Y turnouts

[Ray Mac]

I am new to ho trains
I would like to understand how to use the the y track. Do you need to cut out part of the attaching track? Any information you could give would be greatly appreciated it.

[Doneldon]

Ray-

There are two meanings to "wye track" and I don't know which you mean.

The first meaning refers to a three-sided track construction with turnouts (often called "switches") at each corner and a long track running from each of the turnouts. This configuration allowed a railroad to turn an entire train around if the tail tracks were long enough. They were frequently included in the trackage leading to a stub-end passenger terminal in order that trains could easily be backed into the station for convenient front-end-first departure, or turned after unloading. This took an enormous amount of real estate because passenger trains could easily run a quarter-mile long, plus maybe another 200 feet of locomotives.

The other meaning refers to the shape of a turnout itself. Most turnouts have one straight leg (often called the through track) and one which veers off to the left or right. A wye turnout differs in that a straight track runs into the turnout but then both tracks after the frog (the place where the routes actually diverge) diverge. If one were to stand a wye on its lead track, it and its diverging tracks would resemble a printed letter "Y." Since both tracks diverge, that divergence is twice as fast as would be the case with a conventional turnout. The numbers attached to turnouts refer to the proportion of divergence compared to length along the non-diverging track, with the smaller numbers indicating sharper divergence than larger numbers. The same system is used to express the sharpness of grades in wye turnouts even though both tracks after the wye's frog diverge.

There is a reason why these two different meanings apply: wye turning configurations, whether long ones for whole trains or short ones just for locomotives, take the least space if the three turnouts are wye turnouts. It is not necessary that all or any of the turnouts be wye turnouts but most wye tracks include at least one just to keep the configuration as compact as possible.

I hope that one of these explanations answers your question. And, by the way, welcome to model railroading and this board. You will find many aspects to this hobby with lots of different things to do and learn. Some people get a bit daunted by the learning curve at the beginning. Don't let that happen to you; you'll be up to speed with the basics in no time.

                                                                                                                                         -- D

[Joe Satnik]

Dear Ray,

Yes, you will have to trim the plastic roadbeds (evenly) on the inside edge of both attaching tracks until they fit. 

Perhaps a disk sander would work well to keep the trimmed edge straight and perpendicular to the track base.

There is supposed to be a scored diagonal line underneath, to snap off a piece the roadbed with a pliers,

but I don't know how accurate that scored line is.   

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik