I have a place on my layout where the track does a 180-degree turn with 11" radius track. That brings the track center to 1.5" from the edges of the layout. I would like to drop a turnout into that curve so I can run a track through the end onto a staging shelf. Does anyone make a left turnout that will drop into an 11" radius curve? I have been trying all evening with an Atlas standard turnout with no success. To make it fit, I would have to use two sections of 9 3/4" radius track. I don’t want to do that. Any suggestions? I’m open to other brands of turnouts if they can fit in.
Can you post a diagram that is close to scale with bench edges shown? It would really help, because otherwise I don’t understand what you are saying. Sorry.
Maybe I do…are you saying you want a turnout in which the diverging route is fully arced and follows closely the rate of curvature of your main that folds back on itself 180 deg? If so, the only ones I know of will be snap type track with the plastic fake ballast, or perhaps the Peco types, the older style that used the British configuration for turnouts where the diverging route is fully curved.
I know what you’re talking about…
No one that I know of makes an 11" radius turnout, but…consider using the #4 and then flextrack for the remainder on the turn, and you’ll get about a 10.5" radius, or so. Lesser of 2 evils, not so fatal.
I see the Peco #4 is listed as 9" radius. Has anyone used this turnout with Atlas Code 80 track? Would Atlas standard turnouts be #5?
You can use that Peco with the Atlas track, both are code 80. The #? refers to the frog angle, not the radius. Smallest radius for code 80 is that Peco. Atlas makes a only a #4 (technically it’s a #4.5), and a #6. Those are your choices unless you handlay your own.
Atlas #5 and #7 are available in code 55 only.