A few years back when I returned to the hobby I racked my brain trying to solve some track plan issues. Then I found this forum and discovered curved turnouts and saw the pics of how people had used them. This immediately solved a lots of problems for me and I was off to the races.
There is a thread going right now on run around tracks, and curved turnouts came up as a way to solve that problem. Not wanting to hijack that thread I thought a new one was in order. So on this thread show us photo's of your curved turnouts. If you wish, explain why you used a curved turnout in that spot. Hopefully we will help a lot of people "like me" that didn't even think of the curved turnout solution. I like to think of them as great space savers.
Here are a few of mine. Please forgive my messy unfinished layout.
There are two in this pic. The one in the lower right is a shortcut to get loco's in to the yard and service facility.
Here the inner loop is where the grain elevator will be. The other is a spur to nowhere.
This one let me have a longer siding.
This is a split of the mainline and a long spur.
Let's see those pic's.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
A couple of years ago, I decided to add a large downtown passenger station module to my existing layoout. Since it would be placed at the end of the layout where my double main line formed a loop, I needed to access the passenger station module, and a pair of curved turnouts was the solution. I used Walthers Shinohara #8 curved turnouts.
Rich
Alton Junction
I use Peco Code 100 Curved Turnouts and they do a great job for me.Batman looking good.
Russell
I just nervously bought my first curved turnout - a Walthers Shinohara code 83 - for some track work I'll be doing this winter. I did some reading on here and learned that a firm, level mounting surface goes a long way toward trouble free performance. Which is good I guess, since I learned after getting it home that the overall profile is lower than the Atlas code 83 track.
I'll be laying my track on cork roadbed. I was thinking of using sheet styrene under the entire turnout ( on top of the cork). Is this necessary, or is the cork considered firm enough? I like the idea of the styrene, since it looks like I need to shim it up anyway.
I've also read here that some of you let your turnouts "float" without rail joiners, to make it easier to change them out if need be. Is that something you can do with curved turnouts?
I had to hand-lay multiple curved turnouts to maximize the space and operations potential on my 23"x41" N-scale Mt. Coffin & Columbia River layout:
Building them as one fixture eleminates rail joints and creates smooth, constant curves.
Loosely based on the 12"/9" FastTracks templates, the curved turnouts allow the passing and industry sidings to begin well before straight turnouts could, not only effectively doubling the length of the passing sidings but also gaining better access to the corner areas. They also allow me to run the tracks at a slight angle to front of the benchwork, which reduces the "toy train" appearance created when tracks run parallel to the sides in a symmetrical oval:
That "helicopter view" (or, given that the layout is set in the early 1900s, that "biplane view") also shows the curved turnout at the far end of the passing siding.
I like to use curved turnouts when designing layouts for small spaces: even manufactured curved turnouts (like Peco or Atlas), which have greater radii than my hand-laid ones, can greatly expand design and operations options.
I highly recommend powering the frogs of curved turnouts to eliminate any stalling, as the locos get pushed laterally as well as forward: mine worked fairly well with dead frogs, but became totally reliable and smooth once I powered the frogs.
I'm a big fan of the curved turnout, and I'd love to see more examples of how people use them on their layouts.
M.C. Fujiwara
My YouTube Channel (How-to's, Layout progress videos)
Silicon Valley Free-moN
Doug from Michigan I just nervously bought my first curved turnout - a Walthers Shinohara code 83 - for some track work I'll be doing this winter. I did some reading on here and learned that a firm, level mounting surface goes a long way toward trouble free performance. Which is good I guess, since I learned after getting it home that the overall profile is lower than the Atlas code 83 track. I'll be laying my track on cork roadbed. I was thinking of using sheet styrene under the entire turnout ( on top of the cork). Is this necessary, or is the cork considered firm enough? I like the idea of the styrene, since it looks like I need to shim it up anyway. I've also read here that some of you let your turnouts "float" without rail joiners, to make it easier to change them out if need be. Is that something you can do with curved turnouts?
A firm, level mounting surface is critical for all turnouts but most especially for curved turnouts. Double crossovers and double slips aren't far behind. When you are dealing with turnouts with a large footprint like a curved turnout, a stable base is key to prevent derailments, especially if you are running steam engines with their more finicky pilot trucks and trailing trucks.
Sheet styrene is a good way to provide a firm support base for turnouts. It is not necessary to use it around the entire layout, just under turnouts, but you have to be careful that the sheet styrene not lift the turnouts higher than the adjoining track on either side of the turnout.
