Will the Bigboy & Veranda negotiate this turnout okay?
I don[t see why not. It's just a number 6 turnout. Some have mentioned running number 6's at full speed with their big boys.
Springfield PA
It all depends on the brand of the locomotive, some of the older brass Big Boys might have a problem there but none of the Athearn or BLI Big Boys would have this problem as "both" sets of drivers are "hinged"........
Mark
They are both Athearn, thanks
Hamltnblue I don[t see why not. It's just a number 6 turnout. Some have mentioned running number 6's at full speed with their big boys.
Crossovers aren't "just another turnout" because they contain S-curves. I don't know the answer, but my solution regarding crossovers carrying long cars and "stiff" locomotives is to use #8s and avoid the question/risk altogether.
What is your track separation at this particular point? You'll have no problem at all with the veranda; as far as the BB goes two inches is out; two and a quarter is marginal--with that separation the tangent of the crossover is a hair short of 13.75"--the pilot truck will be trying to get onto the new tangent at the same time that the tender is still trying to get off of the old one--that is called an S-curve. You will have no problem if you can spare a 2.75" track separation at that point because, with that separation, you can squeeze the full length of your BB onto the crossover tangent.
Your ideal situation is #8 switches with 2.25" track separation which renders a whoppin' 18" crossover tangent.
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
What you are saying is correct and I would agree if it were not for the fact that the Athearn and BLI Big Boy are both "double hinged". That is there are no drivers rigidly mounted to the boiler such as you would encounter on say a "brass" Big Boy.
Both Athearn and BLI designed these engines to take a much sharper radius curve than normal without the enormous boiler overhang you would normally have if the rear set of drivers were mounted to the boiler.
I see no problem with either engine going through a #6 crossover as their pivot point on both locos is dead in the middle.
It might be an "S" curve but a pair of number 6's with cross over center are plenty long enough that the drivers wouldn't be anywhere near 2 parts of the S
Thanks R T the track seperation will be no problem and the nearest curve is going to be at least 3' away