Turnouts on a Grade (on a curve as well)

[northern_blues]

tomikawaTT, good advice. Yes, the yard body tracks are level.

What will make this interesting to look at (and, I hope, run) is that the ladder will be a pinwheel ladder and the last few inches of the ladder or yard exit track where it joins the main will be on the grade. The ladder has to be a pinwheel or something like that there because the only room available has to follow the curve of the terrain.

-Dave

[tomikawaTT]

Add my vote to those who have said that a carefully-laid turnout on a grade is no problem. As long as your yard body tracks are level (which is what I gleaned from your original posting) rolling stock will stay where you leave it rather than adventuring off by itself.

My own worst pulls off (facing point) from a 60/1000 (6%) one-way downgrade, then transitions gently to a slight, short upgrade (as required to retain clearances) before leveling off.

The keys are careful construction and immediate testing with your most derailment-prone rolling stock. If my two [classified] make it through, ANYTHING will!

For what it's worth, many prototype yards are built in a bowl, with the body tracks slightly downgrade from the ladder switches.

[simon1966]

Good choice Dave. I don't think that the new Peco code 83 curved turnouts have been released yet anyway. I use code 100 simply because I like to run some of my older trains with deep flanges and code 83 does not work for them, otherwise I would have gone the code 83 route.

[northern_blues]

Simon,

I've installed Walthers/Shinohara curved turnouts insulfrog code 83 (#6.5 or so, the new DCC-friendly ones) on level grade before and they seem like top quality to me so I'll probably order one of those again. My flex-track is all code 83 Peco, though.

The grade is 2% and the radius is approx. 30" and reasonable easements, I think. I'm still glueing down the WS risers subroadbed as we speak.

It's also nice to know I can sand the risers so that the grade is super-smooth.

-Dave

[tangerine-jack]

Good advice, one and all!

I just want to emphasize in the strongest possible terms how important it is to PROPERLY lay the track, grades or not withstanding. Take your time, make sure it is absolutely right or you will be forever having problems. This is one area where there should be no compromise. Ballasting is done the same way, don’t just throw some rocks down and squirt it with glue, make sure it’s also done slowly and with the utmost care and attention, particularly around the turnouts.

I agree that the switch shouldn’t be right where the grade starts, that is asking for trouble, but 1 car length away ought to be about perfect.

Now, enough talking, get ‘er done!

[ARTHILL]

I have a curved turnout at the start of a 4% grade. It took a lot of adjusting and has a speed limit and my longest cars came uncoupled until I put Kadees on them. I don't recommend this, but then I did it and made it work.

[simon1966]

I don't know what track you are using, but I found the PECO code 100 curved turnouts really helped me on a small yard entrance. They were the difference between fitting the yard in or not. Mine is on a slight grade as well. Initially it caused lots of de-railing, but I was able to get it taken care of with carefull shimming and adjustment of the turnout.

[northern_blues]

Excellent new! I am on a space budget and putting a turnout on a grade would actually allow me to have a double-ended yard, instead of stub tracks that would terminate at the grade, so to speak.

I have installed a couple of tortoise switches so far, mounting them by surface flush-fitting them into 2" pink rigid foam as per a thread that Randy Rinker of this forum had published about routing out the foam to accept the switch that was first mounted on a thin board. These switches were mounted under curved Shinohara\Walthers turnouts and work well.

I don't think I'd care to try to mount the switch machine at a distance from the turnout as I'm not familiar with the tricks to do so. I'll also have to think about how to rout out the white WS riser foam to accept the tortoise switch on the incline as well.

I read lots of posts but don't get the chance to submit many so thanks!!!

-Dave

[tangerine-jack]

Not a problem at all. Proper track laying techniques and careful ballasting are far more important than a turnout being on a grade or not. Mountain switchback layouts have been doing this for decades with no hassles at all. Set yourself a "speed limit" in that area and you'll be fine. Don't worry about it.

[pcarrell]

You can put a turnout on a grade, as long as it's somewhere in the middle of the grade. You don't want it within at least a car length (thats your longest car) of the transitions on either end of the grade. You also don't want to change the diverging routes grade within that same length.

As to putting the turnout in a curve, if you are using a regular turnout (that has one path going straight through) it would be best to have a straight section as long as your longest car leading into the turnout. This sets the car angles right so that derails are kept to a minimum.

Now there are curved turnouts available. These can save a lot of space. You do, however, have to be very meticulous when installing these as they can be a real operating headache if not installed properly. If done correctly they can be as reliable as any other turnout.

As to the switch machines, if you use a thicker activation rod I've seen switch machines mounted up to a foot away from the actual turnout that were reliable. You could mount the machine where you normally would and as long as nothing fouls the rod it would work. Just leave yourself a way to service that rod if needed.

[northern_blues]

Hey, folks. Noob question, of sorts.

I'm still in layout planning stages except that I have my mainline (single track) installed and functioning. At the end of my layout is a blob and the mainline curves and descends down to the blob (a teardrop or peninsula or loop at the end of the layout) goes around and then climbs and curves out of the blob at the other end to continue. The grade is 2%, using WS foam grades.

My yard will be the blob.

I could have the turnouts into the yard at the point where the line has descended completely down to the peninsula and therefore flat or I could have the turnouts on the descent (on one side) and the ascent (on the other side)

But [:0][xx(] it seems like one of those modelling no-nos. Anyone ever done this or should I stay away from turnouts on a grade? One issue I can see is trying to flush-fit Tortoise switch-motors into the WS foam grade risers underneath the turnout.

Northern_blues (Dave)