Floating the turnouts by not using rail joiners is a smart thing to do. Otherwise, once in place, it is not easy to remove a turnout without causing problems with the track on either side of the turnout. If you are not going to use rail joiners on turnouts, then you have to power the turnouts with feeder wires but, in my experience, feeder wires should be added to the ends of all turnouts anyhow for good electrical continuity.
re shimming the turnout to bring it to proper track level...
In a case like yours where the whole turnout needs to be raised, it might be better to place the shim under the cork. That way there's a smooth transition and no appearance issues. It may take a little experimentation to get the shim exactly the right size to pull this off, but the extra work will be worth the payoff.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
You've lost me, what is a curved turnout? all turnouts must curve or they wouldn't be turnouts, do you mean a T/O ON a curve? or TO a curve? or do you mean a turnout to a parallel track?--or a curved track?
Hope you can clarify the term, the photos look like ordinary turnouts to me.
tatans You've lost me, what is a curved turnout? all turnouts must curve or they wouldn't be turnouts, do you mean a T/O ON a curve? or TO a curve? or do you mean a turnout to a parallel track?--or a curved track? Hope you can clarify the term, the photos look like ordinary turnouts to me.
Instead of a straight through track and a divergent track as in a standard turnout, a curved turnout has an outer and an inner curve without a straight track.
Here is an example
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/669-126
richhotrain Doug from Michigan: I just nervously bought my first curved turnout - a Walthers Shinohara code 83 - for some track work I'll be doing this winter. I did some reading on here and learned that a firm, level mounting surface goes a long way toward trouble free performance. Which is good I guess, since I learned after getting it home that the overall profile is lower than the Atlas code 83 track. I'll be laying my track on cork roadbed. I was thinking of using sheet styrene under the entire turnout ( on top of the cork). Is this necessary, or is the cork considered firm enough? I like the idea of the styrene, since it looks like I need to shim it up anyway. I've also read here that some of you let your turnouts "float" without rail joiners, to make it easier to change them out if need be. Is that something you can do with curved turnouts? Floating the turnouts by not using rail joiners is a smart thing to do. Otherwise, once in place, it is not easy to remove a turnout without causing problems with the track on either side of the turnout. If you are not going to use rail joiners on turnouts, then you have to power the turnouts with feeder wires but, in my experience, feeder wires should be added to the ends of all turnouts anyhow for good electrical continuity. Rich
Doug from Michigan: I just nervously bought my first curved turnout - a Walthers Shinohara code 83 - for some track work I'll be doing this winter. I did some reading on here and learned that a firm, level mounting surface goes a long way toward trouble free performance. Which is good I guess, since I learned after getting it home that the overall profile is lower than the Atlas code 83 track. I'll be laying my track on cork roadbed. I was thinking of using sheet styrene under the entire turnout ( on top of the cork). Is this necessary, or is the cork considered firm enough? I like the idea of the styrene, since it looks like I need to shim it up anyway. I've also read here that some of you let your turnouts "float" without rail joiners, to make it easier to change them out if need be. Is that something you can do with curved turnouts?
This isn't what's meant by "floating" a turnout! Floating a turnout means using rail joiners, but not soldering them to the adjacent tracks, hence floating them. It's a bad idea not to use joiners on a turnout, it makes it very easy for the tracks go out of alignment due to expansion and contraction. By using joiners without soldering, it alows the switch to float.
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums
modelmaker51 This isn't what's meant by "floating" a turnout! Floating a turnout means using rail joiners, but not soldering them to the adjacent tracks, hence floating them. It's a bad idea not to use joiners on a turnout, it makes it very easy for the tracks go out of alignment due to expansion and contraction. By using joiners without soldering, it alows the switch to float.
The problem with using rail joiners on turnouts is that it is not easy to remove a turnout once the rail joiners are in place. I have a hard time believing that rail joiners prevent the rails on turnouts from going out of alignment due to expansion and contraction if the turnouts otherwise want to expand and contract.
My understanding of "floating" a turnout is that it means not to permanently secure the turnout which includes avoiding caulk, nails, solder, pretty much anything this holds the turnout permanently in place.
richhotrainFloating the turnouts by not using rail joiners is a smart thing to do.
Strongly disagree. That's asking for derailments.
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
Aside from the fact that I've only ever had to actually remove one turnout for maintenance reasons in over 3 layouts in 25 years, removing a turnout is not difficult, you just slide the rail joiners onto the adjacent tracks and pick up the turnout. It takes less than a couple minutes.
