STill learning folks. Is there a way to tell what radius a wye switch has. Trying to match up wye's to radius for planning purpose. IE a NUmber 5 wye equates to ? radius thanks.
Mike,
All I can tell you is, a No.5 wye would equal a No.10 standard turnout, which would be a fairly generous radius.
You don’t specify either scale or brand, but if you are thinking of using Peco HO code 83 you can download free templates. A bit of math will enable you to work out the radius from the template
Unless you are using the European/British style of turnout with a fully curved diverging path, there IS NO radius. The points rails do have a radius, but then they straighten and continue as a straight path through the frogs, and beyond.
There is such a things as a 'substitution radius', but I don't think it will be a helpful notion to you. Instead, use the wye that gives you the best divergent angle for your overal track plan, and then curve the tracks into an appropriate radius very shortly after the straight frog rail and stock rail beyond the frogs. The idea is to allow your longest fixed wheelbases, say those on a steamer like a 2-10-0, to be very close to tangent (straight) track as it encounters the frog from the frog end of the turnout. This isn't striclty necessary, but it does help to reduce the potential for a derailment.
selectorUnless you are using the European/British style of turnout with a fully curved diverging path, there IS NO radius.
an atlas snap-switch is specially designed to replace a section of 18" curved track.
an atlas #4 turnout is similar in size but is a conventionally laid out turnout with straight diverging rails. There is no correspondence between frog # and radius
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
Peco's catalog shows a radius equivalent for its wyes and curved turnouts. I have actually used the wide "radius" versions of Peco as a crude sort of easement/transition curve in certain situations.
Of course this is where handlaid track is king -- curves including turnouts and wyes can be smooth and nearly seamless. But with care you can come pretty close with Peco components.
Dave Nelson
Hello All,
On my 4'x8' (North American standard size sheet of plywood) HO pike I have a wye composed of PECO #2 code 100 turnouts (ST-240 & ST-241) to an HO code 100 Mark IV Wye turnout (#280).
This particular wye is symetrical.
Each leg of the wye is two (2) sections of 15-inch radius Atlas code 100 sectional track.
The over all dimensions of the wye are 33-1/2-inches (851mm) x 21-1/4-inches (540mm).
For track planning purposes I wouldn't be too concerned about the diverging radii of the wye to the turnouts- -even if you use two different sized turnouts.
You can use flex track for the legs of the wye to compensate for the differences.
Then the question becomes how large a space do you have for the wye?
The track planning software I use allows for each section of flex track to be connected to the adjoining sections and then manipulate the curve radius as needed.
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
bald mikeSTill learning folks. Is there a way to tell what radius a wye switch has. Trying to match up wye's to radius for planning purpose. IE a NUmber 5 wye equates to ? radius thanks
.
I am guessing you want to know what radius curve your WYE switch would replace as you plan your layout.
As the above answers kind of let you know, there is no easy or universal answer.
What brand of track are you using?
If it is a Walthers/Shinohara #5 wye, it has very broad diverging tracks that do not have a radius, but are two straight sections connected by curved points.
I know this all sounds very confusing. Please stick it out in here with us and we will help you find the answer you need.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
It might be easier to match the radius to the wye turnouts rather than the other way around.I used Shinohara #5 wyes on this turning wye...
...and the radii between the turnouts is 34".
The straight portion of the rails of the wye turnouts begins about 4 ties beyond the ends of the guardrails, and extends for four ties.
Wayne