How do I build a wye with Atlas products?

[Anonymous]

I am new to model railroading. I am designing an HO layout that calls for a wye. I want to use Atlas code 83 snap track. How do I design a wye using Atlas HO code 83 snap trak and Atlas HO custonline wyes? If this goal cannot be accomplished with snap track and I must use flex track, what is the angle I must use for Atlas HO code 83 flex track?

HELP!

[Texas Zepher]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rrichm3

I am new to model railroading. I am designing an HO layout that calls for a wye. I want to use Atlas code 83 snap track. How do I design a wye using Atlas HO code 83 snap trak and Atlas HO custonline wyes? If this goal cannot be accomplished with snap track and I must use flex track, what is the angle I must use for Atlas HO code 83 flex track?

Atlas has many wye designes using their sectional track. These are in the backs of most of their layout planning books. The smallest and most simple is three "Y" turnouts, with a full-18" and 1/3-18" curve section of track between each.

To be of more help it would be good to know if you care what size turnouts it uses, how much space you have, and if you care if there is a crossing in the wye?

[pcarrell]

There are two kinds of a wye really. One is a turnout and the other is a triangle shaped group of tracks that a locomotive can use to change the direction it's facing. I think (someone will correct me if I'm wrong) you can only do the second one with standard Atlas track, but I model N scale so I'm not sure about other scales like HO.

The one you can do goes something like this.

You'll need three turnouts (switches), two of one direction and one or another. Which you choose only matters in relation to which side of the main you want the wye to be on.

Take two opposing turnouts, one right & one left, and place them so that the diverging routes are on the same side of the main (so they both point to the right or to the left). They also must be situated so that the diverging routes will eventually intersect. A short piece of straight track will go between the straight portions of the turnouts. How long the straight section is will be one of the determining factors in how much real estate your wye will inhabit, the other will be the radius of the curves you use in the next step. They are kind of related to each other in that the shorter the straight section, the tighter the radius of the curves. A variation on this will be addressed in a moment, but lets get the basics first.

Now for the curved sections of the wye.

Off of those diverging routes from the turnouts, place pieces of curved track, and then place the last turnout at the top and tie it into both of the curved tracks. Now you should have a track arrangement that looks like a triangle. Add a straight section (tail) onto the end of the last turnout for you loco to back onto so you can throw the points on the switch and you're done!

Now lets complicate things a little just for fun. [:p]

Lets shorten the straight piece between the two opposing turnouts and not change the radius of the curved sections. Now the two curved sections actually cross over each other, right?

You can get a piece of track commonly refered to as a "diamond" or an "on-grade crossing". This is a special piece of track that allows trains to move in two different directions over it but only continue in the direction that they were originally traveling. It has no moving parts.

Drop that piece into the place where the two curved sections cross each other. Now keep extending the curves until they just about meet up a second time and drop that third switch in there (with it's "tail"). You now have something that looks kind of like a pair of scissors in a way. This is another form of a wye. You don't see this one much on the prototype, and even less in modeling. It was usually used when the only area that they had for a wye was long and skinny in shape.

The other kind of wye is the turnout kind. It looks like the capitol letter "Y" if you hold it up. In other words, both routes through the switch are diverging routes.

These switches are used in areas where space savings are called for.

You could even use wye turnouts to make a very compact wye track arrangement!

OK, are you totally confused now? I think I am!
[:D]

[Anonymous]

Or you could order a Code 83 Wye from Walthers...................

[pcarrell]

See, I told you someone would know about HO. I'm assuming this is the turnout kind of wye?

By the way, you can build all of this with sectional track, but you might find that flex track works a little better for a perminant layout. Less bumps and joints to cause derailments and less chance of kinks in the rails. Less places for electrical gremlins to get into also.

As for the angle, thats up to you. It depends on the scale (HO, N, S, O, or whatever) that you are using and the type of equipment you are running. It also depends a little bit on the terrain you are modeling. More wide open spaces in the desert then there is on the side of a cliff you know! [(-D]

[Texas Zepher]

Ok, I'm at home now and looking at my book - These are from the "Custom Line Layouts" by John Armstrong published by Atlas 1957. Section 10 titled Useful Atlas track combinations for your planning. page 47 & 48. This is possibly the most useful book I have ever had when dealing with Atlas sectional track. I have worn out two copies.

1. As I mentioned above. Three wye turnouts, 1/3 18" and full 18" curve between each.

2. 60 degree wye. start with a #4 left. On the straight leg connect three 9" straights, one 6" straight, and a 2". This meets the straight leg of a #4 right hand turnout. Going back to the starting #4, on the diverging leg add three 18" curves, and two 1/3 18" curves. This meets the diverging leg of the third turnout which is a #4 right. On the straight leg of this third turnout add three 9" straights, a 4" straight, and then a 1/3 18" curve and a 22" curve which should meet the diverging leg of the second turnout. Over all dimensions are 53" x 31".

3. sissors wye. start with a wye turnout and on each leg add in this order - 6" straight, 22" curve (toward each other), 1/3 18" curve, 45 degree crossing, 18" curve, 1/2 18" curve, 1/3 18" curve, diverging #4 turnout. Then between these two #4 turnouts on their straight leg add two 9" and two 3" straights.

4. Isoceles wye. Start with a wye turnout and on each leg add in this order - 1/2 18" curve (away from each other), 18" full curve, 22" curve, diverging #4 turnout. Then between these two #4 turnouts on their straight legs add three 9" straights and one 3" straight.

There are more but that should give you the idea.