building a wye?

[chateauricher]

Will,

To construct a wye you will need the following...

3 turn outs. These can be...

3 wye turnouts (all three sides will be curved); or

1 wye and 2 regular* (a left and a right) (two sides will be equally curved, and one straight); or

3 regular* (1 left and 2 right; or 2 right and 1 left) (one side will be straight; two sides will be unequally curved).

* By regular I mean there is a straight leg and a curved leg.

Enough track to link the turnouts. This can be either flextrack (recommended), or non-flextrack. Flextrack will allow you to create your own curves without having to work with the rigid standard radii of non-flextrack systems. Exactly how much track you'll need depends on how you design your wye; the tightness of the curves; and which combination of turnouts you use.

Enough track to form the leg and lead tracks. These tracks extend beyond the turnouts. The lead track(s) is(are) the track(s) by which the train arrives at the wye. The legs are stub tracks long enough to allow the train to clear the turnouts (can also be a second or third lead track if they continue, as in an interchange). How much track you need depends on if you are turning just locomotives (requiring less than a foot of track); or if you will be turning entire trains (requiring a few feet).

The polarity issues with a wye are identical to those found with a reversing loop or a turntable. A train entering the wye leaves it going in the opposite direction on the same track by which it arrived. Therefore, the polarity of the rails must change or there will be a short-circuit. How you deal with that depends on if you are using DC or DCC; and how much you want to invest in automating it.

I hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

Sorry guys forgot some facts here the scale is HO and my Locomotives are 6 axel versions Modern like SD40's, On the turnouts which ones? and what polarity issue please explain! this will also be place I hope on my shelf layout.

[cnw4001]

Don't forget the polarity issue, a wye is electrically a reverse loop.

Dale

[oleirish]

In H.O. you need three,one "Y" and an left and right.thats all.!!
JIM

[Anonymous]

Scale?

[ericsp]

What is the size of the equipment that will be wyed? That will determine how much space it will take.

You will need three of some combination of a left turnout (not the kind you wear), right turnout, and a wye. You can use two left turnouts and a right turnout; two right turnouts and a left turnout; a left turnout, right turnout, and a wye; two wyes and a turnout; or three wyes. My preference is for a left turnout, a right turnout, and a wye. Of course you will also need curved track or flexitrack. One leg can be straight if you use a left turnout and a right turnout.

[Anonymous]

What turnouts will I need and how much track will it take to make a simple WYE for my layout not a fancy one but functional..