Staging yard with Kato #4 turnouts

[Kiran]

I am just playing around with Unitrak to learn what is possible. There are potentially pictures and drawings but they are no use to me as I am blind. So I thought I will start putting together some track and experiment in my garage.

 

I wanted some space for parking the trains when I am not using them. Some of the trains (Tomix Shinkansens in particular) are a pain to couple and decouple easily and they take up space on the main line.

 

I have 1 #4 right turnout and 3 #4 left turnouts that came in the mail today from MD Klein. So I put together what you see in the picture (assuming I attached the correct picture). It would be nice to have 33mm spacing between the tracks and I am not entirely sure how to achieve that. It looks like if I use a R481, I might get the 33m spacing but I am not sure what to do about the first 2 left turnouts in the set of 3. I used S64 pieces for now which sort of seems to work. I did use the S60 pieces between the turnouts which are probably essential anyway. Otherwise the turnouts are going to be too close to each other I am thinking.

 

Any thoughts on how to do this better? I need to clean this up before I actually try running any trains on it of course. Wires are all over the place and the foam is not level yet.

[cteno4]

Kiran,

 

here is a diagram that may help.

 

cheers,

 

jeff

 

https://www.katousa.com/PDF/plans/N-plan-4-turnouts.pdf

[EdF]

Two 64mm straights move the corner exit 33mm to the side. looks like you have 3 right now.  And yes R481 are correct.  I believe each turnout comes with 1 62mm and 1 64mm, the 62mm has the notch cut on the ballast, and the 64mm would feel normal.  In your layout the 62mm would always follow the straight route.  

[EdF]

To be clearer, I think you need 1 more 64mm on the diverging rout of the first turnout.

 

[disturbman]

Maybe you should consider changing the geometry of your yard and place right-hand turnouts on the diverging line of your first turnout, rather than having all the turnouts on the "mainline". You would gain in space and the spacing would come more naturally.

[EdF]

It is space saving, but it would require trains to navigate multiple diverging routes, and #4 turnouts are prone to points being picked.  As a counter to my own point, if your trains are all similiar length, then maybe the risknis worth it as there would be less wasted track in the yard.

Edited May 3, 2020 by EdF
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