If you don't build easements into the turnout transitions your cab crews in steamers can really get tossed around. I built all mine without easements and there were a couple of switches that routinely threw the crew out of the cab when the cab whipped to the side so quickly when taking the diverging route.;-} Ben Trousdale
--- In [email protected], Richard Karnes <rnk2202@...> wrote: > > John et al -- > > Turnouts are in fact eased. If you consult the AREA (American Railway > Engineering Association) dimensional standards for turnouts, you will find > that the curved closure rail is eased, then straightened through the frog. > AREA tables also provide the effective radius of the curved branch; these > radii are generally quite a bit larger than the typical model curves. There > is no standard for No. 4 turnouts; the tables start with No. 5 (closure > radius of 178 feet, 33 actual inches in S). (PRR has different standards -- > Their smallest is a No. 5.289. Go figure.) > > That said, I have standard turnouts only in my terminal/yard area. These are > No. 5 for freight yard, No. 6 (259-foot radius, 48.5 inch actual inches in S) > for the passenger terminal and coach yard. Elsewhere, I drew centerlines > using heavy O scale (.172) rail to draw easements between tangents and > curves, and I built the turnouts to follow the centerlines. The result is > smoothly-flowing trackwork. > > You might ask where one purchases turnouts manufactured to AREA standards. > Well, I don't know and don't care. I have scratchbuilt all of mine. I'm not > recommending that in general; it's just that constructing trackwork is my > first love in model railroading, and I am somewhat sad that I have no more > trackage to construct. > > Dick Karnes > Mercer Island WA > ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
