3 way Tomix yard ladder

[rpierce000]

I am interested in anything anyone has done in building yard ladders using a large number of 3 way switches. They do not have to be Tomix switches. That would be nice, but right now I am trying to get my head around how this is going to work, not the specific parts and angles.

 

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

[Mudkip Orange]

Can't really be done. If you assume a three-way switch geometry where every track leaves at the same radius and angle (an oversimplification), you can only use a 3-way for the first turnout before the second switches are "turning into" each other, i.e., if you have one three-way with three more three-ways placed after it, the rightmost leg of the left three-way is an "s-curve" while the leftmost leg of the center three-way is a left turn, which conflicts.

 

To fix that you need to add additional curve pieces to get a wider angle, but again assuming constant radius you're not saving anything at that point.

[Martijn Meerts]

Also, in case of he Tomix turnouts, they have 2 different radii, one is the standard 541mm, but the other is only 280mm as if I remember right. This can cause problems with some shinkansen.

 

If you look at http://www.jnsforum.com/index.php/topic,3687.0.html, there's various track plans for storage yards I've been experimenting with. They don't use 3-way turnouts, but rather regular Peco code 55 turnouts. I spent quite a bit of time getting the most length of track in a certain amount of space. Several posts down there's my "final" (for now :)) track plan, which is a bit of a hybrid of 2 common techniques.

[brill27mcb]

See Figure 3 on the Tomix Modelers' website "Track Design Snippets" section:

 

http://www.trainweb.org/tomix/track/snippets.htm

 

Beyond 7 tracks like this, things get harder (as mentioned above) and if you study it carefully, you also do not gain much of a length-saving advantage over normal turnouts. Same thing with wye turnouts...

 

Rich K.

Edited January 29, 2021 by brill27mcb

[westfalen]

See Figure 3 on the Tomix Modelers' website "Track Design Snippets" section:

 

http://www.trainweb.org/tomix/track/Snippets.htm

 

Beyond 7 tracks like this, things get harder (as mentioned above) and if you study it carefully, you also do not gain much of a length-saving advantage over normal turnouts. Same thing with wye turnouts...

 

Rich K.

There are some interesting designs there. I wish Kato would do more than two types of turnout and two crossings.

[rankodd]

Personally, I'm annoyed at Kato's 47mm(?) center on their 15degree crossing track. I still haven't figured out what the point of that piece is. Tomix geometry at least allows their standard track centers to be used with their 15degree crossing or their double slip. every time I pay attention to Tomix's track catalog, it makes me want to sell my Unitrak and start over.

[David]

Personally, I'm annoyed at Kato's 47mm(?) center on their 15degree crossing track. I still haven't figured out what the point of that piece is. Tomix geometry at least allows their standard track centers to be used with their 15degree crossing or their double slip. every time I pay attention to Tomix's track catalog, it makes me want to sell my Unitrak and start over.

 

It's because of Kato's larger (25mm) ballast. It's also the reason the #4 turnout, which is much closer to the short turnouts Tomix uses (and better for Japanese space constraints) came out later. The wide ballast means you can only put the tracks so close together. A 33mm spaced 15 degree crossover would require ballast 'cutoff' style pieces like the #4 to work. Unlike the #4 you could be stuck with having to either supply several different types of cutoff pieces (such as a curved piece with some ballast removed) or severly limit what the crossover can be used with. Also the reason Kato doesn't have a nice 30 degree crossover either. In theory the wider ballast and Unijoiner make Kato the better track for making a layout on the floor or more specifically on a tatami mat, but makes it more limited in flexiblity.

[cteno4]

bob,

 

i have a japanese modeling mag that had some interesting uses of 3 way tomix switches in small yards. ill try and dig it up this week and scan it for you. these were not large yard ladders, but small compact ones i believe.

 

jeff

 

I am interested in anything anyone has done in building yard ladders using a large number of 3 way switches. They do not have to be Tomix switches. That would be nice, but right now I am trying to get my head around how this is going to work, not the specific parts and angles.

 

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

[westfalen]

Personally, I'm annoyed at Kato's 47mm(?) center on their 15degree crossing track. I still haven't figured out what the point of that piece is. Tomix geometry at least allows their standard track centers to be used with their 15degree crossing or their double slip. every time I pay attention to Tomix's track catalog, it makes me want to sell my Unitrak and start over.

 

It's because of Kato's larger (25mm) ballast. It's also the reason the #4 turnout, which is much closer to the short turnouts Tomix uses (and better for Japanese space constraints) came out later. The wide ballast means you can only put the tracks so close together. A 33mm spaced 15 degree crossover would require ballast 'cutoff' style pieces like the #4 to work. Unlike the #4 you could be stuck with having to either supply several different types of cutoff pieces (such as a curved piece with some ballast removed) or severly limit what the crossover can be used with. Also the reason Kato doesn't have a nice 30 degree crossover either. In theory the wider ballast and Unijoiner make Kato the better track for making a layout on the floor or more specifically on a tatami mat, but makes it more limited in flexiblity.

I, for one, also think Kato's wider ballast makes for better looking track, to my eyes Tomix track, especially the coarse rail and sleepers in comparison to Unitrack, reminds me of the old Hornby tinplate OO gauge track from the 1950's.

[rpierce000]

Jeff,

 

Thanks! I look forward to the scan.

 

Everyone - If I was to offer a service where I would take your Kato track in at XX% of retail in return for credit for Tomix track, would any of you be interested? Just asking... I haven't done the numbers so I have NO idea if it is doable.

[cteno4]

Bob,

 

hey just found the article and my bad (memory) it was with the short Y switches not the 3 way. but the concept is good as it shows how you can really pack in a ladder in a tight space lengthwise! they have one short ladder that with the regular points you get 4 tracks in a short given length. then with the Y switches you can get 10 tracks in the same length!

 

if you want this i can scan it and email it to you. lemme know

 

jeff

[brill27mcb]

I'd like to see that, too. Maybe it would be best if I could recreate the basic track concept in an AnyRail drawing and post that, rather than a mag scan.

 

Rich K.

[cteno4]

bill i can send you the scan as well. ill see if i can pop together a couple of the examples in railmodeler and put those picts up.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[The_Ghan]

Jeff,

 

The trouble with the Tomix Y point is it is 280mm radius and may not be shinkansen friendly.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[cteno4]

yes the Y point is small radius and probably not shinkansen friendly. i expect most expresses and locals will navigate it ok though.

 

heres some of the ideas that were published in some Nine Scale World mags i have. i just laid them out in railmodeler.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Martijn Meerts]

The top one with all the wye's is bound to make the passengers see sick.. Better get some n-scale vomit bags =)

[cteno4]

The top one with all the wye's is bound to make the passengers see sick.. Better get some n-scale vomit bags =)

 

well presumably no passengers going into the yard...

 

jeff

[Martijn Meerts]

There's that.. Although I have heard (recently) of people being delayed because a passenger train drove straight into the yard rather than let people off first =)

[cteno4]

There's that.. Although I have heard (recently) of people being delayed because a passenger train drove straight into the yard rather than let people off first =)

 

LOL! perhaps they all just wanted the S curve thrill ride!

 

jeff

[rpierce000]

I used to ride the Hibya sen into Naka Meguro at night. They always came through and kicked all of the drunks off if they were putting the train into the cleaning and storage tracks (not big enough to call a yard). I always wondered what would happen if they missed one. Can you imagine waking up a meter plus above the ground with a hangover at four in the morning with no way out but the windows? I guess you would either have to wait for the cleaning crews or get woken up by them.

 

My idiot high school friends, never I, of course, would have jumped.