I have been using Unitrack for a long time but have not had a need for a crossover. Now I found a need. Can anyone tell me the difference between a "LEFT" and a "RIGHT" crossover?
One goes left to right. One goes right to left. Ya had to see that coming...lol Its been a long time since I had a 15 degree crossover or the need to use one. I'm going on fuzzy memory here. I found that if you lay it with one leg on the straight through track the 15 degree looks right. http://www.fiferhobby.com/kato-unitrack-n-scale-track-wood-ties/ If you turn it around and lay it on the straight through track...it just doesnt look right. My guess would be to figure out which track is going to cross over the through track and decide if that track is going to go from left to right or right to left. Sounds odd but there is a difference. JMO.
Sitting here drinking coffe and clearing the cobwebs outta the brain. Here is what I remember... Take a piece of paper...draw a straight line top to bottom. Start to draw the track that is going to cross over that line from the bottom up. If that track is on the left of the straight line and going to go right to cross you need a right crossover. If its on the right and going to turn left to crossover you need a left crossover. Thats what my fuzzy memory remembers. I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong
I'm glad you asked. The whole thing is pretty bizarre. And funny. First things first: Am I the only person who thinks a crossing is a crossing and a crossover is a pair of switches in double track? Oh, KATO left and right crosswhatevers. One track has ties which all line up the same way and the other doesn't. The left and right tells you which track has the orderly ties. Beyond that I think you have to be Japanese to understand.
Might we be confusing "crossover" with "double crossover"? With a "left hand" crossover, the train would crossover from the right track to the left track no matter which way the crossover is orientated.
No, we aren't confusing anything. KATO does indeed call crossings "crossovers". And that's our Engrish resson of the day.
That's either where you have two private eyes following you and you lose them both, or what a girl wears under a skirt on a cold day.
I think there's still some confusion. Is the OP talking about a section of track in the form of an X (crossing), or a double-track section with turnouts to travel from one track over to the other (crossover)?
I do believe he is talking an actual 'crossing' of one track by another. http://fiferhobbysu770.corecommerce.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=12795 Unitracks double 'crossover' isnt '15 degrees. But their 15 degree 'crossing' is
Well, I guess there is. I saw a crossing advertised as a "crossover", but the packaging was printed in Japanese. So that may have been a mistake on the retailer's part, because their English language packaging calls crossings crossings. KATO does make left and right crossings (the only difference is the angle of most of the ties) and left and right "double track single crossovers". No left and right double crossovers though. More's the pity.
If you care which track has its ties all lined up right, look at the pics and get the one you want. Oh. Then buy whichever one is in stock, because they both work the same way.
Thank you, after viewing the Kato info at 300%, I found that you are absolutely RIGHT about the tie layout, all that's LEFT is to find the one in stock.