Can somebody tell me what the radius is of the following switches? #5 #6 #7 #8 ------------------ Paul the 2nd Paul Van Herwegen HO Rappannahock Terminal Railway G Emerald Valley RR http://users.pandora.be/paul.van.herwegen/
Paul, I have some actual turnout blue prints, that I will copy and if I can't get them scanned to post, I'll mail them to you. Give me a day or two to copy them and see. These are real railroad though, so you will have to convert to scale down. OK? ------------------ Watash
Thank you Watash!! ------------------ Paul the 2nd Paul Van Herwegen HO Rappannahock Terminal Railway G Emerald Valley RR http://users.pandora.be/paul.van.herwegen/
Paul, there is no radius to a numbered turnout. Yes, it is curved, but then it straightens out at the end. Typical starter set switches by Atlas and Bachmann have a radius (usually 18" in HO), but #4, #6, etc.. do not, they have an angle between two straight tracks. I forget exactly what angles they are, but Watash's plans may help with that. I have an excellent picture that shows the difference. I'm on my way to class right now, but I'll scan it in when I get back (about 2.5 hrs from the post time). ------------------ Corey Lynch Pres - Rensselaer Model RR Society NEB&W RR http://www.rpi.edu/~lynchc/Railfanning/railfanning.htm - My Site http://www.union.rpi.edu/railroad/ - NEB&W
And if you really want to 'get into' this, you can check out the NMRA's web site for the Recommended Practices RP-11, RP-12, RP-12.3 for HO and the applicable RP13.x series. RP-11 gives the the minimum switch size for specified loco and car length. Not that is the minimum switch/frog size. There is also a larger drawing of the switch showing the various parts. Go to http://www.nmra.org/standards and take the Recommended Practices link. Roger Roger Hensley - rhensley@anderson.cioe.com == http://www.nmra.org/standards == == NMRA Standards and Recommended Practices ==
Here's that picture I promised you. The turnout on the left is a #6, the one on the right holds an 18" radius. As you can see, the #6 curves, then straightens back out. The NMRA site had some good info as well, just checked it out. This is from "Trackwork & Lineside Detail" - available from Kalmbach. ------------------ Corey Lynch Pres - Rensselaer Model RR Society NEB&W RR http://www.rpi.edu/~lynchc/Railfanning/railfanning.htm - My Site http://www.union.rpi.edu/railroad/ - NEB&W
Paul, this is right out of the book, so is "Real Railroad" info. QUOTE from: Trautwine Civil Engineer's Reference-book 20th ed. Page 853 Subject 25. "Dimensions; Circular Turnout from Tangent Fig.#4 Gage 4' 8-1/2" = 4.70833' Switch-throw 5.5" = 0.45833' G = Gage N = frog number F = frog angle r = turnout center line radius D = turnout sharpness C = AP = chord L = BP = lead l = switch-rail length t = throw (Can't make a chart here, so the table numbers reads from left to right in this order: (I may have to do two charts) See?) (*)= degrees (')min (")sec N F r log/r D C L l=2N(sqroot)Gt Oh, it is recommended a straight section 48" with guard rail on both sides of the frog point minimum for curved and tangent. (8' long) That would make the switch-rails (movable points) 16' max. ------------------ Watash [This message has been edited by watash (edited 09 November 2000).]
Watash what university degree do I need to understand all that stuff ------------------ Paul the 2nd Paul Van Herwegen HO Rappannahock Terminal Railway G Emerald Valley RR http://users.pandora.be/paul.van.herwegen/
Sorry, I didn't mean to snow you with technology! HA! This book is The Machinery Handbook for Railroads. It pretty well covers everything except the thickness of diesel ditch light lenses used in 1917! #4 has 150.67 foot radius #6 has 339.00 foot radius See? Its in the table (r). These figures are for building a real switch(turnout) and are the same used for building a hand made HO or N switch. Definition by book: "Turnout rails" = full contour rails required to assemble all major sections firmly fastened in place. "Switch rails" = altered contour rails, usually coming to a point, fastened to a movable series of plates, one of which is a fulcrum , another being attached to an operating bar driven remotely. P.S. Harron is also right, there are turnouts made to continue at the digressing angle, usually installed for sidings, and yards. A radiused turnout is made to diverge a curve into another trackage, also a curve, but where space restrictions apply such as along mountain sides, may also be set tangentally. Seldom, and not reccommended practice is this turnout used point on below a #6. ------------------ Watash [This message has been edited by watash (edited 01 November 2000).]
Paul, here is the chart that got lost in the wires. This was supposed to go with the above note on switch curve radius & frog degree. [This message has been edited by watash (edited 11 November 2000).]
