Which way the switch?

Sorry if this sounds stupid, but my trains keep derailing and I can't get my switches right. In the pic below we have a loco traveling east to west. The switch at A has to be moved so the green arrow points south, NOW...should the switch at B have the green arrow pointing north or south?

North its okay I have messed up things like this too

At B the green arrow has to point North. And at A, as you said, the switch has to point South.
Rail4Pete

Think of the green as 'Go' and the red as 'Stop'. The green arrow needs to point to the track that the train will travel along. The red arrow indicates that the train can't travel in that direction.

Andy

Thanks guys. Don't know how I keep messing these things up.

Note the overlapping figure "8" pattern I use ... it is important that it is this spacing, so as to keep track ties in sync, and not stretched, nor squeeshed

You have 12 track spline points ... you only need 8

cascaderailroad said:

Note the overlapping figure "8" pattern I use ... it is important that it is this spacing, so as to keep track ties in sync, and not stretched, nor squeeshed

You have 12 track spline points ... you only need 8

Click to expand...

i like the pics on your fotobucket link, pretty awesome especially the one with all the cross overs. The track above was a quick lay down, I have actually been using this: http://trains.0catch.com/tutorial.html to learn to do things. I can't imagine the problems I will have when I start to signal the line.

I remember my first open switch. My DD40X and its 70+ cars didn't know what happened

I set switch direction as on the picture below.

The two turnouts should work in sync, i.e. both switches should be set to forward direction or diverge direction. Otherwise, you increase a potential chance for a derailment. The default arrangement should be to set both switches to forward direction, to let uncontrolled trains pass the turnouts and follow the main line (which hopefully is terminated by a signal at some point). I place the switch motors on the default side, so I can easily confirm whether the switch has been released or it still locked by a train.

Note that I insert a section of a straight track between the turnouts, about 12.5 meter long. The exact length depends on the spacing of the main tracks. In my case this is 5 meters, which is recommended minimum distance in most railways. This straight track makes the turnouts curve more balanced. Without it, the curve is too tight near the spline point.

I lay the diverged track at angle of 6.3 degree to the main track and I insert the splines about 16.5 meters from the point where the main and diverged tracks intersect (see the rulers on the picture). This way the curved section of the track has radius of about 300 meters, allowing trains to diverge at speed of up to 25 mph. I would use turnouts of 4.8 degree and 500 meters for speed up to 40 mph, 3.1 degree and 1200 meters for speed up to 60 mph.

I hope this example will help you to build perfect railways. Good luck in your virtual modelling!

I caught something that'll be trouble in that first pic - your levers are on the crossover track and not the through track leading up to them. Make sure your switch levers are always near the outside edge of the spline circle toward the closed end of the points. It's more work to move each one some but well worth it to make it a habit - you won't have nearly as many problems with derails and funky signals after laying several miles of track.

my $0.02
Mike

gearhead2578 said:

I caught something that'll be trouble in that first pic - your levers are on the crossover track and not the through track leading up to them. Make sure your switch levers are always near the outside edge of the spline circle toward the closed end of the points. It's more work to move each one some but well worth it to make it a habit - you won't have nearly as many problems with derails and funky signals after laying several miles of track.

my $0.02
Mike

Click to expand...

Didn't know you could move the switches where the turnouts join the mainline, I thought where ever the cpu put them is where they needed to be.

Obirek, I sent you a PM ref your pic.

@ Chris - You can move, change, delete lever handles at will, select the "trackside objects" tab. In fact, there's a whole lot of great looking switch levers on the DLS. Those default units are way too cartooney for me.

Mike

gearhead2578 said:

@ Chris - You can move, change, delete lever handles at will, select the "trackside objects" tab. In fact, there's a whole lot of great looking switch levers on the DLS. Those default units are way too cartooney for me.

Mike

Click to expand...

Hi Mike: agree about the default switches, I always replaced them with CN ones but put them back in the same spot. I have since learned that if you move them too far away you will get a double red arrow, and when in range a green/red.

Once again thanks to all for your replies.

Chris

The way I remember to place the green arrows is, like you are riding a hypothetical motor bike between the tracks. When changing tracks at points, it is the direction the motorbike would lean to, where you set the green arrows to. Easy to remember.

Cheers

VinnyBarb