Thanks a lot people I got it figured out. A Peco Medium Radius T/O fit nicely after I straightened out the curve slightly entering the point end of the T/O.
You guys stick around I'll need your help later.
Hocking Valley Branch.
Hi, have you considered using a curved turnout to soften the exit from the original curve? It can go off the main a bit earlier too, without unduly affecting the orig curve. I think Walthers/Shinohara are about 24" curvature on the outer curve and ~20" on the inner. Peco make one that comes pretty close to 30"/60". If your mainline follows the smaller radius, the exiting leg will have less of a shock in getting lined up to its destination. Trimming the exiting leg of the turnout may help a bit too. Custom-building a turnout may be the only other solution than relaying that original curve. Take an exact tracing of your curve to the LHS and see how close you can get with a stock curved turnout.
Have fun... George
Central Valley has turnout kits. They say these kits can be aligned to a curve. The kit consists of the plastic tie section, which is curveable (to a point), and then you add the rail to it. The gauge is maintained because the tie strips have pins or notches that the rail fits into, then bend over the plastic spikes. You could add metal spikes to help hold it plus prebend the rail as needed before you drop them in. Because the curve is 18R, these turnout kits may not work, but it may be worth a look.
The other suggestions already given may work just as well. However, along with them you could pull up some of the curve at both ends of the new turnout and put in flextrack sections to help with the final alignment. If you have the track ballasted it may be messy, but it is do-able.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
Only other suggestion I have is to put in a Wye switch, I causes both routes to diverg, but of all the switch types its the "shortest", the shorter the switch, the less chance of a kink.
Unless you handlay the switch, you may never get the kink entirely out since there is probably no combination of commerically offered switches that will drop in a 24" radius curve.
Dave H.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
I have a PDF listing the different radii and angles of Peco turnouts (sorry, don't remember where I got it), if you PM me with an e-mail address I can mail it to you. I use Peco C75 on my layout, the radii listed in the PDF are a little bit off but they're pretty close.
Svein
Still trying to get this turnout in where I want it without a kink. I tried an Atlas #4 Right Hand and that appears to be as good as I can get it. Any other suggestions?
Thanks
After running screaming into the night at Chucks suggestion I forgot to mention I am using Peco
Insulfrog turnouts. I tried with the Large Radius Turnout and saw the problem, now I will digout
a Medium Radius and try that.
You are all very helpfull and I know by reading these posting you know what you are doing.
Thanks ,
Ron(HV Branch)
CAVEAT!!! Do NOT try this unless you are comfortable hand-laying turnouts!
Assumption: Your code 100 is flex track.
Take a piece of unbent track and place it along the line of the desired branch. Note where the frog will eventually be.
Cut the outer rail of the flex track about 4 inches beyond the estimated frog position. Remove it from the flex track ties and re-shape it straight. Remove all the flex track ties from under the curve where they will be replaced by switch ties. Insert switch ties, cut and form rail as necessary and erect a 24 inch radius curved turnout in place. This means carrying the curvature through both points and frog, a la Peco.
OTOH, somebody who knows might be able to identify a Peco European-pattern turnout with a 24" radius.
The other alternative is to partially relocate the entering tangent to accept a commercial turnout trimmed just past the frog on the diverting side (avoiding any significant S curve). #5 is the dead-minimum size if you want to maintain a minimum 24" radius.
I would use (have used!) the first alternative in a heartbeat. Others will scream in terror and run into the night. Where you fall on the spectrum between those extremes is for you to decide.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Two things:
The "radius" of the switch
The switch not having a radius.
A # 4 switch is roughly equivalent to a 18" radius, a #5 in my experience works out to roughly a 28-30 in radius and a # 6 is larger, something on the order of a 36-40" radius.
I say about in the above, since N American prototype switches (just about all of them other than snap track and Peco) do not have a "radius" through the entire switch. There is a curve between the frog and the points but from the frog on, the switches are straight track, not curved, as are prototype switches. Peco switches are more European prototype and are curved through the frog area.
My suggestion is to get a Peco medium switch, it will be the closest you can come to a drop in. Otherwise put another brand #5 or #6 at the very start of the curve, if possible trim the diverging side back as much as you can to minimize the "flat spot" and consider it part of the easement into the curve.
Assuming that I'm understanding the problem -- you've got a bit of a conundrum there. many (if not all) railroads won't run mainline traffic through the diverging route of a turnout.
Your best bet would be to take a RH turnout, and replace some of the straight section (running north) prior to the curve, so that there is a parallel tangent track for about 2-3" before the mainline begins the curve.
If your'e feeling adventurous, you could try to cut through the plastic webbing on the bottom of the turnout anc GENTLY curving it a little to fit your mainline curvature.
-Dan
Builder of Bowser steam! Railimages Site
I have an HO gauge layout with code 100 flex track. Since I have no way to send a picture I will try to describe my problem.
I have a 24 inch radius curve that heads North then turns to the right to go East. I want to drop a turnout in there to run a branch due North. I tried a #6 right hand turn out but it has a noticeable kink in the rail at the Points end of the turnout. How can I put that branch in.