Is there a cross over that will work in the plan below???
Checked Ross site could not find any info...
Thanks....
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Dave, I think it's a 22.5 degree. Normally, there are 16 sections of 072 to the circle, and a switch is equal to one section. The issue may be track spacing for the parallel tracks. It might be kind of wide. You could print the templates and try it out.
I don't recall (may have a 22.5 degree), but there's an 11-degree crossing that works with their 11-degree standard turnout. That might be a better application from a spacing perspective. The spacing in the illustration is 4.5"
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Its a 22.5 degree, but as said above, you'd be better off with a ross regular (#5) and an 11 degree, or a #4 and a double slip from a track spacing standpoint. I would guess if you called steve at ross, he could probably make a 14 degree crossover from the double slip jig if you didnt want the functionality of the double slip. An O72 switch and crossover is going to require a lot of track spacing to fit.
Guys, this may be a space issue for Dave, and while shallower crossings and switches may be optimal, they may not fit.
I did get a chance to check and the switch is exactly equal to one 072 curve section.
Originally Posted by Big_Boy_4005:
Guys, this may be a space issue for Dave, and while shallower crossings and switches may be optimal, they may not fit.
I did get a chance to check and the switch is exactly equal to one 072 curve section.
Correct......I am trying to fit this into my track plan for the layout under construction now. I was trying to fit it in without changing LOTS of stuff and starting over for that entire side of the plan. Thanks
I get 4 7/8" spacing with either combination. Does Ross need extensions on the divergence or do you cut\remove ties?
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Originally Posted by AMCDave:
Originally Posted by Big_Boy_4005:
Guys, this may be a space issue for Dave, and while shallower crossings and switches may be optimal, they may not fit.
I did get a chance to check and the switch is exactly equal to one 072 curve section.
Correct......I am trying to fit this into my track plan for the layout under construction now. I was trying to fit it in without changing LOTS of stuff and starting over for that entire side of the plan. Thanks
What's your center-to-center spacing?
4.5" center to center.
I did download the PDF plans Ross has on his site....And was able to use them to build the area in question. Looks like 22.5 will work....may have to do some small mods on the switch. Thanks
Actually, if you take out that small filler piece from the 11 degree, you can get the spacing of the parallel tracks to be closer. It goes down to 4", because I just did one on my layout.
There is a little trimming of the 22.5 that can reduce the 4 7/8" centers, but not much. The switch itself cannot be trimmed, as that will change the angle needed to keep the tracks parallel.
I didn't see your post because I was typing. You should be able to get that 4.5" spacing.
Dave
Nice crossover. If the Ross standard wont work contact Steve at Ross, I sure he can customize it for you to your specs.
Keep the updates coming, totally enjoyable
This was done on 4.5" spacing. Ross 204 3 way and #5 switches. Some custom tweaking.
I just looked at the Ross website and don't see any #5 switches, only even numbered (#4, #6, #8).
Also, where does the 11 degree switch fit in the scheme of switches? Does it equate to a numbered switch?
For RCS, a #5 is the same as a 11 degree. A real #5 is actually 11.26 degrees, so that may be why RCS does not call it a #5.
Ron
Ron
Update!!
I was at my LHS.....3 hours away. He had great deals on what Atlas O track he had left. He was no longer going to hold shelf space on the hopes Atlas restocks it all.
And by chance he had a Atlas O 22.5 crossing....and it was marked down!!!
For the price I had to try it. Got it home and it looks like it will work PERFECT! I did not know the Altlas O rail joiners will work on Ross track! Looks like this will be easy!
Thanks for the help all!!!
Originally Posted by AMCDave:
Update!!
I was at my LHS.....3 hours away. He had great deals on what Atlas O track he had left. He was no longer going to hold shelf space on the hopes Atlas restocks it all.
And by chance he had a Atlas O 22.5 crossing....and it was marked down!!!
For the price I had to try it. Got it home and it looks like it will work PERFECT! I did not know the Altlas O rail joiners will work on Ross track! Looks like this will be easy!
Thanks for the help all!!!
All you need to do is cut the stringers on the end ties of the Ross track and slide the end ties back to join them to Atlas. Works great. We have a bunch of Atlas-Ross track connections on the club layout.
I'm doing LOTS of track feeders. And the crossing will have to be isolated some as the outside rails are all one circuit and I am not using a common system but two wire. Thanks
Dave would like to see a photo of the installation
I'm not there yet......But I needed to make sure what I had planned would work. But as soon as I install I will !
@AMCDave posted:I'm not there yet......But I needed to make sure what I had planned would work. But as soon as I install I will !
Update with image Dave?
Bobby, this is a seven year old thread!
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Bobby, this is a seven year old thread!
Yeah, one would hope he's done by now!
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Bobby, this is a seven year old thread!
I know, still waiting for him to post the results John:-)
@L.I.TRAIN posted:Dave would like to see a photo of the installation
Me too!
@AMCDave posted:4.5" center to center.
