# making a y



## Dick413 (Jan 7, 2008)

Is there a way of telling how far apart a pair of #6 switches need to be to diverge to meet a #6 Y ?

Thanks Dick


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Dick..just a guess.. 
...depends on the two side leg "curvatures". What radius you can fit in the space you have for a 'Wye'. 

More than the switch number (size) 

My over sized wye at Dragoon uses 18' radius. And no. 10 switches. 

Dirk


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## steamlogger (Jan 2, 2008)

Number 6 switches are approximately 9 foot 6 inch radius. So if one side is straight you need the turnouts about 19 foot apart.


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## Dick413 (Jan 7, 2008)

Dirk 
was thinking around 10' radius 

Dick


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

to meet a #6 Y ? 
Do you really mean a #6 ? That's the frog angle, so a #6 Y switch would be about 19' radius, 38' diameter.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

#6 switches fit a 14' curve pretty well, they are much broader than 10' diameter... 

But if you use an aristo wye, it's diverging angle is #6 on each side, so you use less distance, since it's two tracks diverge like a normal #3 frog. 

I have a wye on my layout using a wye switch, about 10-12 foot will do it. 

That's assuming you are using a wye switch and 2 normal switches.

greg


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## Dick413 (Jan 7, 2008)

Greg 
yes it is a aristo Y with two usa #6 switches. what do you mean normal switches? 
Would I be better off using a pr. of 1800 LGB's
thanks to all for responses. 
Dick


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

normal, i.e. non-wye, non-curved, non-3-way... 

I like the #6 switches, more "gentle" than the lgb which are #5 frog and non-prototypical in design. 

Greg


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

#6 switches fit a 14' curve pretty well, they are much broader than 10' diameter... 
Greg, 
Whose #6 switches are you referring to? A true #6 is about 9' 6" radius, according to the math I was doing when I made some. 

what do you mean normal switches? 
A triangular "wye" formation doesn't have to have a "Y" switch at its apex. There are all kinds of configurations using ordinary/normal switches.


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Pete Thornton on 16 Oct 2013 08:02 AM 
#6 switches fit a 14' curve pretty well, they are much broader than 10' diameter... 
Greg, 
Whose #6 switches are you referring to? A true #6 is about 9' 6" radius, according to the math I was doing when I made some. 

what do you mean normal switches?
A triangular "wye" formation doesn't have to have a "Y" switch at its apex. There are all kinds of configurations using ordinary/normal switches. I don't know if this is "apples and oranges" or not, but..........a #4 Sunset Valley RR wye is a 90 inch radius and 19 inches long (I have one in my hand now). A #6 SVRR wye is 158 inch radius (13.166 feet) and 26 inches long.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

The USAT and Aristo and SVRR and Llagas switches follow the prototype, they are curved from the points to the frog, but the rails from the point of frog on are straight. 

So, there is maybe an "effective" curve overall, but the switch is not curved throughout. 

The toy manufacturers though, made switches that are indeed curved throughout, to match their sectional track exactly, so they can swap a switch into an existing curve easily. 

You can "match" various radii to a #6 switch, and it somewhat varies by the switch manufacturer. 

Greg


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## Dick413 (Jan 7, 2008)

Thanks Greg 

Dick


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