# Diameter curve in a USA #6 switch



## afinegan (Jan 2, 2008)

I been searching and haven't found this information yet.

What is the diameter of the curves in a #6 switch, also if you know, what is the diameter of the curves in the #8 and #10 switches,
Lastly, the diamondhead green track, the switches look like lagas creek, but what # are they.


Edit:
Finishing up my backyard track plan! (wife just received her dining room set, my turn lol (HOA approved! woohoo)


Click Here for track plan (too long for image post)


Thanks

Andrew


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## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

If it is a #6 it doesn't have a diameter that goes with it, it's a #6. An aristo wide turnout is a 10' diameter. If you look at the two, the #6 diverging rail is straight and the wide's diverging rail is actually curved to accept a 10' diameter piece of track to continue the turn. 

Now, with that said, 20' diameter turns work quite nicely with them. 
Terry


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

A #6 switch has a frog angle that diverges at a 1 in 6 ratio (thus #6). Of course, the length of the switch, the location of the frog in the switch both affect how closely it matches a curve. 

USAT does not make #8 or #10 (too bad). 

The Aristo WR switch is a non-standard design, akin to the smaller LGB switches, in that it's diverging rails after the frog are indeed curved, and it was designed to match the curvature of a 10' diameter curve. I don't put any significant effort into understanding anything sharper, because I do not recommend using anything sharper unless someone is holding a gun to your head. 

All the larger switches are true angular diverging switches. To figure out how they would match, you could do some math to figure how much a curve would "diverge" in the same distance. 

Of course the easiest is having someone like Terry, who can speak from experience. 

Regards, Greg


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## afinegan (Jan 2, 2008)

I guess what I should say is, would a #6 be good enough to run anything I want on my layout which has 13' diameter curves. So I wont have to worry about it, I am thinking about using Accucraft code 250 brass switches and SVRR code 250 brass #6 switches. I do understand that the frog it straight, just wondering that in the middle of the switch the track curves before the frog, what diameter would that match up with, so I can picture in my head how a engine will traverse it.


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## Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

I have five USA big switches on my layout and they are great! They should handle anything you have. 
You should beable to work #6's into your track plan very easy.


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## ConrailRay (Jan 2, 2008)

Andrew, 
www.llagastrack.com -> Price List 
In the list of switches, they list approx radius of the switch. Not sure how accurate its is, but may be a good starting point/guideline. 
#3 = 3ft radius, 18.5 degrees, 18" long 
#4 = 4ft rad, 14 deg, 21" long 
#5 = 6ft rad, 11.3 deg, 24.5" long 
#6 = 9.75ft rad, 9.6 deg, 26" long 
#8 = 15.5ft rad, 7.12 deg, 33.5" long 
#10 = 26ft rad, 5.7 deg, 38" long 

-Ray


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By afinegan on 02/06/2009 2:05 PM
I guess what I should say is, would a #6 be good enough to run anything I want on my layout which has 13' diameter curves. So I wont have to worry about it, I am thinking about using Accucraft code 250 brass switches and SVRR code 250 brass #6 switches. I do understand that the frog it straight, just wondering that in the middle of the switch the track curves before the frog, what diameter would that match up with, so I can picture in my head how a engine will traverse it.


If you're after using numbered turnouts...you need to get away from thinking curve radius. NO cuved radius is applicable to a numbered turnout because there is NO curve from where the points start to the frog...that's called an easement or a transition and does NOT have a single radius. To make matters worse, the end of the transition is at the frog..and the model turnouts are straight from that point to the end of the turnout. All this means that you cannot match a numbered turnout to a radius of curve. That's the bad news....

The good news is you've picked great turnouts and with 13' diameter curves, you're not going to have any critical issues. Always remember to leave one car length of straight track between the frog and the beginning of any curve. Using numbered turnouts makes doing that a lot easier because of the straight track on the diverging lead. Trackwork gets even better if you install at least a one car length long transition curve between the straight track and the final curve radius. That allows higher speed operations because it reduces the lateral accelerations on the cars. These two rules are the secrets to good trackwork and fewer derailments.


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