Tomix yard set 91017

[Hayashi]

I just spotted the Tomix yard set 91017. I'm thinking of replacing my Kato Shinkansen yard with this.

 

1. What is the track spacing with the 91017 track? It's less than Tomix's standard 37mm and Kato's 33mm.

2. Are there modern locomotive/train sheds that will work with the track spacing? I want to have four sheds abreast near the end, but if there are no sheds this yard concept will revert back to Kato. Greenmax 2123 maybe?

[kvp]

It's an open air yard with one 37 mm track distance washing track and the rest is high density 18.5 mm. This allows around 30% more trains at the same width. A single track train shed could be installed at the end of the washing track. This layout is common for most modern storage yards with minimal buildings and trains of equal length. (common for most commuter lines)

[Hayashi]

Thanks kvp. However, when I lay out the track it doesn't look like 18.5mm center-to-center spacing. It looks more like 27-28mm.

[kvp]

12 hours ago, Hayashi said:

Thanks kvp. However, when I lay out the track it doesn't look like 18.5mm center-to-center spacing. It looks more like 27-28mm.

There is an official track diagram for it somewhere and you are actually right, the 18.5 mm would be normal tracks ballast to ballast, but this one uses half of the wide track ballasts and a quick measurement indicates 28 mm track center to track center. So the 1st to 2nd tracks (washing to first storage) is at 37 mm and the rest are at 28 mm. The 18.5 mm distance would actually double the capacity.

 

On the other hand, i'm not aware of any japanese made loco shed that uses 28 mm track distances, so you either scratch build one, modifiy a kit or you can just use one a single track, single car shed on the end of the washing track. 4th option is to have two tracks (like washing + one extra next to it) for a 2 track 37 mm shed and use the rest as open air storage. (model layout yards are for showing the trains right?)

Edited September 11, 2018 by kvp

[Hayashi]

Thanks kvp. I guess Kato thinks their 33mm spacing fits nicely between tight spacing and wide spacing, so no need for them to create tight spaced track. Although Tomix has the additional turnouts and crossovers, I prefer the 33mm spacing for mainline track. I think it looks better.

[kvp]

2 hours ago, Hayashi said:

Thanks kvp. I guess Kato thinks their 33mm spacing fits nicely between tight spacing and wide spacing, so no need for them to create tight spaced track. Although Tomix has the additional turnouts and crossovers, I prefer the 33mm spacing for mainline track. I think it looks better.

Actually i think this yard set is just a sideeffect of using S280 reverse curves with normal 541 mm turnouts. This is why the correction pieces are required after the turnouts, just to even out the track joiner positions. The 37 mm spacing is what allows Tomix track to accomodate full sized 20 meter long cars on C140 without fouling the other C177 line. Also comes handy for very tight bus curves as the buses just barely don't fall off the road in a C66 bus curve. It seems like someone discovered that the track system supports smaller track distance yards with a special non linear ladder and Tomix decided to make if, mostly by using already existing kits and packaging them together with instructions. The walkway crossing is the only special piece so far that uses this hybrid track distane. It's a lucky side effect that somewhat works and worth a set or two.

 

The official yard/station plans for the Tomix track system use 37 mm track distances and most of their buildings are designed just for that. That fits more into the 70 mm based system.

 

ps: The Tomix 37 mm spacing also allows more complex catenary arrangements without the poles for the neighbouring tracks getting into each other's space. Otherwise the 70 mm based track system that Tomix uses is just plain easier to build with (70, 140 and 280 mm base straights, with 140 and 280 mm base curves). The turnouts are an oddity here as there are two 140 mm turnouts, 8 (!!!) 280 mm ones and only 4 541 mm ones, but the largest two straight/diverging are used the most (there are also two curved ones, but those are really special). Actually i've drawn it and the 541 turnouts are only needed as a 280 mm straight+diverging one would need cut ballast for 15 degrees. (Y and 30 degree 280 mm variants are easy to make)

[katoftw]

6 hours ago, Hayashi said:

Thanks kvp. I guess Kato thinks their 33mm spacing fits nicely between tight spacing and wide spacing, so no need for them to create tight spaced track. Although Tomix has the additional turnouts and crossovers, I prefer the 33mm spacing for mainline track. I think it looks better.

Huh? What is stopping you doing the same with kato? Use R282-15 curves instead if R541-15 curves.  If you google around, you'll probably find track plans already in circulation.

Edited September 11, 2018 by katoftw

[Hayashi]

Nothing stopping me. I have already started laying out a slightly different yard plan with R315-15 than I had originally. If I go to R282-15 then I run into some catenaries not lining up well. My only concern with the R282-15s (and Tomix's R280-15s) was how well the long cars would negotiate them. I was trying to keep everything at R315 or larger. But when I saw that Tomix was showing R282s I started to think that maybe the small radius was okay in small doses.

 

Looking closer at the Tomix yard set I think the walkways are the only thing I liked that I can't do on my own with Kato and Greenmax. I can get better detailed work platforms and washing stations from Greenmax. I can always kitbash the inter-track walkways with styrene. I'll ballast between tracks and use styrene for lengthwise walkways/conduits. I'll stick with 33mm track spacing and then the Kato catenaries will work.

 

I appreciate your insight, kvp and katoftw.