Reading A Track Plan

[Anonymous]

Hello Everyone,
First I want to thank you all for your time with all your helpful information on my last post. It made my life alot easier. Now I have a simple to maybe everyone else but a bit confusing to me.
I'm working off a track plan from a book. It is a layout of the Cajon Pass (To me my dream layout.) The question is how do I determine when looking at the turnouts on the track plan which is right handed and which is lefthanded. My idea is to look at the point of the turnout on the diagram and determine from there. Am I correct or total wrong. Please help with such a simple question.
Thank you all in advance for your time.

Louie

[IRONROOSTER]

Yes, imagine you are standing on the points looking at the frog. Which way the diverging (or curved) route goes is the type - left or right.
Enjoy
Paul

[ndbprr]

If in doubt lay a straight edge on the track plan to determine which side is the straight route. A little unasked for prototype info. The most commonly used route is always straight. The diverging route is always the alternate choice. So if you can always make the straight route your main when possible.

[GerFust]

Montero:

I'm not sure where you are getting the track plan from. But I've noticed that in some MR track plans it is very hard to tell. In fact, often times they are drawn as though the main goes through the diverging leg. Additionally, there seems to be a lot of curved turnouts on layouts, which I wonder if that is the case.

You may end up trying to recreate the layout drawing yourself (in scale or "fulll-size") to see which fits better, the right- or the left-handed turnout.

-Jer

[DSchmitt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ndbprr

If in doubt lay a straight edge on the track plan to determine which side is the straight route. A little unasked for prototype info. The most commonly used route is always straight. The diverging route is always the alternate choice. So if you can always make the straight route your main when possible.

On the prototype the straight route is not always the main (most commonly used), although it is in most cases by far.

Layouts often use the dirverging route as the main in order to make things fit in the space available.

Many published track plans have not been worked out in detail and drawn accurately. This is true even if the plan is for a layout that has been built. Use the plan as a guide.
The actual fit will vary depending on what brand(s) of track you use.

Even when I've used a CAD program to design a layout, the actual pieces don't always fit the way they are drawn. I also find that I see options while laying the actual track that I didn't see on the drawings. (Sometimes a left hand turnout while work better than the right hand origionally planned, etc) Although I designed some layouts with curved turnouts or wye turnouts, while buliding I've found that a straight turnout usually can be substituted, and often improves the design.