EZ Track Sidings

[geoff]

ABC,
To my knowledge we are not talking about turnouts being equal to any particular curved section? We are talking about how many degrees of redirection are required to bring the diverging leg of the turnout back into a parallel with the straight leg, as would be needed for a double ended passing siding. The radius is not the issue! Any sufficient radius would work! The degrees of arc is the issue! 90 degrees of arc makes a full right ot left turn. The #6 need about 9 degrees and Backman makes no such track!

[Jim Banner]

To me, making a custom piece of E-Z track is easy.  If a 22" radius section is 22.5^o and you want 9^o or 40% of a full section, just cut out the center 60% on a standard section and throw it away.  Join the two ends together using rail joiners to join the rails and styrene cement to glue the base.  For extra strength, you can add some strip of styrene inside the base.  You custom section now goes together and comes apart just like any other section of E-Z Track.  Just the thing for a break down test section.  If you are worried about losing this special section in a sea of other sections, just paint the end hooks bright red.  Then your special section will stand out like a sore thumb, at least until you set up your temporary test track and the red hooks disappear inside the adjoining pieces of track.

If you really do not want to make custom sections, there is an alternate solution.  You want to turn back 9^o because your #6 turnout is 9^o.  As it happens, Bachmann does make a 9^o piece.  It is called a #6 turnout.  Two #6 turnouts, both left hand or both right hand, will give you exactly what you want.  This may seem a little extravagant, but it could be very useful to have a stub siding available along with your passing track (double ended siding.)

Bottom line, your problem does not seem to be unsolvable.  The solutions do require you to spend either some time or some money but in the one case the cost is very small and in the other case you get an extra siding.

Jim

[geoff]

With all due respect Jim, why should I have to make a custom piece of track to do something that is so common and should have been provided for in the first place by Bachman? Additional #6 turnouts is not an option for a double ended passing siding and parallel passing sidings are not some obscure trackage like a double slip switch. They are both common and required for standard RR operation! I would also say that making a shorter piece of EX track is not quite as easy as you infer and would be difficult for most users who have chosen to use ready made track in the first place? Can it be done? Of coarse! My position is that it should not be necessary in order to install such a common and useful from of trackage! Go to Kato's site and look at what is provided for configuring just about anything with a #6 turnout of ready made track! Bachmann could learn something!!

[ABC]

ABC, To my knowledge we are not talking about turnouts being equal to any particular curved section?

You weren't, but it appeared the other fellow was, and if you like the Kato track so much why don't you sell your Bachmann track and buy some Kato Unitrack.

[geoff]

ABC your position seems to be that any criticism of Bachmann EZ track is to be frowned upon? I guess in your mind it is beyond criticism? EZ Track, love it or leave it!!

I have pointed out a legitimate problem that other people also recognize. I have then pointed out what a competitor has done to solve the same problem. Sorry you don't approve, but a problem can't be fixed until it is pointed out and time and effort can be saved by seeing how others have dealt with a similar problem? It is called constructive criticism and keeping an eye on the competition. It improves the products that we as modelers are offered! I am sorry that you can't see that I am interested in having Bachmann solve the problem for everybody, even you. I think Bachmann is doing some great things and own an awful lot of their HO and On30 products but this forum exists to share solutions and voice our opinions. Concerns and observations both positive and negative benefit of all of us and especially Bachmann!!

[ABC]

If Kato has its act together and has a good product then buy that, Bachmann may be aware of this issue, but it costs money to make molds and it might take a while for them to make the molds, before they make a decision they have to look at how this will affect everything and project the profit they would make. If they can't make a large profit off of something then there is no point in making it; it isn't good business sense.

[Clear Block]

Being that Easy-Track is "fixed" and not flex track, I don't know why these special track sections to make a genuine passing siding are not included with the switch it's self.  You either use it or you don't If it were produced with the switch then how would it effect the cost of the switch and the manufacturing?

[pdlethbridge]

I think that the original intent of the EZ track was not its flexibility, but its ability to stay put on a floor. Its original design was probably not for a train table, but for under a tree or on the floor in a spare room. It didn't have the extra pieces because they really weren't needed.

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

I think that the original intent of the EZ track was not its flexibility, but its ability to stay put on a floor. Its original design was probably not for a train table, but for under a tree or on the floor in a spare room. It didn't have the extra pieces because they really weren't needed.

I think you're probably correct. The earliest EZ Track booklet, which featured only the black roadbed track, was full of ideas for creating layouts on a floor.

[Joe Satnik]

Geoff,

Try experimenting on AnyRail with two #6 lefts, two 18"R-10 degree curves, and any even number of regular straights, including zero.  

