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RE: (erielack) Curved turnouts

> > C_LE_Schuyler_Junction_NSMRC2.jpg (image/jpeg, 2400x1800
> > 1610711 bytes, BF: 2.68 ppb) C_LE_Schuyler_Junction_NSMRC.jpg
> > (image/jpeg, 2100x2800 1910655 bytes, BF: 3.08 ppb)
> >
> > OK, I didn't have pictures of Schuyler Junction the other
> > night, but managed to remember to take a few Thursday night.
> > There are three crossovers involved, though one is tangent to
> > the curves and leads to the mainline heading to KC.  The
> > curved double track leads to Chicago.  Going away from the
> > camera, is the main line heading east from here.
> >
> > In one of these shots, you can see the two curved turnouts.
> > You can also see the limitations of a Club layout.  If this
> > was my personal layout, there'd be either electric switch
> > motors, or rodding if I decided to model an Armstrong setup.
> > But in a Club setting, it's hard to get people to invest the
> > time to do all those fine details.  And yes, that's a Revell
> > tower, still in the original colors.  One member's been
> > threatening/promising to repaint that for a couple decades now . . .
> >
> > Erie and EL trains run on these tracks . . . (for list content)
> >
> > SGL
> 
> 
> Nice trackwork! One question: Why such a wide track spacing? I would
> assume you can get much closer, even with clearance for 89' flats?
> 
> 	- Paul

A couple of reasons:  As a Club layout, it has to be OK to run anything at all, opposed to anything
at all on an adjacent track.  Actual experimentation shows that there is one locomotive (A
Yellowstone, I think) that is much worse than any other for articulated steam locomotive boiler
overhand.  So, the c to c dimension is sufficient to allow for that clearance.  Second, even if we'd
been ignorant of that, there were those who were more tinplate-oriented in the early days of the
club (I built all that around 1978-9) and they were not so interested in modeling things >TO SCALE."
This goes with my comment above about what this would look like on my personal layout.

I did notice something looking at the pictures after I'd posted them:  there are three tracks, two
on limestone ballast, one on cinder.  This is representing what were two separate railroads, the
Chesapeake & Lake Erie, and the Cumberland Western,  The legend is that the C&LE was a rich,
well-financed and run railroad.  The CW built east from Kentucky, and was a pretty poor road, so
much so that when they got to this point, they were financially exhausted.  The C&LE, seeing their
chance, bought enough stock to gain control, but left the CW as a free-standing railroad.  The
limestone ballast is the C≤ the cinders are the CW.

You can see more at www.nsmrc.org 

SGL


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