Large Scale Central

Too cramped for a Wye?

Prototypes
#21

Devon Sinsley said:

David Maynard said:

Wow! Its like a scissors Wye, but with the point folded back. I wonder…

I would love to build that for my club, and then watch as operators get totally confused as to how to operate the thing. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

And you think I am sick??? That would be a track laying nightmare. At least to my uninitiated eye.

Actually in this case I would select the approximate center point of the configuration in Google Earth (GE) zoom to a point where all required elements are on the screen, grab the screen, import to CADrail and overlay the track.

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

It is amazing how well GE works if a GIS map is not available.

#22

Look at this Devon guy. He just joined and has over a thousand posts, already. Way to go, Devon! (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

#23

Steve Featherkile said:

Look at this Devon guy. He just joined and has over a thousand posts, already. Way to go, Devon! (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

Yeah and I am beginning to think that isn’t a good thing. A certain friend of mine whom I met over at the other place and directed me here once aptly described me as chatty. Well I am not sure how much of that is welcome among the general population.

#24

Devon Sinsley said:

Steve Featherkile said:

Look at this Devon guy. He just joined and has over a thousand posts, already. Way to go, Devon! (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

Yeah and I am beginning to think that isn’t a good thing. A certain friend of mine whom I met over at the other place and directed me here once aptly described me as chatty. Well I am not sure how much of that is welcome among the general population.

Of course its welcome. Chat away. Nothing you’ve said yet has been specious.

#25

Would not be that difficult to wire. To me, that looks like it would be a fun challenge.

#26

Todd Brody said:

Would not be that difficult to wire. To me, that looks like it would be a fun challenge.

I agree, one wouldn’t have more than one engine at a time to go through the fun. Using the switch positions for power routing would be key. But OTOH I also remember how much of a challenge a standard Wye was for some on a friend’s layout. That branch line had a separate power supply/throttle to prevent interference with the rest of the layout. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

#27

Hans-Joerg Mueller said:

Todd Brody said:

Would not be that difficult to wire. To me, that looks like it would be a fun challenge.

But OTOH I also remember how much of a challenge a standard Wye was for some on a friend’s layout. That branch line had a separate power supply/throttle to prevent interference with the rest of the layout. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

There are ways to simplify it.

For example, I have a wye to turn trains on the T&LBRR. When I toggle either of the “entrance/exit turnouts” that lead into the wye, it simultaneously toggles the turnout in the wye to the proper direction so trains don’t derail at the points and the user doesn’t have to think about it. Using an LGB EPL, this also automatically sets the proper polarity for the tail block. When the train reaches the end of the wye (tail block), a diode in the track stops the engine before running off the end (as is done with reversing units).

If I return the “entrance/exit turnout” back to the mainline, the wye turnout remains in it’s current position so as to maintain polarity and the train remains parked at the station. If I throw the other “entrance/exit turnout” this will also toggles the wye turnout to the opposite direction, reversing the polarity to the tail block. The train will now start all by itself and come out the other side of the wye. No muss, no fuss.

If I toggle the turnout in the wye, it has no effect of the two lead in turnouts. This allows for separate operation/maneuvering within the wye without fouling the main line. KISS for the operator.

#28

Devon Sinsley said:

David Maynard said:

Wow! Its like a scissors Wye, but with the point folded back. I wonder…

I would love to build that for my club, and then watch as operators get totally confused as to how to operate the thing. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

And you think I am sick??? That would be a track laying nightmare. At least to my uninitiated eye.

Devon, if I were to attempt it in HO scale, and it would be HO for the club as I have no need for such a thing, I would be hand-laying the track. I started a scissors Wye a while back, but the club didn’t seam to show any desire for me to finish it so they could use it. So I have one hand-laid turnout and some track laid and the module is sitting in my garage sucking dust right now.

So my thinking you are sick, when I have gone completely round the bend, doesn’t mean anything. Like my mom used to tell me, consider the source.

#29

David Maynard said:

Devon, if I were to attempt it in HO scale, and it would be HO for the club as I have no need for such a thing, I would be hand-laying the track. I started a scissors Wye a while back, but the club didn’t seam to show any desire for me to finish it so they could use it. So I have one hand-laid turnout and some track laid and the module is sitting in my garage sucking dust right now.

So my thinking you are sick, when I have gone completely round the bend, doesn’t mean anything. Like my mom used to tell me, consider the source.

Honestly having never laid any track by hand I really wouldn’t know. It is to bad that you have the skill and willingness to share it for the club and they took no interest. Especially on a unique piece of track work.

This is a skill I will learn someday. In HO I was content to buy off the shelf track. But it seems an efficient cost saving measure to lay up your own switches in Large scale. And for the indoor stuff I want the finest detail I can muster so hand laying will be the way to go.

I would appreciate your effort if I was in the club Dave.

#30

Devon, my club did task me to build an N scale bridge and trestle. I finally got to use some of the left over strip-wood that folks have given me over the years. But my club has been rather stagnant for the past few years. No new members building things, and no expansion of the layout. I am guilty too, I haven’t finished my main module. I need to relay the HOn30 track with a larger code of rail, and this time I need to put in expansion joints. Maybe this summer I will get off my end and get moving on projects again.

