They say the only dumb question is the one not asked...so here goes. On the 1:1 railroad...would a railroad use the deverging rails on a s turnout as the mainline ? I am working on putting in my interchange track. The problem I am up against is this: If I put the turnout in with the deverging going to the interchange....it puts may track work to far forwards into an area I need for other purposes. If I set a turnout to make the deverging track the main and the straight leg the interchange...everything sorta fits in the area. The same holds true for the other end of the same area. The straight leg needs to go for the track into the station...just before the main turns. If I put a turnout to go the other way...the 'bump' of the deverging route that would go into the station will stick out into the same area I need there. I'll get pics tomorrow. I am just trying to get a feeling how it works in the real world before I catch some zzzzzzzz's and go over it all in my sleep. thnxs.
As I was taught, mainlines never take the diverging route unless absolutely necessary. This from the John Armstrong book and other resources.
Yikes !!! Kinda what I thought...but didnt wanna hear. Doing it 'the right way' will take up land THE Wife wants for our 'homestead'. Do it the right way OR Tick of THE Wife hmmmmm...but I did read "unless absolutely necessary." Been married going on 30 years. I havent survived this long by doing everything 'the right way' LOL ;-)
There is a solution, use a wye instead of to standard turnout, then you have no true diverging route because they both are.
I suppose this could easily fit into the How Many Times Has the "Nope, Not Enough Space" Thing Bitten You? thread eh...LOL
Unfortunately the real world doesn't always read the civil engineer's text books. If the only way to fit in your interchange track is to take it off the straight leg of the turnout the go for it, in a tight situation the prototype would do the same thing.
The curved portion of the switch is sometimes used as the main route in the 1:1 world. It is probably rare and a speed restriction would possibly be posted. I have used that arrangment several times on my layouts with no problems and would use it again if I needed to.
I think I've seen it in the field maybe 2-3 times where an industrial spur keeps the straight route and the main takes the curve, the equalateral 'wye' being a little more common. Yes, you're stuck with a permanent speed restriction if it is done that way. I've seen some truly awkward attempts in the prototype with wicked reverse curves to try to get around it, probably less geometrically challenging than if the diverging route had just been left on the main. The problem isn't the curve, its that the curve can't be supelevated in the switch itself, plus the fact that it beats the crap out of the diverging switchpoint the faster you go a well as the frog and the entire turnout. With no superelevation, you instantly fall into an FRA-induced speed limit based upon curvature. And yes, it is beat into every track-design engineering exercise that the 'main' always takes the straight side of the turnout... The reality check should always be on what the track speed is to begin with. No, you really don't want a diverging-main turnout on a 65-mph main with unit coal trains and you'll see extraordinary attempts to stay away from that on the prototype. Different situation on a 10mph branch.
I know for a fact there is a "mainline" taking the diverging track on a switch just south of Santa Fe NM. There is a speed restriction of 50mph down from 79mph track speed. Granted the "mainline" only sees 2 Amtrak trains a day while the straight route sees 12+ NM Railrunner commuter trains so it kinda makes sense...
Ok guys...as promised...some pics of 'The Problem Child'. First pic: The original configuration. Lots of real estate above the tracks for what THE Wife wants to put in there. Second pic: Running Main 2 off the diverging route and the Interchamge off the straight leg. It moves Main 2 up 4 inches from Main 1 into that valuable real estate above it. Third pic: Running the Interchange off the diverging track and Main 2 off the straight leg. The Main 2 track is moved 7.25 inches up from Main 1. The real estate above Main 2 is severely cramped...and makes THE Wife frown. :-(
Just for clarification: The double crossover CAN NOT BE MOVED. It is at the throat to Lucky Penny Yard. ;-) AND...I still have to put a road in above Main 2 (from left to right) to get into Georgetown from Jeans Valley and also to get into THE Homstead ;-)
You seem to have about 3" between the double crossover and the new switch in the 3rd picture. It's not ideal, but could you butt the switch right up against the crossover and get that 3" back?
Those are 2.5 inch short straights with feeders soldered underneath. There are 4 total...to power the legs on the double crossover. I COULD take the one out and move the switch closer to the dbl Xover. The problem then becomes there is some bad "S" curves coming from the Interchange...thru the switch...and then thru the switches in the dbl xover. BUT...it would move that Main 2 down out of THE Wifes prooperty 2 1/2 inches ;-) Hmmmmmmmmm.
Ok...took the 2.5 inch straight feeder track out and slid the switch to the dbl xover. It does move Main 2 down that 2.5 inches out of THE Wifes real estate. The distance between the mains is not as bad. The "S" curves and lack off a feeder on that leg I may just have to live with. I suppose I will have to 'sweet talk' THE Wife and explain 'compromise' ;-)
I can't believe it George is asking a "Prototype" question when....seriously...a few discussions back he was saying some of us don't give a $#!+ about the 1X1 foot scale. Something wrong here, I think his heart medications are getting to him. Heeheeheehee Back to Armstrong, he was an excellent advisor when it came to being a spokesperson for model railroading. He has my respect for his contribution to model railroading. BUT!!!! Some of his hard and fast rules...think about this...he broke on his own model railroads. In the real world of 1X1 foot scale there are diverging switches on the mains. One main leaving another, as in C&O having trackage rights over the B&O and leaving the B&O main on a diverging switch. These were high speed switches as the "Rails" called them and were long switches. To describe them in our modeling vernacular #12's or #15's. I use diverging switches on my mainline and don't bat an eye at the practice. I can take you to downtown Dayton, OH and show you diverging switches on the main. That is if they are still there. So, it's not a hard and fast rule. Switches go in where switches are needed. Get over it George and put the dammed switch in.
Can you also use a slightly sharper radius curve on the main as well? Might get you another inch if it's the same radius as the inner main. Another option, although not easily done with Kato Unitrack, might be to shorten the straight leg of the turnout so the curve starts sooner. George
