Proper angle for yard ladders

[Thai1On]

Again I am asking help from the experienced route builders. First I would like to say thank you for your help in improving the my yard ladders. Doing testing on my passenger terminal yard I used the N&W's J pulling a consist of heavy weight passenger cars. I was alarmed at the extreme angle of the turnouts and how bad the equipment looked riding over it.

Searching the forum I again returned the the favorite track laying tools and downloaded a large protractor. So my question is what is a more pleasing or prototypical angle my turnouts should be in my yard ladders for both passenger service and freight service yards?

 

[bl4882]

If you want realistic looking track, including ladders, but also curves, grades, etc., then the first thing you should do is get a little background on prototype practice. There is plenty of info on line on this. You might start with these.

From Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern http://www.readingnorthern.com/RBMNTrackSpecifications.pdf
This has a load of specifications on this railroads track specifications, including turnouts.

This, from Catskill Archive also has a lot of info, especially in the section on track. http://www.catskillarchive.com/rrextra/Page0002.Html

Harmer Steel's catalog has a lot of good information, including simple formulae for calculating frog angles, frog distances, and so on, here http://www.harmersteel.com/catalog/frogs-switches-turnouts/

It isn't as complicated as it first appears, and is fun once you get into it.

By doing Google searches, once you have picked up some of the vocabulary, you will be buried in more info than you ever wanted.

Bernie

 

[sniper297]

I use Bin maps a lot to look at arial views, the key factor here is "passenger coaches" - railroads generally consider the length of current equipment when deciding how tight they want curves to be, and any yard ladder has to consider how much space is available and how tight your curves can be and still get your longest car around the curve without derailing everything. Some pictures;

Proviso yard in Melrose Park, Il, the top is the original yard, bottom was built later. Note the angle of the yard ladder in the bottom yard is shallower, since freight cars went from 40 feet to 70 or 80 in the last 50 years.

Another view of Proviso, the shallower angle of the yard on the left is easier to see.

California Avenue coach yard in Chicago, note the yard ladders for the yard are shallow angles, at the top is the engine service facility which has sharper angles because the locomotives are shorter than the coaches.

Contrast;

Chicago rapid transit yard in Evanston, Il. These electric railcars were all designed for tight curves, so they can build any kind of ladder they want.

 

[RoysTrainz]

Hi Dave I offered you a few month ago to have a look at my routes

Again I am asking help from the experienced route builders. First I would like to say thank you for your help in improving the my yard ladders. Doing testing on my passenger terminal yard I used the N&W's J pulling a consist of heavy weight passenger cars. I was alarmed at the extreme angle of the turnouts and how bad the equipment looked riding over it.

Searching the forum I again returned the the favorite track laying tools and downloaded a large protractor. So my question is what is a more pleasing or prototypical angle my turnouts should be in my yard ladders for both passenger service and freight service yards?

Dave, you live only 1 hour from my trainz bunker don't be shy hop in but i not gonna drag you in, its a free invitation to all trainzers all over the world.:hehe:


Well i do it different, google, earth, fix switches #9 and # 11 one straight track let them intersect and a good look and feel does the job for me.
I the beginning I thought and tried a few times a protractor but the only one help i use a lot is Martin's track spacer,m like 4, 4,5 m and do the fieldwork in trainz surveyor by eye and good enough for me and fast too.
Oleghkims switches seem to work well too the 1435mm for making the yards fast Dave.

Hope this helps

From a rainy Khao Wong on a beautiful sunday morning'

Roy

 

[Thai1On]

Thanks for the help guys I'll start my searches right away.

Hi Roy as you know we are on a 4 day weekend and I have tomorrow off. Now if the rain can hold off I'd like to make run that direction as I will be on 2 wheels :hehe: . Doubt Ae will come as she doesn't like to ride that far on the bike. I'll give you a call later when she returns from the market. Oh by the way I did a search for the "Oleghkims switch" but came back not found