I did download the PDF plans Ross has on his site....And was able to use them to build the area in question. Looks like 22.5 will work....may have to do some small mods on the switch. Thanks
Looking to see if Ross 072 switches and the 22.5° crossing will allow for 4.5" track centerlines. Helping a friend with their layout and this would be great in his space. He doesn't have room for the regular 11° switches.
Since he last visted in August we may never know.
You don't want to use O72 switches, consider the Ross #4 14 degree switches. You can also cut them down if they're too long, I did that to a few of them on my layout. O72 switches for a crossover introduce a large S-curve, not something you want for maximum reliability.
Will the #4 switches allow crossing over a center track from inner track to outer track on a 3 track mainline with 4.5" centers John?
You will have to insert a short stub between them to get 4.5" spacing, they actually give you 4" spacing if you connect them directly. I have this configuration on my layout, but I wanted 5.5" spacing, so I have a 6.25" stub between the two switches to increase the distance.
You can also shorten the entry several inches if you want to reduce the overall length of the two switches.
If you try to do the same configuration with the Ross O72 switches, the spacing blows out to 5.5" between tracks and you introduce more of an S-curve in the process.
The clear choice, at least IMO, is using the #4 switches.
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@gunrunnerjohn posted:You will have to insert a short stub between them to get 4.5" spacing, they actually give you 4" spacing if you connect them directly. I have this configuration on my layout, but I wanted 5.5" spacing, so I have a 6.25" stub between the two switches to increase the distance.
You can also shorten the entry several inches if you want to reduce the overall length of the two switches.
If you try to do the same configuration with the Ross O72 switches, the spacing blows out to 5.5" between tracks and you introduce more of an S-curve in the process.
Thanks, we are attempting this configuration
Crossing over the center track with 4.5" spacing and attempting to avoid an 11° crossover. Would the #4 switch allow it? Would the 072 switch allow it?
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OK, missed the fact that we were trying to cross one line. Here's a configuration to give you 4.5" spacing using the 11 degree crossover and two #100 regular switches. Obviously, the opposite sense could be done with two #101 switches. The small track segments are 1.25" long between the crossover and the switches. The total length of everything looks to be about 48" assuming you trim the ends of the switches.
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I looked at 11Deg crossovers too, for a similar application. The one thing that struck me was the price of 11Deg vs 45Deg or 90 Deg. 11!s are expensive!
Chris
LVHR
Chris, you're doing the layout once, and for $50 you're going to accept a poor compromise? I tried to avoid that thinking when I built mine, from premium wood to all Ross switches. I used Gargraves track because of the flex, and Ross sectional track where it made sense.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:OK, missed the fact that we were trying to cross one line. Here's a configuration to give you 4.5" spacing using the 11 degree crossover and two #100 regular switches. Obviously, the opposite sense could be done with two #101 switches. The small track segments are 1.25" long between the crossover and the switches. The total length of everything looks to be about 48" assuming you trim the ends of the switches.
Thank you John. We've had a lot of derailing at a friends house with cars and engines going through the 11° crossover, want to avoid it.
Interesting, I wouldn't have expected that. Are you sure the trackwork was solid? Did you talk to Steve at Ross?
Yeah we did. It is only new MTH passenger cars with the revised scale truck and two of the same diesel engines. The pickups appear to be twisting the trucks when they run over it due to that diagonal center power rail. With the shallow divergence the flange then has room to pick the point which causes one truck to diverge and the other to continue straight. He is on the fence between Atlas or Gargraves/Ross track and this was one of his concerns.
Well, I guess that's that! 
Thanks for your efforts John. It's what makes these forums so useful.
John,
I did not say anything about compromise! I'm commenting about the prices of the other 2 crossovers vs the 11 Deg. For something with no moving parts, it seems expensive, and especially when compared to the other 2 crossovers, which at least seem reasonable. But if you need an 11 Deg, then you need an 11 Deg, and that is what you use!
To Bobby D's concern, I wonder if there is some mod that can be done to eliminate/counter the twisting effect. But you need to be careful, as the Law of Unintended Consequences is likely to be in full effect. Then I wonder about the 4 switch crossovers. That 11 Deg is smack in the middle of them!
Chris
VLVHR
I do find it odd that the 11 degree crossover causes the most problems, but maybe the nature of it being a crossover and not a switch is a factor. I don't have any of those in my configuration, though I do have a couple of double-slip-switches that I would think might have similar issues.
@lehighline posted:To Bobby D's concern, I wonder if there is some mod that can be done to eliminate/counter the twisting effect. But you need to be careful, as the Law of Unintended Consequences is likely to be in full effect. Then I wonder about the 4 switch crossovers. That 11 Deg is smack in the middle of them!
Chris
VLVHR
Chris, the problem is with the Ross design at the actual crossover part. Unfortunately it is not a one piece part like their regular double crossover and the new MTH scale passenger trucks may rotate slightly caused by the pickup rollers going over all the "bumps" and diagonal power rail where they randomly then take the diverging path when they shouldn't. Became too much of an unknown crash risk.
