Some 027 help please?

[msacco]

I'm building a door layout for my nephews for Christmas and I could use some help with clearance measurements.

   If anyone is using lionel 027 switches, I need to know the distance between the mainline track on the top and the siding track. I want to add a 397 coal loader here and need to know if I'll have room. I plan on putting it right about where the brown roofed building is on the top of the layout just slightly to the right of center. Can't get to my track planning software right now.

Thanks,

Mike S.

 

[spankybird]

It will be 7.5" center rail to center rail.

[lionelsoni]

Or just a little bit closer--7.322 inches.  But the layout won't work as shown, because the switch machine of the second turnout at the left end of the upper siding will be much too close to the main line.  If you add a short straight section between those two turnouts to move it farther out, the track-to-track spacing will increase by .707 times the length of that short section.  (You'll need to add it at both ends of the siding, of course.)

[msacco]

Thanks for the help on this one guys. I got this door layout from thor's site. I didn't see the switch problems Bob. big thanks on that one.

    Now that I look at it maybe this ones a bit problematic. Anything else I should know about. I run 031 so I'm not so sure.

thanks,

Mike S.

[brianel027]

It's small layouts like this where my motivation for chopping down the 027 switch to just the actual track size.

There have been some articles in CTT in recent years about wiring your 027 switches to non-derailing. Just follow those intructions, only with a manual switch, for removing the bottom sheet metal base plate. Save the plastic piece that slips into the swivel rail. Then using a hacksaw or a Dremel tool with a cutting wheel, cut off all th plastic on the curved side of the switch. Leave about 1/2 inch or so along the curved side.

It is advisable to solder some feeder wires on the underside of the switch from the rails from one side to the other, and also to the curved side. By removing the base plate, you will lose some of the built in electical conductivity. You will want to cut several small pieces of mattboard to help give support to the new switch minus the base plate. I say several small pieces, because you'll want to fit them in where there are no feeder wires. Putting the mattboard beneath the feed wires will be too thick.

You can rig the switch to be operated with fiishline from the front of the layout. Or using the piece that slips into the swivel rail, you can wedge self-sticking insulation foam, or a smalll cut scrap piece of foam core board beneath this piece, which will hold the swivel rail in place. The switch would be operated manually this way by actually moving the rail with your finger.

This would be easier to understand if I had a digital camera to show you all. And I know it sounds like a bit of effort, but for us small layout operators, this is well worth the extra effort and opens up many more layout possibilities in small spaces.

The other option is to use the older sheet metal constucted Lionel 1024 type switches. You still have a base plate area for the switch lever and indicator, but with less base plate area, you do have more space for scenery. Unfortunately, you'll still need a small piece of track between switches like shown on the above layout on the lower right hand side.

[lionelsoni]

An extra 1 1/2 inches between the turnouts should give you enough clearance.  (You'll have to shorten the siding by 2.121 inches to compensate for that much added at each end.)