It's a little more work if you solder all your rail joints like I do, but it still only takes about 5 minutes to pull and replace, (I have had to redesign some sections of my layout from time to time).
While I don't fasten my turnouts down as a rule, they all are connected with joiners. I caulk the track down well, right up to the turnout and that seems to hold them firm. However! On longer curved turnouts I have found that heavy steamers running at speed will torque the "floating" curved turnout, out of gauge. On longer curved turnouts I use a dab of caulk in the middle to prevent this. Once I realized what was happening with the curved turnouts and fixed it, I have never had a problem.
For what it's worth my definition of "floating turnout" is fastened with joiners but not sticking down the turnout itself. Now where's my Big Boys Book of Model Railway Terms.
BATMAN While I don't fasten my turnouts down as a rule, they all are connected with joiners. I caulk the track down well, right up to the turnout and that seems to hold them firm. However! On longer curved turnouts I have found that heavy steamers running at speed will torque the "floating" curved turnout, out of gauge. On longer curved turnouts I use a dab of caulk in the middle to prevent this. Once I realized what was happening with the curved turnouts and fixed it, I have never had a problem. Brent
There is another option as long as you don't use that new fangled foam as sub track underlayment. If you use homosote or plywood or wafer board, you can use spikes *horrors* to hold down your expensive long curved turnouts!
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761 If you use homosote or plywood or wafer board, you can use spikes *horrors* to hold down your expensive long curved turnouts!
If you use homosote or plywood or wafer board, you can use spikes *horrors* to hold down your expensive long curved turnouts!
No argument from me. This is the first layout I haven't used nails on. I would use either method depending on circumstances. Trying new things expands the mind though.
Puttting the notion of "floating" turnouts aside for a moment, the key to a properly functioning curved turnout is to provide a firm, stable base under the entire curved turnout.
I have used Woodland Scenics Foam Track Bed on my layout for years since it was first suggested to me by the guys at my LHS. But, in hindsight, I have some regrets because the WS foam is not firm enough as roadbed to provide a firm, stable base. I nail my track and if I am not careful, nailing can actually distort the track doing all kinds of bad things to it. This is especially troublesome on curved turnouts due to their larger footprint and flimsy structure. Next time around, I will try cork.
Meanwhile, whether you use cork or foam or some other material as roadbed, curved turnouts really need something to provide firm, stable support. I imagine a sheet of styrene would do the trick, but someone suggested putting it under the roadbed, and I cannot see how that would work. I don't add styrene as an additional support, but if I did, it would be directly under the curved turnout, not under the roadbed.
richhotrain I nail my track and if I am not careful, nailing can actually distort the track doing all kinds of bad things to it. This is especially troublesome on curved turnouts due to their larger footprint and flimsy structure. Next time around, I will try cork. . Rich
I nail my track and if I am not careful, nailing can actually distort the track doing all kinds of bad things to it. This is especially troublesome on curved turnouts due to their larger footprint and flimsy structure. Next time around, I will try cork.
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My current layout is the first one I have not used any track nails on. It is also the first layout I have used curved turnouts on. I think you are right about using nails on curved turnouts. Curved turnouts require special care to install and if done right are as reliable as any turnout. Using a small amount of caulk on a solid base of cork was what I did and I think it was the right way to go.
BATMAN richhotrain: I nail my track and if I am not careful, nailing can actually distort the track doing all kinds of bad things to it. This is especially troublesome on curved turnouts due to their larger footprint and flimsy structure. Next time around, I will try cork. . Rich My current layout is the first one I have not used any track nails on. It is also the first layout I have used curved turnouts on. I think you are right about using nails on curved turnouts. Curved turnouts require special care to install and if done right are as reliable as any turnout. Using a small amount of caulk on a solid base of cork was what I did and I think it was the right way to go. Brent
richhotrain: I nail my track and if I am not careful, nailing can actually distort the track doing all kinds of bad things to it. This is especially troublesome on curved turnouts due to their larger footprint and flimsy structure. Next time around, I will try cork. . Rich
Brent, that is a tip that I am going to hold onto. I like the idea of caulk over nails in the case of a curved turnout.
V8Vega What would be the smallest curved turnout that 8 driver steam and 6 axel diesel work OK on? Thanks
What would be the smallest curved turnout that 8 driver steam and 6 axel diesel work OK on? Thanks
I have a #7 that my BLI 2-10-4 can sneak through going very slow. A #8 is the smallest I would use at speed though. My Atlas Trainmasters seem to go through anything. The word derail is not in their vocabulary.