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Author Topic: Width of four Unitracks?  (Read 3200 times)

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Ed Kapuscinski

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Width of four Unitracks?
« on: May 16, 2016, 09:03:54 PM »
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Got a quick Unitrack question: how wide of a right of way do I need to fit four parallel tracks using the Unitrack #4s and/or #6a.
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Kisatchie

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Re: Width of four Unitracks?
« Reply #1 on: May 16, 2016, 09:22:30 PM »
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If you use Kato's new N scale #2 wye and 2 #4 turnouts, you get a four track yard that is 5-3/4" wide. The new wye is a big space saver.


Hmm... I'm afraid to hear
how much room #6
turnouts would take up...

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Ed Kapuscinski

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Re: Width of four Unitracks?
« Reply #2 on: May 17, 2016, 08:53:30 AM »
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Perfect.
I didn't even know the wye existed.

Can anyone with just #4s chime in? I'm betting it's the same, actually.
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Kisatchie

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Re: Width of four Unitracks?
« Reply #3 on: May 17, 2016, 09:37:08 AM »
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Quote from: Ed Kapuscinski on May 17, 2016, 08:53:30 AM
Perfect.
I didn't even know the wye existed.

Can anyone with just #4s chime in? I'm betting it's the same, actually.

The width will be 5", but the length will be shorter. From the start of the wye to where the 4 tracks actually start being parallel is 14-7/16".  If you use 3 #4 turnouts to get 4 parallel tracks, it takes 21-3/4" to where the 4 tracks are parallel.


Hmm... the geometry is
mind boggling...




Hmm...
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Two scientists create a teleportation ray, and they try it out on a cricket. They put the cricket on one of the two teleportation pads in the room, and they turn the ray on.
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basementcalling

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Re: Width of four Unitracks?
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2016, 10:09:18 AM »
+1
Quote from: Ed Kapuscinski on May 17, 2016, 08:53:30 AM
Perfect.
I didn't even know the wye existed.

Can anyone with just #4s chime in? I'm betting it's the same, actually.

You can always mix in Peco turnouts with UniTrak for yards. The medium radius Pecos work nicely in that situation, though you may need to shim cork roadbed to get the height to match the UniTrak.
« Last Edit: May 17, 2016, 12:35:31 PM by basementcalling »
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Dave V

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Re: Width of four Unitracks?
« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2016, 10:26:27 AM »
+1
Is this related to the helix Ed's not building?   :D
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Ed Kapuscinski

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Re: Width of four Unitracks?
« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2016, 10:46:49 AM »
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Quote from: Dave Vollmer on May 17, 2016, 10:26:27 AM
Is this related to the helix Ed's not building?   :D

No, it's related to the staging yard I'm ACTUALLY building: I'm trying to figure out how wide I need it to be to fit the 4 tracks that are going on it.
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Ed Kapuscinski

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Re: Width of four Unitracks?
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2016, 10:48:40 AM »
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Quote from: basementcalling on May 17, 2016, 10:09:18 AM
You can always mix in Peco turnouts with UniTrak for yards. The medium radius Pecos work nicely in that situation, though you make need to shim cork roadbed to get the height to match the UniTrak.

Good point. Although, what I'm really after is the Unitrack switches themselves, because I want something reliable and easy to setup in a rather inaccessible area. Also, the integrated switch machines. Ahh, those integrated switch machines.
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Ed Kapuscinski

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Re: Width of four Unitracks?
« Reply #8 on: May 17, 2016, 10:49:28 AM »
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Quote from: Kisatchie on May 17, 2016, 09:37:08 AM
The width will be 5", but the length will be shorter. From the start of the wye to where the 4 tracks actually start being parallel is 14-7/16".  If you use 3 #4 turnouts to get 4 parallel tracks, it takes 21-3/4" to where the 4 tracks are parallel.

Ahh, perfect. I have more length than width to work with. I wonder if I could fit a fifth in.

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Kisatchie

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Re: Width of four Unitracks?
« Reply #9 on: May 17, 2016, 11:19:48 AM »
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Quote from: Ed Kapuscinski on May 17, 2016, 10:49:28 AM
Ahh, perfect. I have more length than width to work with. I wonder if I could fit a fifth in.

I think I wrote a confused answer... If you use 3 #4 turnouts, the width is narrower (5") , but the length is longer, not shorter.

If you want 5 parallel tracks using #4 turnouts, the width is 6-3/8" and the length is 24".


Hmm... leave it to Kiz
to get stuff confused...

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Two scientists create a teleportation ray, and they try it out on a cricket. They put the cricket on one of the two teleportation pads in the room, and they turn the ray on.
The cricket jumps across the room onto the other pad.
"It works! It works!"

wcfn100

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Re: Width of four Unitracks?
« Reply #10 on: May 17, 2016, 11:23:58 AM »
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Quote from: Ed Kapuscinski on May 17, 2016, 10:49:28 AM
Ahh, perfect. I have more length than width to work with. I wonder if I could fit a fifth in.



You're not going to want to use a wye in a situation where you want the most tracks in the narrowest width.  Alternatively, if you use a wye to get the best length for a staging area, you need to add an extra track width for the same number of tracks.

Jason
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davefoxx

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Re: Width of four Unitracks?
« Reply #11 on: May 17, 2016, 11:38:17 AM »
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@Ed Kapuscinski,

Use one of these bad boys, instead of Kato Unitrack, and you can really save some space:

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Peco-N-SLE-Assymetric-3Way-Turnout-p/pec-sle399f.htm

That, one left-hand turnout, and one right-hand turnout, and you have a very compact yard ladder for a five-track yard.

Hope this helps,
DFF
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Dave V

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Re: Width of four Unitracks?
« Reply #12 on: May 17, 2016, 11:52:06 AM »
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If Ed's looking for easy wiring and integral switch machines, Peco ElectroFrog probably isn't the answer.  ElectroFrogs need some modifications to play nice with DCC and then you still need a switch machine.
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basementcalling

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Re: Width of four Unitracks?
« Reply #13 on: May 17, 2016, 12:36:36 PM »
+2
Quote from: Ed Kapuscinski on May 17, 2016, 10:49:28 AM
Ahh, perfect. I have more length than width to work with.

Is THAT what she said?
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Peter Pfotenhauer

Ed Kapuscinski

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Re: Width of four Unitracks?
« Reply #14 on: May 17, 2016, 01:05:26 PM »
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Quote from: Dave Vollmer on May 17, 2016, 11:52:06 AM
If Ed's looking for easy wiring and integral switch machines, Peco ElectroFrog probably isn't the answer.  ElectroFrogs need some modifications to play nice with DCC and then you still need a switch machine.

Absolutely. The goal here is simple and reliable (and not needing to mount turnout motors under the layout).
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