My under construction layout has a planned main through the diverging leg, because that's what the Maryland and Pennsylvania did in one location.
But it was a shortline that was the result of merging 2 narrow gauge railroads that had been converted to standard gauge. So it had lots of "interesting" trackage. Part of it's charm for me, although it caused problems for the real railroad.
Paul
richhotrain I think that it is a bad idea. I have always designed my layouts such that the mainlines always use the straight through route when entering a turnout to avoid any possibility of derailments. In my experience, trains always need to slow down when entering the divergent route on a turnout to eliminate any possibility of derailments. Rich
I think that it is a bad idea. I have always designed my layouts such that the mainlines always use the straight through route when entering a turnout to avoid any possibility of derailments. In my experience, trains always need to slow down when entering the divergent route on a turnout to eliminate any possibility of derailments.
Rich
That's probably a good idea. I learned after I designed my layouts that prototypes would avoid doing this. I have a couple where I routed the main on a diverging route while the straight track is part of a crossover. It has been a source of derailments and I plan to replace it sometime in the future, moving the crossover several feet so it can be done on the diverging route of both tracks.