I am working on a small yard. This yard is to be 9" wide by 60" long due to space limitations. I am using PECO #4 as entrance and exit switches. Perhaps PECO #6 as ladders inside the yard. Any ideas?
hi Frank: Looks like you post about as often as I do<G> How are you doing out in the snow-belt? We got hit pretty hard here in N Tonawanda. Is there some way to enlarge the drawing? It came up too small for my aging eyes... Regards, Jim R.
Is this simply to make and break a few trains? Will you need any special activities to take place? Local industries? Car storage? Boxcab E50
Hi, If you would use PECO #4 as ladders inside the yard you will increase the length of each of the yard tracks and can get them a tad closer, which could give you room for another track. I use the PECO #4 within the yard and have not had any trouble with them. Tracks are about 1.375 inch apart, just enough room to get the five fingers in. I have to second the questions from BoxcabE50 Gary
The purpose of the yard is to make and break trains, hold arriving trains, and release departing trains. No industries are located in the yard. Perhaps a caboose track would be beneficial?
I'm going start asking questions here; What kind of equipment are you using? 40ft boxcars, 33ft hopper cars, small diesel(4 axle)/steam engines(2-8-2) or are you going to run autoracks, 86ft/60ft boxcars, container cars and big (6 axle) diesels through this yard? The reason I ask, is to find out what level of GOOD performance you are going to expect with the details you have given for this yard. I guess I don't understand your expectations when you advise that you are going to have #4 turnouts on the leads and #6 in the yard. I wouldn't use #4 turnouts anyplace except on a VERY few industrial leads, and even then the leads would be restricted to 4 axle units or small steamers. You mention the yard is 9' wide and 60" long. That is 5 ft long and I don't see ANY advantage to using #4 turnouts on the leads. Especially if you want to run modern equipment with long cars and diesels. The same reasoning applies if you want to run big steam, 2-10-0, 2-10-2, 2-6-6-2, 2-8-8-2, 4-6-6-4, or 4-8-8-4's. I know that these bigger engines will run through a #4 turnout, but they look silly doing it, and will tend to derail more on the #4 turnouts. There isn't any way you can come up with 3" more to make the yard 12" wide? Would ease up the sharp turnout need, and would give a little more room for the 0-5-0 yard engine. It can be awful nice to be able to put a car on the tracks, and not knock over the train on either side of it, in the process. As you can see I'm not a real fan of #4 turnouts at all! And of the concept of a "minimum radius" either. Make turnouts and curve radius (plural?) as big as possible. Make your track work the best possible from the beginning, and never worry about "that one turnout that everything derails at" concept.
I'd use the #6 turnouts for entry & exit. #4's may be used for a caboose track or a short runaround track. Your equipment may require #6 or larger elsewhere. I don't see a yard lead/drill track in your layout, unless you use a doubletrack main with a crossover where cars could be put before adding & sorting them into the yard?
Mark: Good advice. I will not be running large modern stuff. Just the "older" steamers, and smaller diesels, transition types. Freight car length limited also. Squeezing out another 3 inches...ouch! Of course I'll take another look with that in mind. Should I try for the Peco #6 for the latter leads? Would you use insul or electro frogs? I'm using the ol' analog DC system.
Hi Frank: Got your PM; Image works fine today. I'll drop you a note later-I'm having my perenial problem with trainboard signing me out before I can complete a post... Jim R.
If you've got the space go for No.6's. The best Peco turnouts are their code 55 range. Electrofrogs give better operation on DC or DCC, you've just got to take care to put insulated gaps in the right place so you don't feed power to the frog end of the turnout. I've used Peco No.4's, I'm assuming you mean the Set Track turnouts which I believe are considerably tighter than a real No.4 (the British don't use the American numbering system for turnouts), on a mining/logging branch on an Ntrak module and another club member had a couple in an industrial area. If I built my module over again I'd do it a bit wider and use larger radius and turnouts, but if you don't run anything bigger than 4 axle diesels and fifty foot cars they are ok, some equipment just doesn't like them my Spectrum 2-8-0's are a bit picky with the curved leg on some.
