Layouts and layout building

A friend of mine is working on some track work.  What he is doing is using the Bachmann EZ track that came with his son's Thomas set.  He is using this track to get an idea of spacing with roadbed.  He does not belong on these forums yet.  I am going to ask the question for him.  He wants to make a siding out of EZ track.  He has two No. 6 turnouts made by Bachmann.  What is the radius curve needed that comes off the frog so he can complete this siding.

wholeman:

He has two No. 6 turnouts made by Bachmann.  What is the radius curve needed that comes off the frog so he can complete this siding.

A #6 turnout has a departure angle of about 10 degrees.   So one needs a piece of track that turns 10 degrees.  Looking through the Bachmann catalog.  In HO scale.  Theoretically a 1/3 section of 18" radius should do the trick (Bachmann Product Code 44530).

A 1/2 section 22" radius is 1.25 degrees to much but could probably forced (depending on how long the siding is going to be).

Ideally think the pre-built crossover might be the best bet for nice parallel tracks.

Maybe it's a brand-new product, but there is no Bachmann EZ Track #6 that I am aware of. There is the "snap-switch" style tight 18" radius turnout, a #5 turnout, and a #6 crossover.

For the #5 turnout, the angle is probably close to 12 degrees and I believe that there is a 35.5" Radius curve that is 12 degrees. So that might be a place to start -- but I don't have any samples, so I'm trying to make my best guess from what's on the web page.

Byron

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/product_p/bac-44136.htm

Here is a link on M. B. Klein

Oops ... since Thomas was mentioned I didn't think it was DCC, didn't think to look at those. There is not an obvious matching curve of 9.5 degrees or so that I see, although one would think that there should be.

I know what you mean.  He currently is running an NCE Power cab like me.  When I first heard Thomas I thought, "OK he really isn't serious about the hobby." But I was proven wrong.

wholeman:

When I first heard Thomas I thought, "OK he really isn't serious about the hobby." But I was proven wrong.

It's not about being serious or not, it's that it seems unlikely that a DCC-only turnout like that #6 would be supplied with the DC-only Thomas set. You said he's "using the Bachmann EZ track that came with his son's Thomas set."

Guess he bought some extra DCC-only turnouts. He might look on the packaging of the turnouts, it might indicate what curve is needed for a parallel siding.

cuyama:

Maybe it's a brand-new product, but there is no Bachmann EZ Track #6 that I am aware of.

What I don't understand is why people are willing to pay that much money for turnouts of dubious quality.  One can get two good Pecos for that price and they are a lot more flexible. http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/pco/pco1044.htm

 LOL people like that grey plastic roadbed. Then cover it with ballast when they realise how horrible it looks. I would rather have cork with no ballast.