The Carolina Sandhills Lines in HO Scale

[davefoxx]

Needs moar backdrop 

No kidding!  Once I get around to buying that Masonite for the fascia, at a minimum, I'll also hang a piece on that strapping on the wall where a piece of pegboard used to reside.

DFF

[davefoxx]

Dave
your railroad continues, as always,
to come together really nice
i enjoy following this thread
thanks for posting


sincerely
Gary

Thank you for your kind words, Gary!

DFF

[Dave V]

3-way turnouts were all over the narrow gauge (besides the Rio Grande Southern, the East Broad Top's Orbisonia Yard comes to mind) but I'm curious as to how often they were found in relatively modern standard gauge applications.  I understand in your case it's an important and appropriate accommodation for space, and one I whole heartedly agree with...but I'm still curious about how often they'd be encountered in the wild.

[pdx1955]

3-way turnouts were all over the narrow gauge (besides the Rio Grande Southern, the East Broad Top's Orbisonia Yard comes to mind) but I'm curious as to how often they were found in relatively modern standard gauge applications.  I understand in your case it's an important and appropriate accommodation for space, and one I whole heartedly agree with...but I'm still curious about how often they'd be encountered in the wild.

They seem to be relatively common in hump yard throats as the tracks fan out and maybe in some terminal applications. I think I've seen one in a tight street-running industrial application.

[davefoxx]

3-way turnouts were all over the narrow gauge (besides the Rio Grande Southern, the East Broad Top's Orbisonia Yard comes to mind) but I'm curious as to how often they were found in relatively modern standard gauge applications.  I understand in your case it's an important and appropriate accommodation for space, and one I whole heartedly agree with...but I'm still curious about how often they'd be encountered in the wild.

Beats me.  At this point on the branch, we're entering a staging yard, so I'm not worried about being prototypical.

DFF

[Chris333]

I've found all sorts of unprototypical trackwork in my area. Many crossings on industrial trackage even interlaced turnouts. If there was a 3-way turnout it wouldn't surprise me at all.

Heck just a couple days ago I took photos of a curved turnout in my area.

[Point353]

At the end (for now) is a Code 100 Peco three-way turnout.  I chose a Code 100 (despite all of the track on the layout being Code 83), because this is the most compact three-way turnout. So, I had to do the trick of squashing one-half of a rail joiner to join the Code 83 flextrack to the Code 100 turnout. 

https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/atlas-ho-551-code-83-to-code-100-transition-joiners-12/

[Philip H]

I've seen aerial images of three ways (!) in modern european trackage so I wouldn't worry about it.  There's ample Ed's Law evidence if you really want it, but this is a Rule 1 situation, so JFRT!

(did I get enough TRW acronyms in there?  )

[Point353]

Supposedly on the CSX at the CSI Steel Mill in Columbia, SC:



https://fineartamerica.com/featured/three-way-switch-joseph-c-hinson-photography.html

If you look on the Google satellite map of Duval St. and/or Garland St. in Columbia SC you'll see several three-way switches/turnouts adjacent to the road crossings.

[davefoxx]

I've seen aerial images of three ways (!) in modern european trackage so I wouldn't worry about it.  There's ample Ed's Law evidence if you really want it, but this is a Rule 1 situation, so JFRT!

(did I get enough TRW acronyms in there?  )

I'm really not worried about it and am not concerned with the need for Ed's Law here.  If I were, I would be much more concerned about the Code 100 rail rather than a three-way turnout.  As I stated, it's just a staging yard.  Function before form in this instance.  Plus, it's going to have a sector plate at the other end of the small yard, like this:

http://yourmodelrailway.net/view_topic.php?id=6273&forum_id=6&highlight=sector+plate

So, this yard is not prototypical and is merely to help me JFRTs a little more better.   

DFF

[wm3798]

I like it.

[davefoxx]

https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/atlas-ho-551-code-83-to-code-100-transition-joiners-12/

I wonder how those work.  In my case, I just took a rail saw and cut through the top of the rail joiner, which allowed me to crimp/crush the top of one-half of the joiner, so I could butt the ends of the two rails together neatly.  Easy peasy.

DFF

[Point353]

I wonder how those work.

Perhaps the notch in the top/sides of the transition joiner allows the base to bend enough so that the tops of the different code rails can be made level.

[CRL]

The approach tracks to the bridge have been soldered to the bridge track.  This makes for an unwieldy piece of trackwork that is about six feet long with a bridge glued to it, but it was necessary to be able to get kink-free rail joints at the ends of the bridge.  Because of the distance from the edge of the layout, the rail joints had to be soldered at the bench.  The track is only being held in place with T-pins, because I still need to be able to remove the bridge from the layout for detailing and finishing:

Just a suggestion... If you want to remove the bridge easily, use thinnest CA glue you can find and put a very small amount at each rail/tie joint on the bridge and the first few inches each side of the bridge. This will lock the track curvature in shape. Then make razor saw cuts on each end of the bridge, but. Stay within the locked area for the cuts. You can then pull the bridge & track. When reinstalling, you can add a couple of track feeder wires to the separate section, or use sliding rail joiners and solder back into place.

[Steveruger45]

I'm really not worried about it and am not concerned with the need for Ed's Law here.  If I were, I would be much more concerned about the Code 100 rail rather than a three-way turnout.  As I stated, it's just a staging yard.  Function before form in this instance.  Plus, it's going to have a sector plate at the other end of the small yard, like this:

So, this yard is not prototypical and is merely to help me JFRTs a little more better.   

DFF

That sector plate is something I have been mulling over too. I like it.  I’m just trying to wrangle a bit more space so I could make a sector plate a little longer, pivoted in the center, so I can turn the locos too if I want.  Basically a plywood turn table. Just something to consider.