Yard turnout timbering question

[Pillar]

Hi All,

 

Does anyone know what would be the prototypical approach to timbering for the arrangement shown in the attached image?

 

As far as I understand, timbers can be extended to become 'common' to closely spaced turnouts (such as crossovers). However, as the middle turnout here is not parallel to the others, the timbering direction clashes; especially around the switch blades where rodding may need to be accommodated.

 

The formation will form part of a small freight yard set in the 1970s-1990s and laid in bullhead rail.

 

Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

Cheers,

 

Liam

[martin_wynne]

Hi Liam,

 

The first thing to do is to change the turnout timbering to equalized incremental. It's more prototypical for most small yards in bullhead, and makes timbering of pointwork areas much easier. That's one of the reasons it was used on the prototype.

 

Then use the shove timber functions in Templot to resolve any conflicts -- without moving the essential timber positions under the special crossing chairs:

 

 

For more about timber shoving, please ask on the Templot Club forum: http://85a.co.uk/forum/ 

 

p.s. at the top right of your screenshot, the trap point is too close to the turnout. A derailed vehicle would be foul of the running line.

 

cheers,

 

Martin.

[Pillar]

Thanks very much Martin. I'll move the trap point further back.

 

Would the turnout for the connection to the running line also use the equalised incremental approach, or would the timbers be kept square on to the main route?

[martin_wynne]

28 minutes ago, Pillar said:

Thanks very much Martin. I'll move the trap point further back.

 

Would the turnout for the connection to the running line also use the equalised incremental approach, or would the timbers be kept square on to the main route?

 

Hi Liam,

 

That depends on the prototype. If it's a fast running line, probably not by the 1970s. Otherwise it's quite possible. Generally I use equalized incremental everywhere unless there is some reason not to -- it makes the timbering much easier to arrange. For a long time it was the default setting in Templot, until I decided to change it, just to keep quiet all those who kept telling me it was wrong.

 

cheers,

 

Martin.

[jim.snowdon]

Although there is liable to be a prototype that can be found to support any argument, the whole raisin d'etre for aligning the timbers perpendicular to the centreline was that it reduced the angle of the heel end chairs/baseplates on the timbers. That in turn reduced the incidence of the fixing screws being uncomfortably close to the edges of the timbers, especially with the larger footprint of the check chairs/baseplates.

 

Jim