Tomix geometry questions

[Tyraforce]

Hey,

I'm considering adding a Tomix section to my Kato layout and realized AnyRail software is not 100% accurate when it comes to the curved points.
As I don't have a single piece of Tomix and I'm about to send in a big order, can somebody check
1) The curved point followed by two 354-45s end up with standard spacing between tracks?
2) I get Tomix platform spacing using the curved switch config in the picture.
3) Is the Tomix 1246 Electric Double Slip Points N-PXL140-15 fully isolated in all directions or is there any routing going on? Any reliability problems with that one?

Thanks!

Edited January 28, 2022 by Tyraforce

[KateM]

9 hours ago, Tyraforce said:

I'm considering adding a Tomix section to my Kato layout and realized AnyRail software is not 100% accurate when it comes to the curved points.

 

Yes, that's right, there is some small problem with this piece, not sure why though 😞 It is mentioned in AnyRail Tomix library examples that one of the pieces must be rotated by 2° to make it working properly. The C280 part of the turnout is correct so always connect it first.

 

9 hours ago, Tyraforce said:

1) The curved point followed by two 354-45s end up with standard spacing between tracks?

 

It does not, the spacing is cca 3mm smaller. The tracks are pretty flexible so it shouldn't be an issue at all, but if you'd like to get much closer to the right spacing (I have AnyRail set to tolerate only up to 2mm diff so your solution wouldn't work), you can change the approach tracks at the top to get just 1mm difference (in both X and Y axes) which is negligible. Top two tracks use one S18.5 each, bottom two tracks use one S33 each:

 

9 hours ago, Tyraforce said:

2) I get Tomix platform spacing using the curved switch config in the picture.

 

Yes, two pieces with 541-15 or 140-15 in their name together with one S72.5 creates spacing for one ordinary island platform.

Btw. If you use two S72.5 pieces, it creates double spacing that can fit two side platforms combined together as one big island platform, like here on my layout.

 

Take care when using N-PX▒140-15 or some similar setup, it has one side shorter 140mm (that goes straight) and one longer 145mm (that goes askew). If you put it the wrong way, the geometry breaks.

 

9 hours ago, Tyraforce said:

3) Is the Tomix 1246 Electric Double Slip Points N-PXL140-15 fully isolated in all directions or is there any routing going on? Any reliability problems with that one?

 

Generally speaking, N-PX280-15 is fully isolated, N-PX▒140-15 has screws to set power routing, and other pieces always have power routing.

Reading manual for N-PX▒140-15, it shows four different possibilities - power routing (default), isolation of one shorter branch, isolation of one longer branch, and full isolation.

 

 

I have just one piece of this kind, but so far no problem with it. The look is not much prototypical with their large metal middle parts, but if you use them to save some space, I would definitely give them a try.

 

Edited January 28, 2022 by katem

[Tyraforce]

3 hours ago, katem said:

Yes, two pieces with 541-15 or 140-15 in their name together with one S72.5 creates spacing for one ordinary island platform.

Btw. If you use two S72.5 pieces, it creates double spacing that can fit two side platforms combined together as one big island platform, like here on my layout.

 

Thanks. Love the station. Just by the platform spacing question I meant the spacing created by the curved turnout configuration (left side). I know the right side will work. I just don't trust AnyRail with the curved turnouts. I guess it shouldn't  be too far off tho.

I have a 6 thru track station so the double slips are a must. I tried to figgure it out with kato track but it just all looked to far from the prototype so I'll have to transition to Tomix for the station, which actually made room for the 6th track.

Edited January 28, 2022 by Tyraforce

[KateM]

Thanks. Yeah, the curved turnout is wonky. You can safely assume that one N-CP▒317/280-15 and two 45° curves of the same radius does give you 37mm spacing.

 

The fact that using C354 and C280 with these curved turnouts does give you transition from 37mm to 55,5mm spacing is not part of the usual Tomix geometry but fortunately the geometry can be fixed using just few pieces of existing track pieces. In other cases it might get utterly complicated though. Variable rail V70 (70-90mm) can be used for such cases.

 

[MeTheSwede]

5 hours ago, katem said:

The look is not much prototypical with their large metal middle parts, but if you use them to save some space, I would definitely give them a try.

 

Track painting really change the appearance.

 

 

 

 

The big blobs of silvery metal suddenly becomes one with it's surroundings.

 

Edited January 28, 2022 by MeTheSwede

[KateM]

Looks great, but does it conduct power without problems when painted? It is supposed to deliver power through flanges..

[cteno4]

Only need to clean the paint off the top of the rail and the inside corner of the top of the rail head. Most all the contact is right on the top of that inside edge corner as both the wheel edge and flange are sloped. Flanges slope away so not contact much of the inside of the rail head.

 

jeff

[KateM]

@cteno4, understood, but just to make sure we are on the same page - are we still talking about the turnout, right? Using the picture from @MeTheSwede - when N-PX▒140-15 is set to diverted (curved) from bottom to right, the outer wheels run through the path I tried to highlight below. On the red parts, only the tip of the flange does touch the metal which is painted over; on the green part, the wheel runs on the inner "rail" which is also painted over. Hence my question about reliability of turnout painted this way.

 

[cteno4]

I assumes those inner bits of the center frogs were insulated and not hot. But can’t see exactly what is hot in the pictures. Yeah if the green bits are hot they should have the inside edge cleaned.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[KateM]

I tried to draw by hand another diagram, hope it is somehow visible. The middle part consists of four large pieces of metal that are live. Green parts are hot, contact with wheel; blue parts are hot, contact with tip of flange only; red parts are insulated. See the excerpt images from manual above to see which parts are live in which configuration.

 

 

The wheel runs on its flange only for the full blue part which also results to the car tilting to one side a little when the flange is larger than the height of the "rail" on this piece.

 

Still, I think this is very good piece that, given its size, is very well designed to deliver as much power feeding as possible. It's pretty clever to use flanges to deliver power throughout most of the turnout and not just for the frogs on sides (that are the same as frogs of N-P▒541-15).

[MeTheSwede]

Katem, your drawing is correct as far as I understand.  I painted them a few days ago and had only fully tested them with engines with plenty of electrical pick up axels. A bit more paint will have to come off to make the switcher happy.