As for the Wye pictured in the first post, I cant really see me building something like that. A regular scissors Wye is what I will build if I get back to it.

#31

OK I have to admit ignorance once again. What do you mean by scissor wye. A Google search brings up two different images.

This is what I think your referring to. If so what is the purpose of this over a regular wye. The site I stole t from explains that this makes the wye narrower however taller. So I assume it is to adapt to a space that wont allow a wider wye but can be deeper. the orginal post would be extra wide and not very tall. Is my logic correct in why three different wyes

#32

It allows for a gentler curve within the wye to accomodate larger equipment within the same space imposed by the two lead in tracks. For a regular wye, the radius would be half the distance between the two lead in tracks. But here you can see that they used a wider radius and still easily fit within the space of the two leads.

#33

Ahh,

Got it that makes sense.

#34

That looks to have been done using the LGB components.

If one wants to make a “conventional wye” using the LGB 1600 series curves and turnouts (i.e., without going to a sizzors configuration or requiring any crossing sections), the straight section between the two lead in turnouts needs to be 66 inches long. This is the smallest conventional wye that can be accomodated with LGB “8-foot diameter” components and is what I’ve done on my railroad.

SITE LAYOUT

#35

How’s this for odd? This is a “Folded Wye,” and this example was found on the Greenbrier, Cheat and Elk Railroad, of which the Cass Scenic Railroad forms a part. This wye has now been torn up, I understand. I looked for photos or drawings of this wye, but came up empty, so I recreated it in RRTrack, using Aristo components. Its not exact, but its close enough to give you the idea. If you still have the magazine, you can find an article in the Sept 2006 issue of Trains, or was it Classic Trains, I forget. Curiously, there was an article in one of Clambake"s model railroad idea rags in the same month about the same wye.

#36

Devon Sinsley said:

OK I have to admit ignorance once again. What do you mean by scissor wye. A Google search brings up two different images.

This is what I think your referring to. If so what is the purpose of this over a regular wye. The site I stole t from explains that this makes the wye narrower however taller. So I assume it is to adapt to a space that wont allow a wider wye but can be deeper. the orginal post would be extra wide and not very tall. Is my logic correct in why three different wyes

Devon, the club has settled on 4 foot long modules, and the switches are to be set back from the ends by 6 inches. If I were to build a “normal” Wye in those constraints, the 2 legs would have to come together in a 36 inch space. So the curves would have to be about 18 inch radius. Thats rather tight in HO, so I planned using 30 inch radius with the same 36 inch spacing between the switches on the base module. So that is why I was building a scissors Wye, like the one you pictured.

Steve, that thing there would confuse the club members almost as much as the original picture at the beginning of this thread.

#37

Yeah, Dave, and there’s a river that run’s through it. I think the crossing still exists, but all of the rest has been removed.

#38

David Maynard said:

Devon, the club has settled on 4 foot long modules, and the switches are to be set back from the ends by 6 inches. If I were to build a “normal” Wye in those constraints, the 2 legs would have to come together in a 36 inch space. So the curves would have to be about 18 inch radius. Thats rather tight in HO, so I planned using 30 inch radius with the same 36 inch spacing between the switches on the base module. So that is why I was building a scissors Wye, like the one you pictured.

Steve, that thing there would confuse the club members almost as much as the original picture at the beginning of this thread.

This makes perfect sense. It certainly narrows down the distance between switches. It is innovative to see the different ways a loco gets turned around. Not having put much thought into it I just figured a wye was a wye. But now seeing three different versions shows how to deal with the problem relative to space. Just like a prototype you were given a constraint and had to work a solution. I like it.

#39

Went up to Google Earth, and looked over that folded wye from the start of this post. One can learn a lot from Google Earth with a little studying.

My assessment: That Wye is at the tail end of a branch line from what could be described as the main. About 15 miles on down the line. Where it ties into the main, there is only one tie into the main, meaning that you can only go one way (Right) onto the main. No way other then backing on down the main to get to the left direction.

The branch seems to be mostly used for local passenger service by, Push-me Pull-me trains. The wye seems to be there only for the "Tourist " Train that runs from the adjacent station. The tourist train appears to be 40’s vintage steam 2-8-0(or a 2-8-2). Can’t find a good enough picture to be sure. We all know how unhappy steamers are running tender first. And as a vintage 2-8-0 it would like the wide radii.

Funny thing about that branch line. Only one way onto the main, and the next turnaround spot is a turntable ( it appears not to be well used ) 40 miles away, on down the main line. On the main (to the left ) of the tie in, there is no place to turn an engine. Again I believe its a Push-Pull situation, or a runaround at the end of the main in a small yard. It does look that there was once an Wye there, but long since gone.

If you follow the main to the end in the big city, where the turntable is, right next to it is the RIP track, and a couple of rusting steamers. :frowning: No engine house near the wye thou. I believe that the steamer probably runs from the big city out to the branch, turns on the wye and then heads back to the city. 80 mile round trip.

#40

By the way wiring it for DCC would be simple. Autoreversers make everything simple. Insulate sections until you don’t have a short and use an autoreverser on each insulated section. No programming no moving parts.

One of the many “freedoms” of DCC track power. Yes of course battery needs no track power.

Greg