a proper length of flex track. Happy MRRing…JWH
