I am trying to incorporate a wye into my shelf layout; it is narrow 18" on one side and 20" on the attaching leg. What is the best option to maintain optimal radius space in such a narrow corridor?
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Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
On such a narrow layout it seems clear that you will only be turning locomotives. You can use as tight a curve radius as you like for turning locomotives. Your big engines, steamers or diesels would not be turned except in a terminal, which this is not. Your smaller GPs will turn on almost anything you can throw at them.
If space is really limited, you install a turn table.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
What will be the purpose of the wye on your layout? To turn locomotives or simply to use the wye as a branch?
Rich
Alton Junction
The purpose of the wye is to simply turn around the locomotives (and possibly the entire train if possible; I run 50' coal cars and 2 bay hoppers only). My locomotives are all F3/F7 A/B units and one Alco PA A/B set. Will the locomotives and the above mentioned rolling stock all navigate a 18-20" radius if taken extremely slowly?
Missouri Pacific BNSFI am trying to incorporate a wye into my shelf layout; it is narrow 18" on one side and 20" on the attaching leg.
I'm having trouble visualizing what you have. Is it L shaped along two ways with one shelf 18" wide and the other 20" wide? Or is it T shaped?
It is a "T" but only the "L" is visual, the remaining portion of the "T" will be behind a wall and the back side of the wye will be accessed via tunnels through the wall.
If you run two A units back to back there is no need for a wye just a runaround track.
Larry
Missouri Pacific BNSF It is a "T" but only the "L" is visual, the remaining portion of the "T" will be behind a wall and the back side of the wye will be accessed via tunnels through the wall.
I think I see. So, one visible side of the wye can come straight off one of the layout shelves, through a tunnel in the wall, and run onto the tail of the wye. And the other visible side of the wye can curve off the other shelf, through a second hole in the wall, and run onto the tail of the wye. Does that sort of describe what you're after?
The length of the tail track will be the deciding point as to how long a train can be turned. If you have unlimited tail track length, then you can have an unlimited length of train to be turned.
That is exactly correct, with about 4 foot of tail track. Will all of those mentioned locomotives do ok on a 20-22 inch radius? My only concern is the PA which "recommends" a 22" radius.
If the intersection of the two shelves is a "T", there's no need to worry about curve radii, as those widths will accomodate a 30" radius. The only concern will be having enough length for the tail track.
Here's my wye, obviously on wider areas, but with a tail track only long enough for a couple of locos or a locomotive and a passenger car. All curves of my wye are 30" radii.
Using it as an example for your situation, take the bottom of the photo to be the stem of the "T", and the top of the photo the crossbar. Let the curve which starts at the bottom turnout and curves to the right be your mainline. The line from the bottom turnout which curves to the left needs to continue farther as a curve, then the line from the turnout just out of the picture to the right, which passes behind the tower, can be straightened. Whatever length you have available to the left after those two lines re-join will be the length of your tail track.Here's a quick to-scale sketch which illustrates it better. The turnout at the bottom is a wye, and could be moved somewhat closer to one edge to slightly increase the length of the tail track or it could be moved down a bit to place the straight track at the top a little closer to the front of the layout. The other two turnouts could be #6s.
Wayne
Mark R. .... Mark.
Mark, where is that? That could be a real good way to fit in a wye where options were limited. Like on a layout.
I wonder how many of those exist in the real world? Thanks for posting.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
BATMAN....That could be a real good way to fit in a wye where options were limited. Like on a layout....
I dunno, Brent. With 5 turnouts and 4 crossings, it'd probably be cheaper to enlarge the layout room.
doctorwayneI dunno, Brent. With 5 turnouts and 4 crossings, it'd probably be cheaper to enlarge the layout room. Stick out tongue Wayne
Ah yes, my good Doctor, point taken, and once you add in all those switch machines, well, it is almost like getting married. But as they say in jolly ol'...... "In for a penny, in for a pound".
Good thing this is such an inexpensive hobby.
doctorwayne If the intersection of the two shelves is a "T", there's no need to worry about curve radii, as those widths will accomodate a 30" radius. The only concern will be having enough length for the tail track. Here's my wye, obviously on wider areas, but with a tail track only long enough for a couple of locos or a locomotive and a passenger car. All curves of my wye are 30" radii. Using it as an example for your situation, take the bottom of the photo to be the stem of the "T", and the top of the photo the crossbar. Let the curve which starts at the bottom turnout and curves to the right be your mainline. The line from the bottom turnout which curves to the left needs to continue farther as a curve, then the line from the turnout just out of the picture to the right, which passes behind the tower, can be straightened. Whatever length you have available to the left after those two lines re-join will be the length of your tail track.Here's a quick to-scale sketch which illustrates it better. The turnout at the bottom is a wye, and could be moved somewhat closer to one edge to slightly increase the length of the tail track or it could be moved down a bit to place the straight track at the top a little closer to the front of the layout. The other two turnouts could be #6s. Wayne
I feel it will work fine as Wayne has showed. If the tracks approaching the "Y", are spmewhat closer to the front, you can add triangular sections on either side of the middle T leg to accomadate the curving portions of the Y. With the equipment you are running 24" radius would work fine.
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org