hello, I,m building first layout using peco code 55. I,m .having trouble laying out a simple staging yard with a ladder effect. I,m coming off the mainline with a long left hand turnout and then using 2 or 3 right hand turnout in a row to give laddering look . my question is to maintain clearance between yard track,do you have to add a short piece of track between turnouts Posted - 06/26/2005 : 13:23:47 Show Profile Email Poster
First of all, welcome to Trainboard, Dale!! I don't use Peco 55 for my yard, but all my yard switches are Peco code 80 #4. I've found the clearance I get with them good enough. There are two ways to increase clearance. The first is to add a small piece between switches. The other is to add a little more curve at the end of the branching point on the switch. If your yard is flex-track, it's very easy to do - you simply bend the first inch that connects to the switch, very lightly will do it. If you use sectional track, the first option is the more practical. I'm sure others will chime in with other options!
You will have to insert short pieces to get 1" (25 mm) centreline separation if you are using medium radius turnouts for the ladder but coming off the main with a large radius turnout. However, you should get the correct spacing if you use either all large radius or all medium radius turnouts. To be sure, just join the turnouts and lay them out on some paper or your layout base and draw the track centrelines to see where they end up.
I had the same problem in my yard. I ended up doing what was mentioned above - curving the yard track that feeds into the turnout slightly to give a little extra space. Works fine. -Dave
Dale, staging yards are just that, staging.....i.e., a place where trains wait to go back out or complete a run. Most staging yards are hidden, or at least in a remote spot away from the users eye in order to give them the effect of offstage. That said, staging yards need to be as hassle free and derailment free as possible, since that is the last place you a problem. Code 55, while it looks great for mainline runing, and it does, may be a bit impractible for a yard not meant to be viewed with the scrutiny of other areas. As well as being a bit small for rail where not all wheelprofiles are low ones, if you get my drift. As stated above, I would yank up all of that 55 and replace it with 80, and with maybe #6 turnouts with a workable spacing..i.e. fingers. Hope this helps....on my last two layouts, I never had a problem with this formula....have a great day....