AnyRail seems to be ok with (lets one connect) curve on the divergent, or curve on the main.

l     on divergent
l
l\
l l
l l
\ l
 l
 l

l   on main
l
l\
\ \
\ \
 \ l
   l
   l
The symmetry makes both legs equal distance.

"Curves on main" reduces "S" curves.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik  

[geoff]

Although the original intent may have been a simple on the floor layout, it has gone way past that! When you add crossovers and DCC #6 turnouts at $60 plus (MSRP) you are going way beyond a simple "floor layout" that come with a train set! Bachmann themselves is touting it as a comprehensive track system. They have advertisements that show the track laid out on carpet and then ballasted with scenery side by side in the same picture! This contention of only simple track plans does not hold up!

Bottom line is that Bachmann needs to add some very badly needed accessory track pieces in order to properly use some of their more expensive components! In my opinion, there is absolutely no excuse to offer a turnout that can not be configured so that both diverging tracks can be made to run parallel to each other. Whether for use as a run around track or a passing siding, this is pretty basic stuff! To offer a "high speed" #6 turnout that can not be configured in this manner is akin to having a "senior moment" Kato includes these pieces with their #6 remote turnout and offers them sepertely in 2 per package seperately. Bachmann should do something similar.

I don't think there is much more to be said about this problem? The ball is in Bachmann's court and they are the only ones who can correct the problem! For those who don't see this as a problem or think it is bad form to point out these kinds of issues? Have a nice day! 

[geoff]

Joe,

While I appreciate your efforts these configurations require that you can't have a straight mainline and you must jog both the mainline and the siding. This defeats the whole idea of having a slower train pull on to the siding while the express or passenger goes by on straight track with out slowing down?

The truth is that in order to have a proper parallel siding using Bachmann EZ track #6 turnouts you can either "kit bash" the needed track piece yourself or wait for Bachmann to correct this deficiency. I just don't see any other way to do it?

[Jim Banner]

All sectional track systems have limitations.  The last time I needed a 49^o crossing with one straight track crossing a 30" radius curved track, I found nary a one.  Truth is, I didn't look very hard.  With my luck, they would come only in right hand versions and I needed a left hand one.  So I did what model railroaders have done since model trains got off the floor and onto tracks - I built one.  It took awhile, having to learn how to design crossings, what the limitations of crossings were, and how to wire all metal crossings.  That first one wasn't pretty, but it worked.  I have never since worried about whether a particular section is available to not.  If it is, I use it.  If it isn't, I hand lay it.

By comparison, chopping up a piece of E-Z Track is easy.  The piece shown below (60% of an 18" radius curve) took 12 minutes, 11 seconds to make, or about an hour less than driving to the hobby shop to buy such a piece (if it existed in the first place.)  I don't consider the lack of an 18^o 18"R curve any more or any less of a "deficiency" than any other partial curve as long as I am only 12:11 away from having exactly what I want.

For those interested, I have included a photo of the results below.  The top view of the finished product shows the barely visible joint.  The cuts were made with an Atlas hobby saw and the tie undercuts for the rail joiners were made with the same saw.  The bottom view shows a piece of left over track base used to strengthen the joint.  I suspect the plastic is something similar to ABS rather than straight styrene so I used a multi purpose cement that works with both.  Crazy glue would have done as well.



Jim

[Joe323]

To me, making a custom piece of E-Z track is easy.  If a 22" radius section is 22.5o and you want 9o or 40% of a full section, just cut out the center 60% on a standard section and throw it away.  Join the two ends together using rail joiners to join the rails and styrene cement to glue the base.  For extra strength, you can add some strip of styrene inside the base.  You custom section now goes together and comes apart just like any other section of E-Z Track.  Just the thing for a break down test section.  If you are worried about losing this special section in a sea of other sections, just paint the end hooks bright red.  Then your special section will stand out like a sore thumb, at least until you set up your temporary test track and the red hooks disappear inside the adjoining pieces of track.

Thats an idea I'm going to try

[Joe Satnik]

Jim,

Nice job and photos.

Geoff,

I've posted about the needed (#6 divergent route back to parallel) curve years ago, which so far has fallen on deaf ears.

Yours is a new voice, though.  That might help. 

I had asked for a 9 degree, 43" (or so) radius curve. 

I understand the concept of pulling into the siding ("S" curves on each end) to clear the (straight-high speed) main.

With an incomplete track system, one is often forced to use symmetry to make things (track formations that connect back on themselves) "work" or "fit".  Often, the symmetry doesn't match the prototype.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik