I’ve made photocopies of my turnouts and have drawn my trackplan on top of my plywood (as best I could). After laying and gluing out my turnout copies onto the trackplan, I’ve noticed that one in location, I need to place 2, maybe 3, turnouts running into each other. In other words, butted up next to each other. Can this be done? Is this a no-no? Is this a problem when it comes to switch control, wiring, etc? Just asking as I am just drawing stuff in right now, and would like to avoid serious problems later. Also just asking as I am basically just an idiot when it comes to stuff like this. Need the help of some serious pros, of which I’m not. Thanks for your help on the kit question.
Go 'Nova in the Tourney (since OSU has lost, I have to jump on somebody’s bandwagon).
When cutting switches, all you really need to watch out for are the points (the moving parts) and the frogs (the part where the rails cross). Most manufacturer’s add extra length which can be cut away without interfering with function.
You will need to watch out so the track centers coming off the shortened switches aren’t too close.
Speaking track arrangements,turnouts are often installed one to the other without problems (crossing between parallel tracks,yards,etc).However,most TO’s carry current fairly well but aren’t the surest way to do it as the moving points may get dirty with time and require regular maintenance to remain good conductors.
Let’s say you want to install three consecutive TO’s,then it is likely that the middle one will eventually suffer from poor electrical supply to it’s rails because current is fed through the two other TO’s it’s ends are connected to.I suggest that you take care to have very tight joiners to start with and a good thing would be to supply extra feeder wires for that middle TO.
You didn’t mention which TO’s you’ll be using.I suggest you follow the manufacturer’s recommendations as some (Peco Electrofrog) types need special installation requirements to perform right.
Jack: I’m using Peco Electrofrogs. Yea, they need special wiring. Doesn’t look so dificult. Just was wondering if they were all connected to each other, if that wouldn’t mess things up, or throw things off.
one problem you may have is with the throw rods hitting the divering route or not having enough room for a switch stand. I would buy some switchs and try it out for real before settling on a track plan.
Yes you can. The only problems I have run into doing this are having to trim some ties outside the rails. An ABSOLUTE NO WIN SITUATION can be created if you plan to do this with a right and left turnout. That will causse cars to derail as the ends of the cars are skewing in two directions at thesame time. All lefts or all rights is ok as long as the curvature is in the same direction.
As long as you avoid creating S-curves, turnouts can be trimmed to where the points of the second barely clear the frog and guard rails of the first. As long as you feed power from the facing point end and gap any rail with a feeder behind a frog, electricals should not be an issue.
If you use Peco switch machines as they are designed to be used, there is no need to have a throwbar extending beyond the tie line. The same is true for Tortoises, or any other under-the-table mechanisms, powered or manual. For appearance, you can create a purely cosmetic rod-connected mechanical interlocking if you are modeling the steam era, or rod-connect dummy switch machines or switch stands beyond the clearance line of the outermost track in a more modern installation.