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Reply to "Curved Switches (Turnouts)?"

Custom curved turnouts have made difficult jobs work out for me many times.  The short answer is to shut down your computer and disregard your track planning systems.

I have laid out many junctures of right of ways with total disregard to any fixed available turnouts.

I fix the track as to how I need it to run then get some brown wrapping paper and a big brown crayon and trace the location.  I then roll it up and send it to Brad.  Brad spends some time on his keyboard and creates a CAD which he sends me.  I in turn email it to FedEx which prints it out 1:1.

Then I position it in place over my staged track to confirm fit.  Then Brad gets the go ahead to make the plan.

Brad  can build anything.  Period.  He has no limits.  For example I needed a 76" radius curved turnout throat that went straight at a #5 frog.   Below, lower left.

Junction 001

We also needed a diverging track to come off a 72" radius curve, cross an east bound track then join a west bound track all in one piece.  Shown below.

Junction 007

On another occasion a 4 track staging yard needed a ladder track to fully develop in under 90 degrees of  72" radius.  This meant that the points had to be positioned to less than 1/2" from the frog.  Brad made a custom arrangement of half turnouts which were much like the early Roco switches.  Shown below.

72 inch 60 inch curved ladder 00372 inch 60 inch curved ladder 004IMG_6929

There was a need for an asymmetrical wye where a sharp curve had to leave a wide radius curve to serve a coal ramp.  Again below:

IMG_9001



One of Brad's specialties is a curved crossing on a curve.  My most recent peninsula required crossing a curved outside track to gain connection with an inside curved track. which required a double curved diamond joining a asymmetrical wye turnout with  both curves on a spiral easement.

WBrad x-ing 3What I neededBrad crossing 4Brad's CADBrad x-ing 2FedEx deliveryBrad X-ingInitial install



As far as curved turnouts go, Brad can make anything.  He works outside the box.

lift out overall 005

Attachments

Images (11)
  • Junction 001
  • Junction 007
  • 72 inch 60 inch curved ladder 003
  • 72 inch 60 inch curved ladder 004
  • IMG_6929
  • IMG_9001
  • Brad x-ing 3
  • Brad crossing 4
  • Brad x-ing 2
  • Brad X-ing
  • lift out overall 005
Last edited by Tom Tee

OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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