Turnouts and Crossovers

[Bob Collins]

I have two "situations" on the layout I am building where I have four turnouts and a 19 degree crossover all together. I thought as I was getting ready to put them together that I would need to use a short piece of track between the turnouts and the crossover, but as I see it now, by snipping off just the very end of one of the ties on each turnout the whole thing assembles quite nicely.
Question: Am I not seeing a problem down the line when I get ready to start operating? Yes, I am aware of the need to insulate the crossover from the turnouts!!

Bob

 

[Drew1125]

Bob,
I guess it's not necessary, but I always use short lengths of track between turnouts, & between turnouts & crossings.
Also, if you're using one of the comercially available crossongs from Atlas or Peco, you don't need to gap the rails between crossings & turnouts. (if these are handlaid crossings, that's different) You only need to gap the rails between turnouts that are facing each other frog to frog.

 

[Matthyro]

I have done the same thing in the throat leading to my terminal at Maberly. With a sissor crossover I found I had to gap the crossover too to prevent shorts. It works now I will figure out just what I did and get back to you here.

------------------
Robin
NARA member #2
http://members.nbci.com/Matthyro MAT

 

[shamus]

Hi Bob,
If you run into trouble in the wiring, let me know, and I will do what I can to help. It would be better if I could see your trackplan.


cheers friend.
shamus

http://www.badger-creek.co.uk

 

[Bob Collins]

Many thanks to each of you for your input. I am using Atlas track so the infor on insulating may have saved me some heartburn.

Shamus. I'm still doing the Toledo and Southern Michigan layout. The easiest of the two places I am talking about to see is on the left about mid way up or down the plan on the mainlines, right where the arrow points at "Chelsea."

Thanks again.

Bob