# Planning layout and need suggestions on turnouts?



## mickey (Jan 28, 2009)

Planning an outdoor layout in the garden and want to add an turnout for an extra loop and a siding. I have Aristo brass track using 12.5 radius turns and will be running the LocoLink system so want motorized turnouts. Right now I run the Bachmann 2 truck Shay, Climax, 4-4-0 and 2-8-0. Someday I want to get the Aristo Heavyweights with a Pacific and when I win the lottery, the Big Boy (I guess I need to start buying tickets first). I see where Aristo does not offer the remote in their 10' turnouts or the #6. First of all, what is a #6? I was planning on keeping turns to the 12.5 for future so what should I use? I also see where they have something called a parallel siding adapter. I guess I need 1 for each end of the siding?? I was also planning to run some wire to the far end of the layout for additional power. What gauge do you suggest? Please give me your suggestions and words of wisdom.


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## Polaris1 (Jan 22, 2010)

I'm trying to finish up my 327' Curved Ladder G layout using 12.5' Curves min...... I used Atlas O software (free) with 0-99 curves to simulate the 12.5' (150" Dia) & multiplied co-ordinate data by 1.50...... Factor...... On switches... the Aristo WIDE is 10' Dia curved leg.... Aristo #6 is about 18 ' Dia curved leg, the new
Train Line 45 R7 is 15.7' Diameter curved Leg .... The MTH Big Boy (1/32) needs 8' to 10' Dia to make it thru.... Looks tite though.... An Aristo 1/29 Big Boy needs 18' to 20' Dia curved leg to get thru switches. Main line switches SHOULD always used for Main Line in the Straight mode/leg.....

As for wiring, Brass rail needs less Wire Gage & less feeds than Stainless Steel track. Using 10 to 12 GA for SS. with multi feeds should work well. 12 GA for Brass rail mite work well.... The number & quality of Rail joints affects Power distribution wiring needs.


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## sandbarn (Feb 13, 2010)

Mickey, 
I’m not an expert on anything but I think I can answer some of your questions. 
1. Your last question about wire size. Wire sizes are referred to as AWG (not sure what that stands for, American Wire Gauge?). The larger the AWG number the smaller the wire (i.e. #12 AWG wire is about .080” in diameter and #16 AWG wire is about .050” in diameter). The physically larger the wire the more amperage it can handle for a given distance. It will also have less resistance for a given distance therefore less voltage drop for that same distance. For instance, if you put #16 AWG wire to the “far end” of your layout and that far end is 40’ from your power supply, you could expect to loose about 1/3 of a volt strictly because of the resistance of the wire. That would mean your loco would be going 1/3 of a volt slower than it would when directly next to your power supply. There are many other factors that can effect that voltage loss (heat, the actual voltage being driven through the wire, the load being driven, the fact that the power has a parallel path to get to the “far end” via the rail itself, and I’m sure some other factors I’ve not listed). However you said you would like to eventually get a Pacific and Big Boy, so if I were you, I would opt for the biggest wire my little pocket book could afford. My suggestion would be #10 AWG, I’m sure that Big Boy is a hungry beast. 
2. Switches. Switches described with a number such as #6 refer to the divergence of the two rails measured from the “frog”. For example if you measured 6” down the straight rail from the frog, the diverging rail will be 1” away. Also numbered switches don’t follow any actual radius, the diverging rail is actually straight. The only part of the track that curves is between the points and the frog (and with most commercially available switches only part of that distance). If you are putting a passing siding on a straight section of track and would like to some day run a Big Boy, I would suggest using the largest numbered switch I could find (#8 or #10) that would fit the space I had. The parallel adapter is a curved section of track that brings the diverging rail back parallel to the main line. I you have (or could borrow) a rail bender, then any piece of track could be bent to serve that purpose. Switches referred to as R3 or R5 or some other reference like 10’ are switches where the diverging rail does continue to curve past the frog to match a predefined radius. 
3. Aristo 12.5’ curved track. The 12.5’ refers to the diameter (not the radius) of the curve. If you intend to run a Big Boy it would be nice if that was actually 12.5’ radius. All of the advice I have ever seen on this or any other forum always advises people to use the biggest diameter curves possible to start with as you may decide later to try to run bigger locos (i.e. Big Boy) and/or longer trains. In either case the broader the curves the better things will look and perform. 
Greg Elmassian has a web site that has tons of valuable information that you should try to read about switches, track, power, wiring, etc. You can find a link to his site at any reply he has made in this forum. www.elmassian.com 
Also I’m going to put in a plug for a tool that I have found very useful, Handy Converter for Model Railroaders. You can find it at www.stanstrains.com under Software. It’s less than $18 and converts just about anything to anything. 
Good luck 
Lloyd


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Although Aristocraft uses inches/feet as descriptions of their track diameters they aren't true to size, rather close aproximations. Basically they copied LGB (for compatability) and slapped a non-metric value to it... 
We have a couple of gents in Japan that did extensive planning based on Aristo's numbers and when they tried to put it together it didn't work! (Polaris take note) 

Also (Polaris1) I have a couple of WR switches that the curved leg is the mainline (in the middle of 10' dia. curves) and have never had a problem running mainline speed through them. My trackwork is good with no kinks anywhere. Although the points do need a little touch up to seat right and I'm running smaller locos with fewer wheels to derail... 

John


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Another thought for motorising switch machines is Compressed Air, instead of wires you run a single small air line to each motor (as I understand it) a spring holds it to one side and the air pushes it to the other. You'll need and a compressor and air tank, but these can be near the house and just air lines in the ground to the rr. 
Greg E. uses these and you can probably find out about them at his site... 

John


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