3 way turnout crossing angles?

[Pillar]

Hi All,

 

I've started experimenting with 3 way turnouts in Templot, and I'm finding that the automatic tool sometimes generates crossings angles to multiple decimal points; such as 1:6.08.

 

Prototypically, does anyone know whether crossing angles like this would be used, or if the design would instead be rearranged in order to use more convenient values like 1:6 or 1:6.5?

 

Cheers,

 

Liam

 

 

[martin_wynne]

Hi Liam,

 

Traditionally in yards and on branch lines, it would be left to the p.w. gang to use the nearest available standard-size crossing, and "make it fit" with a big hammer.

 

For fast running line junctions, the crossing shop would be asked to make up a special-order crossing to the exact angle required.

 

In later bullhead years there was a trend towards creating the original designs from the standard sizes only. That requires the radius to change slightly in each rail between one crossing and the next. To do that in Templot you would need to create the tandem turnout manually using partial templates -- the automatic "make tandem" function can't do that.

 

Nowadays it is all done by computer, and cast flat-bottom crossings can be supplied for whatever angle is required, although there are not so many tandem turnouts and suchlike used now.

 

cheers,

 

Martin.

[Pillar]

Thanks Martin, that's very helpful.

 

I've managed to generate a reasonable looking 3 way turnout; however, the problem I'm having now is that it doesn't show up when I plot the trackpad as an image file. The rest of the track plan is visible, but not the 3 way turnout.

 

Do you have any idea what might be causing this?

 

Thanks,

 

Liam

[martin_wynne]

30 minutes ago, Pillar said:

the problem I'm having now is that it doesn't show up when I plot the trackpad as an image file. The rest of the track plan is visible, but not the 3 way turnout.

 

Do you have any idea what might be causing this?

 

 

Hi Liam,

 

See: https://85a.co.uk/forum/view_topic.php?id=3603&forum_id=1#p28928

 

cheers,

 

Martin.