Talking T Gauge

rmyers · Joined: 19 Nov 2008 Posts: 73 Location: Evanston, IL USA

Some thought on turnouts, inspired by the buzz that they are coming and by the photo of the sample shot.

What I'd really like to see would be straight frog turnouts like on real railroads -- at least American ones. (Question for those out there that are more knowledgeable about Japanese practice, are the turnouts straight or curved frog?) However, I'm not expecting that anytime soon. To do so would require widespread use of flex (which isn't here yet), and go against what seems to be the Japanese model railroad typical practice of strongly modular track systems like Kato and Tomix.

So what I'd hope for as a second choice would be modular turnouts that allow reasonable layout creation. The sample shot isn't that. The 30° diverging leg just isn't going to allow the creation of any sort of reasonable yards or passing sidings. It only would be useful creating a branch line. It also doesn't allow easy transposition from existing track plans to T. which I suspect will be a useful way for folks to create layouts.

So how about this as a modest proposal -- create a T version of the venerable Atlas 'Snap-Switch' turnout. For those that aren't familiar with them, the rather elegant concept is this -- the diverging route is the standard 18" radius, but only 20°. It comes with a 10° fitter track so that it can replace a 30° curve section, but without the fitter, it can create a reasonable (if sharp) passing siding or yard. The turnout also comes with a 1 1/2" straight extension at the point end so that there is a straight section to provide room for the points, and so that they can be a little longer (and less sharp) than they would be simply substituting for a section of 18" radius curve.

Turnouts like this also provide another advantage. If you design a trackplan that includes the short straight in the lead-in to a curve, the straight and curve section can later be replaced with a turnout in the 'railroad that grows' scenario.

Speaking of turnouts -- Kato offers a double crossover that fits into their modular system. Useful, but quite rare in the real world. So how about a pair of single crossovers instead?

Give us some longer straights, fractional straights (either 1/2, 1/4, 1/8) or (2/3, 1/3, 1/6) as is common on other systems, some fractional curves (10°, 15°, 20°) and common crossings and I'll be a happy camper.

Bob

Picture of Snap-Switch turnout: http://www.atlasrr.com/Images/Track/Trackphotos/861.gif

TBA · Joined: 08 Sep 2008 Posts: 120 Location: Massachusetts

Or one could do a stub switch:

Click here: http://gold.mylargescale.com/Scottychaos/On2layout/Phillipsyard.jpg
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Brian Austin

David K Smith · Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 1:36 am Post subject:

Bob, thank you for sharing your thoughts. I agree with virtually everything you've said. All I can add is that it's possible that such products could be made; however, it will take time to reach that point, and in the meantime, we've all got to pitch in, buy whatever they make, build something with it, show it off to the world, and grow the customer base. Providing financial support (in addition to suggestions) is the only practical way to reach the goals you've outlined.

It's too bad the switch I made is impractical to manufacture. But I keep recycling the image of it to help keep the buzz going.

Sam K · Joined: 11 Nov 2008 Posts: 14 Location: Manchester, UK

Or you could make a single blade point as seen in several places inc. the Corris and Snafell in Britain. Cool

see: http://wegmuller.org/v-web/gallery/SingleBladeSwitch
esp: http://wegmuller.org/v-web/gallery/SingleBladeSwitch/SnaefellSingleBlade

Should be easy make with only one moving part and no need to worry about flangeways etc. Very Happy

You'd need to be carefull with the geometry though, to get good running. I'd start with an angle about half what the driven bogie can twist through and then try tighter! Confused

By the way, flangways are a worry of mine with respect to T gauge. The flanges and wheel standards seem quite coarse! Better running might be achieved with finer wheels? Confused

Sam K.

David K Smith · Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 1:48 am Post subject: Re: Points & switches

rmyers · Joined: 19 Nov 2008 Posts: 73 Location: Evanston, IL USA

Single point or those pivoting point/guard turnouts could certainly be made. However, given that E is already showing a sample of a twin point turnout (and David having shown by his beautiful kitbash), we should be happy that we're going to get that rather than wanting something that IMO is more toylike.

BTW, Lego trains sets currently use a single point design. I'd be all for a single pointer if they ever get these things to make tight turns and a model of a single pointer would be a good representation of tight street running turnouts (where they are more commonly used in the real world). Also IIRC, single pointers in models tend to have the wheels drop into the flangeway, so to avoid bumpity-bumpity models you need well matched flange and flangeway depths.

As for supporting the product, I just got my shipping confirmation for a train, 132.5mm track set and some extra straight track. My toe in the water.

Bob

rmyers · Joined: 19 Nov 2008 Posts: 73 Location: Evanston, IL USA

TBA · Joined: 08 Sep 2008 Posts: 120 Location: Massachusetts

I wonder how Arthur Sherwood would have designed turnouts. His 1:480 scale locos ran with fine wheel standards (compared to T) though his track reportedly ran only in a circle without any thought to switches. It is a shame he is not around to pass on his thoughts now that model trains miniaturization has caught up with his experiments.

One point about the wheel standards. If the wheels were made close to scale standards the flange would be quite tiny, and tracking/electrical contact may become problematical, not to mention the reliability of turnouts.

I'd like to see someone try this in T: http://flickr.com/photos/30799012@N08/2891196092
Laughing

Note that some N guage wheels were quite chunky as well at the start and finer standards have emerged. Perhaps T will improve in this regard as well.

Out of curiosity, how close are the wheel tread width and flange depth to Z?
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Brian Austin

David K Smith · Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 3:30 am Post subject:

B 67 · Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 3:33 am Post subject:

I've seen a full pivoting single blade point on a 2' gauge line in southern Tasmania - in fact it is Australia's southernmost railway. It was on a line running to a loco shed, not a main running line. So movements would be mostly light locos at low speed.

I agree with the comments at the beginning of this thread too. Although rather than the Atlas method with the small curved sections to add (which may be quite fiddly in T) perhaps the Peco setrack geometry could be simpler. Anyway, it isn't really important. No doubt we will all buy whatever Eishindo offer us. We can't know that the shape of the ones in the sample video we've seen means that the production ones will be exactly the same. And if they are, they can probably be modified by cutting the rails and base to suit.

Nothing's impossible to the determined T-gauger. Laughing

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Darren,
Stratford,
Australia.

B 67 · Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 4:25 am Post subject:

In the above post I mentioned the video we've seen. But have since realised that you may not have seen it. I thought it was on YouTube, but appears not to be. A copy was sent to me by KK Eishindo as an attachment. It was of the same ones in the photo referred to in the first post.
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Darren,
Stratford,
Australia.

JohnDMJ · Joined: 21 Sep 2008 Posts: 34 Location: Hampshire - UK

B 67 · Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 11:11 am Post subject:

rmyers · Joined: 19 Nov 2008 Posts: 73 Location: Evanston, IL USA

David K Smith · Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 1:55 pm Post subject: