Why Wye?

[jacon12]

Help this new guy understand wyes. Where would they be used and why a wye instead of a turnout? I'm guessing that when a train is moving ... say ... east.. the wye will shuttle the train left (or right) where it can go in a full circle, back through the wye and onto the same track headed west... right? So, on a layout the wye would be most useful when you have one main line. Is that correct or all wrong? What are the other uses for a wye?
Thanks,
Jarrell

[Anonymous]

Let's think of a train that has left for the branch line with a few cars for that town. The town may be rather limited in resources and space. It may have a water tower etc and not much else.

Instead of building and staffing a roundhouse, turntable, full engine facilities at that town on the branch the railroad may elect to establish a "Wye" which is a triangular formation of track.

Have you ever done a three point turn with your car because you cannot turn around with a simple circle in that tight space? This is exactly what the railroad will do to get the engine turned around so that it may return down the branch line with it's train facing the right direction.

That is one function of a wye.

If you see a junction on a main line that looks like a wye you described, it is simply a way for a railroad to either go to Point A or Point B from that one mainline. Obviously other railroads coming from that "A" and "B" has the decision of going in either direction when they too reach this junction.

In Layouts, some will have a massive wye with very long tracks designed to take a entire train of locomotive, 20 cars or so and turning them around ready to be reused in the next operating session. This saves having to physically lift the engines and or the cars.

[Anonymous]

A wye can take up less space than a full circle, to reverse directions of a train.

Bob Boudreau

[jacon12]

"Have you ever done a three point turn with your car because you cannot turn around with a simple circle in that tight space?"

Do it every day in my driveway! Thanks for the info, Highiron
"A wye can take up less space than a full circle, to reverse directions of a train.

Bob Boudreau"

Hmmmm... maybe I should work in a wye on one end of my layouts dogbone. That would make things more interesting?
Thanks Bob.
Jarrell

[tatans]

A C.P.R. Selkirk steam engine was too long to fit on some prairie turntables and this was the only method of turning it around.

[dehusman]

A wye is not a loop. It is a "triangle" of track. As others have said it allows a engine (and here is an important point) or train to turn. The limitation is the amount of tail room on the wye.. At passenger terminals it is quicker to wye the consist (entire train) that to reswitch it into order.

A wye is also cheaper than a turntable, less maintenance and uses standard parts (switches).

Dave H.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tatans

A C.P.R. Selkirk steam engine was too long to fit on some prairie turntables and this was the only method of turning it around.

The D&H shop engineers designed the Challengers a foot or two too long to turn on their largest turntables and train engineers had to turn them on wyes in the yard.

Wayne

[cnw4001]

An earlier message noted it is easier to wye a passenger train and what Amtrak does in Pittsburgh is a classic example.

The Pennsylvanian operates with a single unit so it must be turned to go back east. The whole train backs up the NS main for a couple of miles and then down a long wye. It then backs back down the NS mainline to the station where it is positioned for departure the next day.

Even if they didn't take the cars for this turnaround, the engine would have to be turned it it would require a round trip of several miles for the engine. This way they just take the whole train and don't have to take it apart and put it back together, nor do the seats inside the cars have to be reversed.

[Anonymous]

Wye not ???

Sorry ... couldn't resist !!!

The above posts are correct - it's a triangle shaped track ... cheaper than a roundhouse for reversing direction.

[IRONROOSTER]

Wyes were sometimes used to turn helper engines at the top and bottom of grades, in which case the tail would be just long enough for the engine.

Keep in mind if you use one on your railroad that one leg needs to be wired as a reversing track.

Enjoy
Paul

[Anonymous]

A couple of other observations about wyes:

Every wye has 3 switches (or turnouts, if you prefer), 3 sides (or "legs"), and 3 tail tracks (the tracks running beyond the points of the 3 switches). The length of the train or equipment to be turned on the wye is limited by the shortest of the 3 tail tracks.

An entire train can be turned on a wye, engines included, so long as the shortest tail track will accommodate its length.

A wye might also be used to turn a single car. This is done by the prototype to get a car properly oriented for unloading. Box cars and reefers often were loaded in such a way that they could only be unloaded from one side at their destination. When piggyback flats were loaded and unloaded by semi tractors at ramps, the cars had to be correctly oriented to let the tractors reach the front of the trailers. So it wasn't uncommon to have to turn single freight cars. That was conveniently done with a wye, although it also could be done with a turntable.

[dinwitty]

I wont have that luxery for a wye or a turntable, and I am planning my new layout consciously on purpose without them. Space takers and I dont have room for them.
When I have a small room and large articulateds, and I want to max out my operations, no more turntables, no wyes, and no return loops.
I would have 2 steamers each facing opposite directions, and they do their runs in the direction facing, and run light or shove their freight along backwards.
..eg N&W and virginian what I an working.

[cwclark]

I quit with turntables and use a wye now..i mainly use it to turn locomotives around and it will also serve as part of an industry spur when i start the scenery part of the layout...it's at the head end of my yard so it's convienent to use instead of a turntable...Chuck